Modern Problems Require Ancient Solutions

2024 has been a year marked by disinformation and disconnection.

From Oxford's word of the year—'brain rot'—to Pantone's muted color palettesupposedly signaling our collective desire for comfort, the year has exposed our ever deepening social fragmentation. Global election cycles, political turbulence, digital enshittification, TikTok clip farming, and industries like fashion reeling from financial losses and CEO musical chairs. We've reached a point where even voting is reduced to an in-the-moment transactional calculation as fleetingly mundane as the current price of eggs.

But beneath it all lies something worth solving: our growing inability to reflect deeply or prioritize choices that honour the needs and well-being of generations to come. 

We are simultaneously inheritors of past choices and architects of future possibilities.

Now, as we approach the end of 2024 and start down the path towards a whole new batch of uncertainties ahead, I can’t stop thinking about the Seven Generation Decision Making principle…a framework entirely at odds with our current ways of thinking, but what if it’s exactly what we need to get out of this mess? I’m no political pundit so I’ll stay in my lane and focus on how this applies specifically to fashion, but I hope you’ll consider this me planting a positive seed for your area of expertise.

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit”

- Greek Proverb

Fast fashion LOVES short-term thinking. 

The entire business model relies on new products: a quick turnover, planned obsolescence, and rapidly changing trends. Let’s not beat around the bush, this approach has created an environmental crisis: fashion accounts for up to 10% of global carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of water, and sends millions of tons of textile waste to landfills annually. The human cost is equally bleak, with garment workers often facing unsafe conditions and inadequate wages.

But you knew that already.

As we hurtle between flash floods and wildfires, the industry must finally address its environmental impact, brands must seek new thinking and alternative frameworks that can guide meaningful action. Enter the Seven Generation Principle—an Indigenous wisdom that could help to overhaul how brands approach their business strategy, transforming fashion's relationship with people and planet.

Ok, it’s not necessarily brand new thinking, but a new perspective.

This philosophy, practiced by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, demands that leaders consider how their decisions will impact seven generations into the future—approximately 150 years. 

Nice idea, but how could it work today?

Yes, implementing it requires massive mindset shifts in how we measure success beyond quarterly profits or how we define innovation beyond novelty or value resource extraction impact before low market prices. 

And it’s already happening today when you look for it. Innovative, early-adopting brands are pioneering transformative practices, putting resource usage, waste legacy, cultural impact, and social justice first in their business, baked into their vision.

Ganni’s Gameplan: Carbon-insetting through low-emission materials x Bolt Threads.

Material selection is a strategic decision, with companies like Phoebe English and GANNI investing in regenerative agriculture or developing biodegradable synthetics that respect future environmental constraints.

Design shifts from hyper-disposable trends to timeless, adaptable pieces that apply greater focus to individual taste. Luxury brands like Loewe, Bottega Veneta, MiuMiuand Stella McCartney are creating garments in celebration of craft, items that can be repaired, modified, and ultimately biodegrade or recycle seamlessly.

Emerging business models further support this vision. Platforms like ByRotation and Vestiaire Collective enable clothing rental and resale, while services like SOJO and The Seam offer repair and alteration. Elsewhere, the Fashion Revolution movement pushes for transparency in supply chains, ensuring fair compensation and challenging exploitative labor practices.

These approaches aren't just ‘nice’ or ethical—they're strategic. 

Designing with future generations in mind, fashion can create value that puts an end to haul culture, reimagining clothing as a regenerative practice.

Playing to win or playing not to lose?

While Seven Generation thinking may seem at odds with our current ‘playing not to lose’ mindset i.e. growth-for-the-sake-of-it and non-stop quarterly profits, companies embracing this long-term philosophy might just find unexpected benefits and competitive advantages, helping them play to win.

Proactively addressing resource scarcity through sustainable practices, ensures businesses can mitigate future risks and secure more stable supply chains. This forward-thinking approach also drives innovation, particularly in circular technologies, where companies can develop cutting-edge solutions that position them as industry leaders e.g. TWELVE. 

Beyond external advantages, Seven Generation thinking positively impacts internal dynamics, improving worker retention and productivity as employees feel connected to a more meaningful organizational mission e.g. Let My People Go Surfing.

Anticipating (and building towards) evolving environmental regulations, companies might just inadvertently position themselves as the benchmark to which all others are held. See: Patagonia. Instead of seeing regulation as a challenge, perhaps it’s a competitive advantage in disguise. 

Both the fashion industry's current challenges and our brainrot epidemic stem largely from disconnection and a failure of imagination—from nature, from communities, and from future generations.

The Seven Generation principle offers a path to reconnection. 

It reminds us that we’re not just isolated consumers but each part of a continuum, responsible not just to present-day shareholders, but to all who will inherit the consequences of our decisions.

The future isn't something that ‘just’ happens to us—it's something we're constantly creating, often without realizing. What decisions are you making today that might reshape the world long after your moment has passed?