Historical Perspectives On Sustainable Fashion: Inspiration For Change, Amy Twigger Holroyd, Jennifer Farley Gordon, Colleen Hill

Historical Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion weaves together centuries of design innovation, material ingenuity, and activist courage to reveal the deep roots of today’s sustainability movement. Anchored in vivid case studies—from wartime patchwork traditions and Depression-era thrift to 1990s upcycling and early fibre-recycling schemes—the book charts how past makers adapted, repurposed, and resisted to reduce waste and honour resources. Far from being mere nostalgia, these stories illuminate the creative sparks behind contemporary eco-fashion, offering warnings and inspiration in equal measure.

In its expanded 2nd edition, the narrative ventures into our modern globalised fashion system, juxtaposing grassroots innovations—such as cooperative garment workshops and ethical dye studios—with more insidious entanglements: colonial trade, fast fashion supply chains, and fossil-fuel-derived textiles. It argues compellingly that understanding history isn’t optional, but essential—whether we’re imagining regenerative futures or designing tomorrow’s wardrobes. Thoroughly researched yet richly readable, the volume invites readers to recognise sustainable fashion not as disruption, but as tradition renewed.

About the Author
Dr Amy Twigger Holroyd is Associate Professor of Fashion and Sustainability at Nottingham Trent University, and lead author of this expanded edition. Her scholarship champions material heritage as a catalyst for future change.

Jennifer Farley Gordon is an independent researcher and former curator at The Museum at FIT (New York), whose contextual lens bridges archival research with contemporary commentary.

Colleen Hill, Curator of Costume and Accessories at The FIT Museum, brings deep institutional insight into craft traditions and garment histories. Together, their combined expertise blends academic rigour, curatorial depth and creative engagement

Publication date: 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Pages: 216
ISBN:  9781350160439