Fashion + Sustainability
Although there may be no such thing as 100% sustainable fashion, the concept is undeniably at the forefront of conversation within the fashion industry. As brands grapple with growing consumer demand for more sustainable fashion practices and consumers look inwards to challenge their own behaviour and consumption patterns, the environmental implications of fashion are truly in the zeitgeist. This hugely complex topic brings about challenges and hope, of how we can continue to justify the current production rates of fashion, without jeopardising a fundamental part of our culture and identity. The very notion of this balance in argument brings into question if our desire for new clothes and style, has left mother nature as an afterthought. How sustainable can fashion truly be?
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The Secret Cost of Fashion You Didn’t Know About
What price are we willing to pay for the clothes that live on our bodies? How much is too much and is our vision of “affordable” askew due to a constant influx of things we don’t need? Sustainable fashion is often viewed as inaccessible due to high price points, but when we look at the cost per wear (CPW) we understand the value a bit more. “Cost per wear” refers to how many uses (or “wears”) you can get per item of clothing, so the more wears, the better. We also should factor in the cost of paying a living wage to all the workers that make our clothes. In…
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Storytelling our way to sustainable fashion
Sustainable fashion has really taken flight in recent months. Everywhere you shop, the words “ethical” and “sustainable” have appeared. Brands all over the world are becoming more and more aware of their impact on the planet. Most of these brands are sharing their sustainable journey through storytelling. But how can we use storytelling to keep pushing sustainable fashion in the right direction? What is storytelling in fashion? Storytelling is a creative art that grabs the consumers attention, making them interested in particular brands. It has become and integral part of advertising and many designers rely on it to sell their products. More recently, brands have been using their storytelling platforms…
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Conscious fashion: thoughts speak louder than words
We all know the saying actions speak louder than words. But when it comes to fashion, thoughts speak even louder. Conscious fashion is a bit like journalism. Its thoughts in simple terms. Writers put their thoughts on paper and make other people think. Conscious fashion is our thoughts. Thoughts that are then reflected in our choice of clothes, beauty and anything we choose to put on our bodies or even buy. What is Sustainable Fashion? The word ‘sustainable’ is popping up more and more in todays society. But do we really understand the word sustainability? In my opinion, any brand that marks themselves 100% sustainable is lying. Unfortunately 100% sustainable…
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The low down on sustainable fashion textiles
The future of sustainable textiles is here: hemp, oranges, wool, and potatoes. As everybody knows that if we’d love to survive and protect Mother Earth, we should make a change in our lifestyle. Even if I’m talking about climate change, fashion change or changing ourselves. We can choose to make healthier and more sustainable choices. Hopefully, there’s been invented fabrics made from 100% recyclable materials, from plants and microorganisms. And thus, there are lots of alternatives. It is just our choice to either becoming a part of the sustainability movement or not. According to Forbes, the Future Fabrics Expo is the largest trade show focused on sustainable materials, opened in…
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How is fashion investing in sustainability?
With the fashion industry’s effects on the planet under fire from the public, media and government, investment in sustainability is rising. A recent report claims that $20 billion to $30 billion per year is needed to see transformative change. Before we continue, let’s remind ourselves what this word we hear almost every day actually means: “Sustainability is the ability to exist constantly.” It means focussing on the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations. Fashion & Sustainability- What’s the problem? We are hearing more and more about how fashion is bad for the planet, but what does this really mean? In 2019, 10% of humanity’s carbon…
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Sustainable Fashion: From 1990s ‘Sloppy Eco Style’ to Sustainable Stylish Fashion Trend
How Sustainable Fashion has entered mainstream thought and is beginning to take over the fashion industry. Sustainability has become part of a revolutionary fashion movement and is no longer considered sloppy eco fashion but has taken over the stylish and luxurious fashion catwalks of major fashion capitals of the world.
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Can we find a sustainable solution to the business of fashion?
The need for growth? Sustainable fashion, can we find a solution when it comes the business side? I think we can all agree that the concept of a business model striving for growth and pushing for more sales and higher profits is generic. Everybody is going for this and it seems as though there really is no alternative. Ofcourse a business wants to grow and make more money, why else would somebody make it? Even charitable organisations, although they are not keeping all the money themselves will still push toward more sales and growth in order to make more charitable funds. The ethical impact? When it comes to the fashion…
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Brexit's Seamless War on Fashion Industry Could Change How We Shop
In recent years, the fashion industry has been battling with UK politics to have their voice and concerns heard. Flashback to 2016, the fashion industry was vocally not in favour of Britain leaving the European Union. Maybe they could see the potential future risks of Brexit’s seamless war on fashion. The whole of the country was divided in opinion about whether Britain should leave the EU or not. During political campaigns, pro-Remain designers such as Vivienne Westwood were strong in their views that Brexit would damage the UK Fashion industry. In fact, 90 percent of British designers told the British Fashion Council that they were proud remainers. They raised concerns…
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Myth-busting sustainable fashion
Whoever said to me, ‘don’t use bags made from real leather, instead invest in bags that are made from vegan leather’, did not do their research. The leather used by the fashion industry comes as a by-product of the meat industry and to be fair, vegan leather is not always ‘environmentally friendly’. Most vegan leather products in the industry are manufactured using synthetic fibers like polyurethane and PVC . These are not biodegradable as their manufacturing process releases a number of toxic chemicals that cause harm to the environment. Cases that involve the use of exotic skins however, are clearly unethical. These are a number of issues that we can…
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Sustainable fashion policy: is it all just a publicity stunt?
Some may say that the environmental and ethical awareness of sustainable fashion has been circulating for a while now but it is just not good enough. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, every second the equivalent of one rubbish truck of textiles is landfilled or burned. The current linear business model is out-dated. It is failing businesses, people and the environment. We have essentially created an attitude of: wear once, bin it – repeat. This has created copious amounts of unrestricted waste, mainly coming from fast fashion practices. Fashion is not frivolous nor disposable; it is art, it is creativity and should not be considered short-term. The attitude towards fashion…
