How to Choose Clothes for Longevity, Not the Landfill | Diarra Bousso | TED

譯者: 麗玲 辛

Isn’t online shopping just amazing?

網路購物實在太神奇，對吧？

I think we've truly mastered the art of retail therapy

我認為，我們足不出戶 就掌握了購物療法的技巧。

without ever leaving the house.

I mean, who needs a single, carefully selected jacket

我的意思是，如果你可以 訂購一整個系列的外套，

when you can order a jacket collection, pays zero shipping fees,

在家試穿，不用支付運費 就可以退回不喜歡的品項，

try it all at home and return the ones you don't like?

誰還想要精心挑選，只買一件外套呢？

And let's not forget the thrill of unboxing an outfit

而且，別忘了，

打開一件比午餐還便宜的 衣服的那種驚喜感，

that costed less than your lunch.

So great, right?

超讚的，對吧？

Well, there is a hidden cost to this level of convenience,

嗯，這麼便利， 背後是有隱藏成本的，

and Mother Earth is not so proud.

大地之母並不會引以為傲。

In the little time it took me to introduce this topic,

在我介紹這個主題的短短時間內，

40 garbage trucks full of clothes went to a landfill.

就會有 40 輛垃圾車， 載滿衣服，開往垃圾掩埋場。

By the end of today, that number will be 86,000.

到今天結束，這個數字 將達到八萬六千。

That's one garbage truck every second.

每秒就有一輛垃圾車。

And this is because fashion

這是因為時尚是世界上 污染最嚴重的產業之一。

is one of the most polluting industries in the world.

This waste is rooted in overconsumption and overproduction.

這種浪費源於過度消費和過量生產。

I'm one of the many entrepreneurs working on this problem.

我是眾多致力於解決 這個問題的企業家之一。

I actually didn't intend to work in fashion.

其實，我本來不想從事時尚界的工作。

I started my career on Wall Street in my early 20s,

我二十歲出頭就在華爾街 開始了自己的職業生涯，

was obsessed with being rich,

熱衷於致富，

and back then I probably preferred fashion brands

那時，我更喜歡那些鼓勵我 浪費購物習慣的時尚品牌。

that supported my wasteful shopping habits.

But in July 2012,

但 2012 年 7 月，

my life completely changed

一場危及生命的意外導致我陷入昏迷，

after a life-threatening accident that left me in a coma.

我的生命因此徹底改觀。

When I woke up in a blank room with a blank memory,

當時，我在一個空盪的房間裡 醒來，記憶一片空白，

I had the opportunity to start over.

我有了重新開始的機會。

I no longer saw life as a race to just consume and accumulate things

我不再將生活看成一場競賽， 僅僅為了消費和累積物品，

but rather felt a deep desire for meaning and impact.

我強烈渴求著生命的意義和影響。

As I recovered, surrounded by my family in Senegal,

在康復的過程中， 塞內加爾的家人陪伴在我身邊，

I was fascinated by a culture of longevity

我對耐用文化很感興趣，

where philosophically it's not really about the word "sustainability,"

從哲學上講，它並不是 用「永續」這個詞，

but the active acts of sustaining everything we love:

而是積極維持我們所愛的一切：

traditions,

傳統，

resources,

資源，

culture.

文化。

In our customs, clothing was created to last.

在我們的生活習慣裏， 衣服是為了經久耐用而設計的。

Imagine my grandma,

想像我的祖母，

who rocked the same dresses at 102 years old

她在 102 歲時仍然穿著 和 50 歲時一樣的衣服。

as when she was 50.

Styled differently, of course.

當然，風格不同。

Here I'm a cute 12-year-old wearing a dress made from her scarf.

我就是那個可愛的 12 歲女孩， 穿著她的圍巾做的裙子。

Every time I head back to the car,

每次我上車要回家，

my mom always hands me pieces from her closet,

媽媽總是從她的衣櫃裡 拿出一些單品，遞給我，

wrap skirts and dresses that can be adjusted to fit like a dream.

