Semi Finshed Products - Patterns & recipes
2021 - 02 - 08
bla bla bla
Tada tada
When buying cosmetics or fashion, in any section of the market, a product will be made from materials and ingredients from all over the world. A piece of clothing may get its fabric from Turkey made from wool in Peru, assembled in Bangladesh, shipped back to the west. In cosmetics, ingredients come from all over the globe as well. It’s a hideous chain of production that everyone has come to accept as normal.
For thousands of years it has been a normal practice in cosmetics to manufacture products yourself. As far back as Ancient Egypt, eyeliners were made from ground up charcoal or minerals and lotions were made from beeswax and resin. Even less than a hundred years ago, makeup was not mass-marketed. Makeup artists in Hollywood made their own makeup, taking inspiration from ancient times, such as making mascara in a similar fashion to the egyptian products.
When we look at the food industry, recipes are the standard. It’s widely accepted that top chefs create recipes gladly showing you their secrets. They aren’t afraid of losing money or people ‘copying’ their work instead of visiting their restaurant. They take great pride in showing consumers how to make fresh, beautiful products from locally bought ingredients.
In cosmetics, the industry can supply recipes to the product so consumers can make the product at home with local ingredients. Recipes can be bundled together with a bottle that bears the company’s logo or even a personalized logo or initials for the individual consumer.
Instead of selling clothing, high-end fashion designers could instead focus on selling patterns. Supply a download to a pattern or send it directly to the consumer via mail so they can make their own product. Fabrics can be supplied by the fashion house or bought local to the consumer. It can even be made with recycled fabrics from old products or clothing. The consumer can make the piece themselves or visit a tailor.
We’ve already seen the concept of selling semi-finished products applied in recent history with Vogue’s famous patterns ‘Sew The Look’ where high end designers such as YSL and Christian Dior made their own patterns for you to sew at home or at a local tailor.
Break up the chain of pollution by supplying semi-finished products; patterns and recipes instead of a finished product.