Interdependence refers to the mutual dependence of all human and natural systems. The principle of interdependence is best explained in an extract from an ancient Sufi tale quoted by one of the key figures of systems thinking, Donella H. Meadows.(1) A story from the Tales of the Dervishes talks about people who were not able to see the whole elephant and so they made assumptions about it from the separate parts they were able to touch. As a result, those who felt its ear claimed that the elephant was “wide and broad, like a rug” others who touched the trunk believed it was “like a straight and hollow pipe” and yet others who touched the elephant’s leg said that it was “mighty and firm, like a pillar”.(1) The moral of the story is that focusing only on one part, in isolation from others, does not lead to an accurate understanding of the whole. Accordingly, each part has its place in relationship to others and together they contribute to the functioning of the whole.(1) In connection to fashion, interdependence means that fashion must not be seen in isolation from its cultural, social, and environmental implications. Recognizing the interdependence in fashion relies on acknowledging that fashion, in all its forms, is not a separate entity. It only exists in relationship to the people who make and wear it, and to the environment they live in.(2)
INTERDEPENDENCE