例如裹身裙和連身裙， 這些衣服可以調整到完美合身。

Like this dress she wore 20 years ago.

就像她 20 年前穿過的這件衣服。

See, growing up, getting a new outfit was not really an impulse purchase,

在我成長經驗中， 買套新衣服不會是因為衝動，

but rather a very intentional process

而是一個有計畫的過程，

rooted in love and longevity.

植根於愛和耐久。

You'd go to the market,

你會去市場，

get just the right amount of fabric needed,

找到正好所需的合適布料，

and then work with a local artisan to get your clothes made to order.

然後與當地的工匠討論， 定製你的衣服。

Styles were often convertible and adjustable

款式通常是可變換、調整的，

so as to fit you

以適應隨著時間而發生的體形變化。

across different body changes over time.

And then at the end, we'd just pass it down to someone else.

最後，我們會將衣服轉送給別人。

The concept of waste wasn't even conceivable for us.

對我們來說，沒有物品是無用的垃圾。

See, sustaining things is not just what we do.

我們做的不僅僅是永續。

It's a love language about who we are.

這是一種愛的語言，述說我們的本質。

I decided to channel this inspiration to create my own fashion brand, Diarrablu,

我決定利用這個理念創造 我的時尚品牌 Diarrablu，

with the goal to produce clothing more responsibly.

目標是更負責任地生產服裝。

Now I understand that in order to reduce waste,

我明白，為了減少浪費，

we need to encourage conscious consumption

我們需要鼓勵現在的顧客

in a way that works for the modern customer.

以有效的方式進行有意識的消費。

A customer who wants more choices

讓顧客擁有更多選擇，

and the ability to act on their preferences.

能夠依照自己喜好行動。

Over the last three years,

在過去的三年裡，

I've identified three key learnings

我確立了三個關鍵的經驗教訓，

that I believe can be applied to the broader fashion industry

我相信這些經驗教訓 可以應用於更廣泛的時尚產業，

in order to be more sustainable.

以實現更永續的發展。

One, we can survey customers online

第一，我們可以在線上調查客戶意見，

to cocreate designs they actually want to consume or purchase.

共創他們真正想要購買的設計。

Two, we can produce consciously,

二、我們可以有意識地生產，

on demand or based on preorders

根據需求或基於預訂，

to reduce waste.

以減少浪費。

And three, we can actively mitigate returns

第三，我們可以積極減少退貨，

to reduce overconsumption.

以減少過度消費。

I truly believe that people are more likely

我堅信，如果人們參與服裝的設計，

to keep their clothing for years, if not decades,

他們比較有可能把這些衣服 保留數年，甚至數十年。

if they contributed to the design of that clothing.

Companies would make better design decisions

企業若實際詢問客戶的需求，

if they actually asked the customers what they wanted.

他們就會做出更好的設計決策。

This is why I've been leveraging our online communities,

這就是為什麼我一直在利用線上社群。

and any company can do this,

任何公司都可以做到這一點，

using newsletter, social media, SMS

使用電子報、社交媒體、簡訊，

can engage with customers

與客戶互動，

not only to learn about their preferences,

不僅了解他們的喜好，

but to create a sense of ownership.

還可以為他們創造支配感。

Here we approach marketing not like a pitch,

我們的行銷方式不像是推銷，

but rather a dialogue.

而是對話。

The message being, "We are cocreating a responsible future together,"

我們傳達的信息是，「我們正在 共同創造一個負責任的未來」，

rather than, "You're just buying my products."

而不是「你只是在購買我的產品」。

At Diarrablu, in order to do this and streamline the process,

在 Diarrablu，為了 做到這一點並簡化㳘程，

I use math equations, and lately AI,

我使用數學方程式， 最近也使用了人工智慧，

mixed with my hand drawings,

與我的手繪圖結合，

to create unique textile prints.

