Senior Distinction Research
Fall 2021 - Spring 2022 // IM496 & IM497
India Thakar is a senior at Juniata College who will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in the Summer of 2022. During her time at Juniata, she has studied a dual POE in Multimedia Design and Business Economics, in which she has taken courses on the subjects of media design, international economics, finance, marketing, and media studies, focused in the I.M.A. and A.B.E. departments. On-campus, India plays on the women’s soccer team and is involved in the clubs Citizen’s Climate Lobbyists, South Asian Student Association, and Fashion Marketing. In the future, India would like to work as a Creative Director.
Sustainable Fashion in the Year 2022
Sustainable Fashion in the Year of 2022 is a project that India has been personally exploring for over two years, beginning in 2020 with her IMA Passion Project on “Use What You Have.” Her research addresses the fashion-waste crisis which has built up over the past few decades until the present year of 2022, and is portrayed in a two-part paper and video composition. In this project, sustainability and sustainable fashion are defined, and the environmental and socioeconomic issues which play into sustainable fashion are displayed. This research reveals the necessary need for change in our fashion industry. The questions of “What is sustainable fashion?”, “How can fashion within the US be compared to that in Europe?”, “Can an influencer act sustainably?”, and “How can I be more sustainable in my own wardrobe?” are discussed and given pensive solutions.
Within these projects, two major studies are evaluated: the 2021 sustainability index from the Business of Fashion, The Sustainability Gap: How Fashion Measures Up, and the book from Anastasia Denisova, Fashion Media and Sustainability: Encouraging Ethical Consumption via Journalism and Influencers. A variety of academic articles, podcasts, books, and YouTube videos are additionally cited in this research, which aid in the understanding of the current sustainable fashion movement.
Faculty Sponsor
Ryan Gibboney and Li Shen
