Where's Waldo? Slow Fashion Crusader Edition

By: Ava H.

For one of my college essays, I had to choose from a myriad of peculiar prompts to craft an uncommon essay. Drawn to the prompt asking "So where is Waldo, really?" I took a creative writing approach towards my zeal in rethinking fashion consumerism. Overall, I had fun trying out creative writing, especially since I started this essay only 3 weeks before the deadline (please don't do this). Last month, I was accepted and I will be attending this college next year, majoring in Environmental and Urban Studies!

Photo from: Jenni Sparks

In France, Waldo is known as Charlie and attends L’Institut Français de la Mode.

“How long do you think the excitement of buying a new fancy outfit lasts after purchasing it?” Wizard Whitebeard asks Charlie one day at school.

Photo from: The Postcard House

“Hmmm….perhaps a week?” Charlie inquired.

Wizard Whitebeard chuckled. “3 minutes.”

No wonder Parisians looked down upon his signature red-and-white striped outfit everyday.

Despite this mind-boggling fact, the following week Charlie was inspired by the 2015 Paris climate conference. He then wanted to prove that having only one outfit is more sustainable than the lavish spending habits of affluent Parisians who cringe at the idea of wearing something twice. Curious, Charlie scurried throughout Paris, determined to become a renowned sustainable fashion designer.

Photo from: Veja

“Qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?" Charlie was intrigued by a minimalist sneaker store, Veja, near the Musée Picasso. He skeptically walked in, and spoke with a salesperson about their mission. Charlie, primarily interested in red-and-white shirts, inquired why they chose to make sustainable shoes. Interestingly, along with cars, food, and consumer goods, everything, including sneakers, must be reinvented using more sustainable production methods. Illuminated, Charlie bought a pair of white sneakers and left to explore the Musée Picasso.

Photo from: Viator

Months later, Charlie got a job at Veja --the perfect opportunity to gain valuable experience before launching his own sustainable brand. His first task was to travel to India to pick up an order of organic cotton from the Billoomi Fashion factory. In India, Charlie is called by his Hindi name, Hetti. He journeyed to India to collect more sustainable fabrics, but experienced difficulties along the way.

Why is it so foggy? he thought, and started to choke on the dust from air pollution. His shirt was covered in pools of sweat. Hetti checked his phone to see the temperature--105 degrees Fahrenheit!

He tried to trek through the crowded streets, but it was impossible to not ruin his beloved red-and-white outfit. Once he saw the run-down buildings, streets covered in trash, and children without clothes, unhealthily thin running through traffic, he felt embarrassed for focusing on his outfit when seeing many people affected by poverty. No wonder it’s so difficult looking for the red-and-white striped figure on the pages of Where’s Hetti?

Hetti trudged along the dirt road, conscious that thousands dead from heat stroke were buried underneath, until he finally arrived at Billoomi Fashion. He learned about their several certifications that ensure fair trade practices for their employees.

As Hetti paid for the order of organic cotton, he encountered a glimpse of hope. There was more significance to becoming a sustainable designer than just outdoing Parisians in an unconventional manner. Sustainable fashion meant that people were paid above minimum wage, living without fear that their workplace’s roof will collapse or if their children will survive on minimal food. Not only could sustainable clothing be Hetti’s passion project, but also become his pathway towards achieving social justice.

Hetti went by Charlie again as he returned to Paris, and was sickened by all of the fashion victims waiting in ridiculously long lines for the latest streetwear drop, only to get a short-term burst of serotonin.

Do they know it’s just overpriced clothing made in sweatshops?

If Western countries experienced the same excruciating reality that countries like India did, Charlie truly wondered if climate action responses would’ve happened already.

Hoping for a green escape from the chaos, Charlie traveled to the US. He landed in Colorado and, to assimilate, changed his name to Waldo. Waldo eventually arrived in the form of the Waldo Canyon Fires, to signal that Western countries are indeed unsafe from the horrors of climate change that non-Western countries face.

In fashion school, Waldo learned that to be an innovative leader, recognition of outside forces is essential. If Waldo conceptualized this from fashion school, how come many in the US don’t even acknowledge this essential skill?Why did one of the most influential nations in the world decide that climate change was not good enough to put onto their agenda?

And throughout Waldo’s global journey, he somehow stumbled upon me, through a documentary showcasing the horrors of fast fashion.

Like Waldo, I’m still learning how to mitigate the consequences of environmental injustice. Thrifting can be a great tool, but only if used responsibly, as immense gentrification would eradicate the vulnerable that rely on thrifting the most. But, unlike Waldo, how can I stand out in a crowd of other environmentalists? As Waldo traveled throughout three continents, I’d analyze the effectiveness of various environmental policies in the context of different countries.

And while Odlaw, the villain, evilly chases Waldo, fast fashion corporations run after me. Well, maybe not yet. But once I become a persuasive policymaker taking down environmental corruption, watch out.

Photo from: Waldo Wiki-Fandom

Which side of history will you be on: Waldo’s or Odlaw’s? Sure, Odlaw may seem appealing, with his trendy black-and-yellow suit, but those are manipulative eyes under those tinted glasses. As a fast fashion CEO, Odlaw puts profit over the planet so his brand’s clothes can be made cheaply, because why pay for people’s wages when he can buy private jets instead?

While Odlaw represents the greed of corporations, Waldo stands for the justice of environmentalists. And I argue, Waldo is in everyone. The love for nature might be apparent in some, but deeper down within others.

And so, Waldo launched his sustainable and affordable fashion brand globally, donating a majority of the proceeds toward environmental justice initiatives.

Finally, I found Waldo! He’s everywhere, whether he’s Charlie in France or Hetti in India. It’s clear that Waldo and UChicago have more similarities than differences. Not only are their favorite colors similar, they both have global influence and let their intellectual curiosity and desire for environmental justice guide him.