創造出獨特的紡織品印花。

Once we apply them on garments digitally,

一旦我們以數位方式 將花樣放到服裝上，

we are able to show them on social media without creating any samples.

我們就能在社交媒體上展示， 無需製作任何樣品。

We've made this process so efficient

我們已經讓這過程變得很有效率，

that we can create hundreds of print iterations per day,

每天可以創建數百種印花版本，

show them on different body shapes and ethnicities,

展示在不同的體形和種族身上，

and within 24 hours we know exactly what to produce.

在 24 小時內， 我們就知道該生產那些品項。

Textiles are then printed digitally,

然後，以數位方式印刷在紡織品上，

which can be done in small batches, compared to screen printing.

相較網版印刷， 這方式可以小批量完成。

Digital printing is also a more sustainable option

數位印刷是一種更永續的選擇，

by using less energy and creating a smaller carbon footprint.

因為它使用較少能源， 產生更小的碳足跡。

Companies in the US, like Finesse,

Finesse 等美國公司

also use a crowdsourcing model,

也使用群眾採購模式，

with designs created by AI

其設計由 AI 創建，

in order to produce in small batches and reduce waste.

以小批量生產，減少浪費。

Another retailer, Stitch Fix,

另一家零售商 Stitch Fix

relies heavily on polls to understand customer preferences

主要依賴民意調查來了解客戶偏好，

in order to better manage inventory.

以便更有效管理庫存。

For me, polling was a way to figure out

對我來說，民意調查是個好方法，

能在有限的資源下， 弄清楚該生產那些產品，

what to actually produce with limited resources,

because when I started,

因為剛創業時，

I didn't have the finances to just produce inventory and guess.

我的資金不夠，不能生產庫存、猜測。

On the business side,

從商業角度來看，

I've learned that the polls are directly correlated to sales.

我學到了民意調查與銷售之間直接相關。

Our data for the past three years shows that our bestsellers

我們過去三年的數據顯示，

我們的暢銷品始終是民意調查中 獲勝的風格，反之亦然。

were always the winning styles during the polls, and vice versa.

Like this beautiful print photographed in the Maldives last year.

就像去年在馬爾地夫拍攝的 這件美麗印花衣服。

Overall, crowdsourcing the design process

總體而言，眾籌設計過程

is a powerful tool to limit overproduction.

是抑制過度生產的強大工具。

The next learning was conscious production.

第二個經驗教訓是有意識的生產。

And this can be achieved multiple ways.

這可以透過多種方式實現。

For Diarrablu, we currently make all our garments to order

對於 Diarrablu來說， 我們目前所有的服裝

by Senegalese artisans,

都是向塞內加爾工匠下單製作的，

and this is like how I used to get my clothes made growing up.

這跟我小時候衣服的製作方式一樣。

This means no overproduction.

這樣就不會生產過剩。

Our only stock is from online returns.

我們唯一的庫存來自線上退貨。

By producing garments on demand this way,

透過這種因應需求、生產服裝的方式，

using the top prints from crowdsourcing,

加上使用眾籌中最受歡迎的印花，

we are able to reduce textile waste by over 60 percent.

我們能夠減少 60% 以上的織品浪費。

However, it’s not always possible for every company

然而，並非所有公司都能按需生產。

to produce on demand.

There is a financial and operational aspect

財務和營運方面可能會面臨挑戰。

that can make it challenging.

A great alternative is taking preorders

優質的替代方案是接受預訂，

and negotiating with factories on minimums,

並與工廠協商最低數量，

something we are considering as well for the long term.

這也是我們考慮長期進行的事情。

Overall, conscious production will help limit excess inventory,

總體而言，有意識的生產 將有助於抑制庫存過多，

which is an issue for many fashion companies today.

這是當今許多時裝公司面臨的問題。

The third idea is actively mitigating returns.

