The other day, I was scrolling through Instagram when I came across a repost of a stunning fashion story by photographer Zhong Lin.
Originally featured on the cover of Vogue Taiwan’s January 2025 issue, “An Elegy for Overconsumption,” the feature has been making the rounds lately.
With many praising Vogue Taiwan for tackling sustainability issues head-on as their featured cover story while encouraging readers to redefine their definition of “enough”.
And, curiously its connection to a 1972 MIT research report called the Limits of Growth, that used computer modelling to explore what our current rate of population growth and resource consumption may mean for future generations.
Visualizing the Weight of Fast Fashion
“When the slow price of fast fashion is ignored by us. When wardrobes are overflowing yet we feel we have nothing to wear. When homes are filled with packages but our hearts feel empty—the torrent of materialism turns into a wasteland for the soul.”
In the eye-catching photoshoot, Zoe Fang models several grungy post-apocalyptic looks.
Including being buried under a 30kg dress made of waste fabric and reusable agricultural soil to demonstrate the physical weight of fast fashion and overconsumption on consumers and the planet.
Considering Zhong Lin also had the help of incredible talents like makeup artist Sting Hsieh, hair stylist Miley Chen and a whole host of other production assistants, it’s easy to see why the creative visual elements of the shoot received a lot of praise.
Is Vogue Taiwan's Nomadic Future Too Melodramatic?
“In a world where rising sea levels limit habitable land, we become seasonal nomads, constantly migrating due to unpredictable weather. The flora and fauna we once relied on have vanished. “
Many who enjoy the creative aspects of the shoot found this portrayal of a future where humans are nomads—forced to carry plants and mountains of filth on their bodies like snails to be a thought-provoking allegory.
And, it got me thinking. Fashion, especially high-fashion, is no stranger to political statements.
But, highlighting the industries impact on broader topics like the environment can be difficult to communicate.
The environmental impact of the fashion industry is undeniable—35% of all microplastics come from popular petroleum-based materials like nylon, polyester, and acrylic.
But, this connection isn’t always intuitive.
For many, Water and Oil, by Vogue Italia came off as ridiculous. And left them questioning what possible connection anyone could find behind the frilly world of high fashion and an oil spill off the gulf of Mexico.
Something, Vogue Italia failed to communicate anywhere in their editorial.
But Vogue Taiwan never shies away from directly tying the consequences of overconsumption to the influence of fashion on its consumers.
There is really no benefit to anyone when fashion brands use 3,000 litres of water to produce a single T-shirt. All while paying their workers less than $1.58 per hour, just for that T-shirt to be thrown away the following year thanks to planned obsolescence.
But it is an insanely profitable business model. And, often the only option when the average consumer’s wages are not keeping up with inflation.
The Perceived Irony of The #VogueConscious Campaign
caterWhile Vogue Taiwan’s Elegy for Overconsumption has certainly struck a chord with its visually stunning commentary on climate change and fast fashion, I’ll be the first to admit it’s not without its contradictions.
This editorial is part of Vogue Taiwan’s ongoing #VogueConscious initiative, launched in 2021 to promote eco-friendly lifestyles and conscious consumerism.
On the surface, the campaign encourages readers to reconsider their consumption habits, urging them to make more mindful choices.
However, it’s hard to ignore the irony that a Vogue edition that critiques overconsumption, also caters to luxury brands that thrive on “micro-seasons” and burn overstock to maintain exclusivity.
Many solutions pitched to consumers to “make a change,” like buying clothes made with sustainable materials and building capsule wardrobes conveniently position high as the answer.
Which raises some valid questions about whether it’s possible for Vogue editors to advocate for change while benefiting from the current system.
In reality, serious innovation is needed before sustainable practices will result in a product the average consumer can physically afford. Which might not sit well with advertisers.
Global South Designers Are Already Leading the Charge
Still, what’s often overlooked is that many forward-thinking designers, particularly in the Global South, are responding to realities that hit close to home.
Initiatives like BUZIGAHILL’s “Return to Sender Collection” are more often then not, a genuine response to local realities. Not just an attempt to ride the coattails of a trendy new way to greenwash.
And, I think it’s this unique relationship to economic and material constraints that lends Vogue Taiwan and by extension, An Elegy to Overconsumption some of its weight.
This isn’t even the first time Zhong Lin has taken on climate issues. Again nabbing the cover story for Vogue Taiwan’s 2022 sustainability issue to bring us Heatwave.
Conclusion
Maybe publications like Vogue will never be eager to fully confront the contradictions in their own promotions. But, this bizarre commodification of climate change and the responses it elicits are their own, strange form of art.
And it would be a shame to overlook the sheer creativity and thoughtfulness of an editorial because artists are platformed where money is made.
You may also like
Lightening in a Bottle: Is Tesla Tequila Really Worth the Hype?
⚠️Content Warning: Gottmik Is Serving Up Fierce, Iconic and Controversial
Netflix’s ‘Doctor Climax’ Captures 1970s Bangkok With Authenticity and Charm
The Art of the Menu (2022)—Easter Eggs and Influences You Probably Missed
Revisiting Portraits from The House of Flowers (2018) Netflix Series Opening Credits Sequences