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What is a festival fashion culture magazine?

The slow fashion revolution has joined the slow food revolution: a revolution to revive global manufacturing processes and to place timeless, quality apparel — ethically produced — back on store shelves.

The internet has upended the retail model. Department stores are struggling. Fashion brands behave like startups. Fashion weeks are more party and advertising campaign than events for buyers.

Top concerns however, but generally overlooked, is the unethical treatment of labor workers that produce our clothing, underdeveloped countries being polluted and mistreated all over the world, and poisonous, endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in cosmetics.

But it’s about more than just the environment, or human rights, or health or style. It’s about living a life that is true and honest to all of our other principles and beliefs. Marci Zaroff of Zady Apparel, says, “This is a lifestyle choice. Once you start to think about what you’re buying and using and wearing and eating, you don’t go backwards—you want to keep going forward.”

Transformational music festivals want us to get away from the processed world that has become our reality and back to where we find our true happiness: in health, in nature, in expression, in positive intention, in learning valuable knowledge to move our lives in the direction that makes the most sense.

And in that explosion of the fantastic, is the opportunity to buy food, clothing, and cosmetics directly from brands that ethically source or produce them. Brands used to need a store presence in order for consumers to find them, but now a label can be purchased online or at a pop-up location such as a music festival. If a designer is on a mission to improve the world with their fashion by using organic cotton and paying artisans a fair wage, why not direct your dollars to them instead of an amoral department store?

So, a festival fashion culture magazine! Festival culture is now an integral part of many people’s lives, from the teenagers of the world to the more discerning boutique festival connoisseurs. In a festival they find a place to express themsleves, to learn, to celebrate, and to support sustainability and ethical products.

I’m encouraging all of you, if you don’t already do so, to head out to any music festival near you. They may not be best examples in the world, but the community they create will definitely be the same. Try a few of them and make it to one of the larger ones, and see for yourself, which you prefer. Our articles will help you navigate the landscape the best we can. At the end of the day, there will always be a ‘party’ crowd, and that’s not what should define a festival. And it would be unfair of us to assume that those that are there to strictly party are not exactly where they belong: somewhere where they can be open to transformation, to see beyond the party, to find something that changes their lives. At festivals where entertainment is the only focus, perhaps they may not learn as much, but should they go to festivals which offer more, ‘the conscious festivals’ they will walk away richer than they walked in.

We all have something to contribute to society and when we gather in large groups we influence each other; how being the only question. I have seen beauty at festivals I can’t even begin to describe or explain, the Japanese have a word for that, Yuugen. At Sparked, we hope to come close to sharing those experience with you through the many talented artists and writers that will be contributing to its pages. Together, we will inspire you to consider taking your own pilgrimage to a music festival, discover yourself in a new way, and then share it with the rest of us. We encourage you to write us letters: describe your story, what changed you, how you were affected and how you affected others, what you learned and what you were surprised you already knew. Then bring that smile back to our cities and let’s make this world a happier place.

At the end of the day, we believe fast fashion should slow down and care more. We believe true fashion is personal style. We believe self-expression trumps all else. We believe doing it ethically matters. We believe quality is key: especially for the cosmetics, skin care and food you spend your hard-earned money on.

Fashion and beauty should not be destroying the world, enslaving people and making us sick. Garments and cosmetics should help us be radiant, healthy and serve as an extension of our energy. ‘Made With Love’ is not counter-culture, IT IS THE CULTURE; we’ve just been duped to view it otherwise.

Sparked Magazine dives into the world of the music festival, finding style, design, health, energy, and ultimately, the most important thing of all — self-expression. Through interviews, fashion editorials, feature articles, illustrations, and photo essays we bring you the spark.

Sparked interest, sparked enthusiasm: a sparked life. A magazine for music festival crowds and fashion people.