第三個想法是積極減少退貨。

According to the Coresight Insight,

根據 Coresight Insight 的數據，

the return rate for online clothing is 24.4 percent in 2023,

2023 年網路服飾的 退貨率為 24.4%，

and one of the big reasons is free shipping on returns,

其中一大原因是退貨免運費，

which incentivizes overconsumption.

刺激了過度消費。

However, recently big groups like Zara, JCPenney

然而，近來像 Zara、 JCPenney 等大集團

have been starting to charge return shipping fees

已開始收取退貨運費

or restocking fees

或重新上架費用，

in order to limit waste.

以減少浪費。

We also charge return shipping fees,

我們也收取退貨運費，

and the goal is to encourage you to only order what you need.

目標是鼓勵你只訂購所需的東西。

However, I believe that to truly limit overconsumption,

然而，我相信，要真正抑制過度消費，

we need to create a mindset shift around returns

我們需要改變退貨的心態，

that involves the customer,

讓顧客參與其中，

and communicating that with the customer before even an order is shipped.

在出貨前與顧客進行溝通。

This can require difficult conversations sometimes.

有時候，需要一場為難的對話。

For example, when a customer orders multiple sizes of the same item,

例如，當顧客訂購 同一件商品的多個尺寸時，

we simply don't fulfill the order.

我們不會先出貨。

We take the opportunity to kindly reach out,

我們會利用這個機會， 善意地與之聯繫，

express our commitment to sustainability

表達我們對永續發展的承諾，

and ask them to join us and support this mission.

邀請他們一起加入，支持這一使命。

We explain the impact of ordering duplicates

我們會向他們解釋 訂購重複商品的影響，

and then provide them all the support they need

然後提供所需的所有支持，

to figure out the perfect size,

找出完美的尺寸，

so they can narrow their selection.

以便他們縮小選擇範圍。

I always get a big smile on my face every time I get a notification

每當顧客受到這些電子郵件 啟發，我收到通知時，

that a customer was inspired by these emails.

我總是臉上露出燦爛的笑容。

真的，我的目標是確保

Really my goal is to make sure

that they don't order duplicates in general,

他們無論在哪裡購物，

no matter where they shop.

都不會訂購重複的商品。

So far, the returns approach that we've been implementing

到目前為止，我們實施的 退貨方法非常成功。

has been very successful.

Our return rate on our website is 12 percent, half of the industry.

我們網站的退貨率為 12%， 是行業的一半。

And by organizing an annual outlet sale focused on sustainability,

透過辦理以永續發展為焦點的 年度直銷活動，

we've been able to sell three quarters of that stock in the last three years.

我們在過去三年 已經售出了四分之三的庫存。

My journey with Diarrablu has shown me

我與 Diarrablu 的合作經驗告訴我，

that fashion can be approached responsibly,

可以負責任地追求時尚，

and these ideas can be applied by many companies.

這些想法可以應用於許多公司。

These learnings are not great just for the planet,

這些經驗教訓不僅對地球有益，

they are also powerful drivers of growth and profitability.

也是企業成長和獲利的強大驅動力。

In the last three years,

在過去三年中，

we've seen our revenues grow 35x,

我們的收入成長了 35 倍，

with very minimal inventory and healthy profit margins.

庫存極低，利潤率良好。

This was my first artwork post-accident,

這是我意外後第一件作品，

a self-portrait titled "Walking to a New Beginning."

一幅自畫像，題為「走向新開始」。

I hope it can inspire you to journey together

我希望它能激勵您

共同邁向更永續的時尚未來。

towards a more sustainable fashion future.

At the end, I was given a second chance to be alive,

最後，我再次獲得了生命的機會，

and that instilled in me a deep desire

這讓我有著深切渴望，

to not only sustain my health

不僅要維持我的健康，

but also our shared resources,

還有我們共享的資源、

a culture of love,

深愛的文化，

and most importantly,

最重要的，

珍惜在這個寶貴的星球上 我們獲得的生命恩賜，

the gift of life on this precious planet

這個我們一直視為理所當然的禮物。

we take so much for granted.

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）