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The Circle of Fashion
Fashion and the Circular Economy has been a topic of conversation in recent years, but what does this really mean? Circular fashion is the concept that clothing items can be made ethically with the maximization of resources by minimising waste. Manufactured with little or no impact on the environment, resulting in a system that can be prolonged or reutilised to make something new, essentially making a circle of life, but for clothes. This environmentally friendly approach has been a societal shift over the last few years, where the longevity of the product always in mind to keep that product out of the landfill for as long as possible. Understanding the…
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Circularity: The Fast Fix to Fast Fashion
Fast fashion has become a detriment to the eco-system of the planet. With new clothing being more accessible and cheaper than ever, we as the consumer need to change our apathy into action. How can the industry tailor to our new needs? Circularity. Every year in the U.K alone, Britons throw away an estimated 3.1 kilograms of textiles. This places us as the 4th highest textile waste producers in Europe (circular.co.uk). However, there is a possible solution to this; use of a Circular Economy. First things first what is a Circularity? It is based off the idea of a Circular Economy. It starts with the principles and ideas that, rather…
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Not All Heroes Wear Capes – Some Wear Thrifted
How thrifted clothing can counter the fashion industry’s growing problem I think it’s fair to say that the fashion industry has a problem with sustainability – and now is the time for a much-needed intervention. With environmental destruction and pollution being a part of our daily lives, there is a growing sense of collective responsibility to address this climate emergency. The damage as we know, has been a result of unsustainable practices, including the wide use of plastics, landfills, non-renewable energy, scarce resources, and more. This real threat to our environment, however, has been met with many encouraging interventions. Supermarkets have turned the tide on single-use plastic bags, eateries are…
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It’s time to throw out throw-away culture!
Arguably the principal issue facing society is climate change. Our environment is under threat with fast fashion and throw-away culture advancing the issue. One-use items are so commonplace nowadays. People’s go to when buying items are from the big brands; whose carbon footprints are jaw dropping. The fashion industry accounts for a whopping 10% of carbon emissions each year (IPCC). The waste produced by the industry places it just second to oil on the worst polluters. However, there are alternatives. Independent vintage sites and clothes are making a resurgence and seller sites like Depop are growing in popularity. Also, recycling clothes is one way to tackle the growing trend of…
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Sustainable fashion: The community you want to be a part of
2020 has been a chaotic year; politics has become so polarised, the world has gone into lockdown, and our climate is descending into madness. But in reality, this could be our future if we don’t act now. 2020 was the year to save our planet and to hold the big industries accountable. 2020 was the year to redeem ourselves, but the pandemic has diverted our gaze to the immediate threats we’re facing. It’s time to make our consumption sustainable. Climate crisis Environmental activists have been flooding the media with statements trying to draw the world’s attention to our planet’s cry for help. We are rapidly depleting our resources and most…
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The Horror Story of the Fashion World
Simply put, we are killing the planet. And one of the big contributors to this is the fashion industry. It is the third biggest pollutant on the planet and it continues to rip through our natural resources on a daily basis. We have the solution right under our noses, yet we still do nothing. We, as consumers, need to become more aware of the impact this industry is having. Our money is single-handedly funding our planet’s demise and the majority of us have no idea how. The life cycle of fashion The life cycle of your typical fashion garment is probably a bit of a mystery to most – other…
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How Technology Is Improving Sustainability in Fashion
In recent years, the need for sustainability in fashion has become apparent. The fashion industry is an energy-exhausting market, it accounts for about ‘10% of global carbon emissions, and nearly 20% of wastewater‘. That’s more than the aviation and shipping industries combined. The fashion industry is now the second biggest polluter in the world. Water pollution caused by toxic dyes and chemicals is harmful for aquatic and human life. Large quantities of fresh water used to produce cotton depletes an already scarce resource. Textile waste contains synthetic fibres such as polyester, which can take up to 200 years to decompose, and the list goes on. Consumers are becoming more aware…
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Fashion, Suppliers & the Global Crisis
The role of mainstream media during the Covid-19 global pandemic The media is undoubtably an incredible tool which allows news to be presented on a variety of platforms to the entire nation and beyond. Despite its positive implications, the delivery of news through media outlets can often cause negative emotions and provoke panic. This is something that we, as a nation, have experienced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. There have been criticisms surrounding how Covid-19 news updates have been presented by the media. The focus has heavily been on the negative aspects of the pandemic, without a healthy balance. The positive aspects, such as communities coming together and showing a united…
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COVID-19: An Opportunity for Change?
How is the global crisis affecting consumer behaviours towards fashion? It seems an increasingly difficult question. Will the drastic changes we have seen in the short-term result in long-term positive change for the fashion industry? The complexity of our buying habits may need more than a month of lockdown to untangle the skein of consumerism. The complexities of aspirational culture: In an article on luxury fashion in China, the Journal of Retailer and Consumer Services looked at the relationship between the culture of aspiration which drives the luxury goods market and the economic reality behind its incessant growth. They look at fashion as a symbol and how this affects what…
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Fashion’s future: during difficult times and post-pandemic
There is very little break from the complete coverage of coronavirus across the news currently. A lot of fear for public health is still hanging (and quite rightly so) but a lot of perspective is starting to come to light. People are looking more at their values and what matters to them. With people staying home to help keep the population safe, this is of course having an impact on the local and global fashion industry. Of course, the news closer to home for many of us in the UK will be the concern around fashion retail workers and job uncertainty (regardless of the 80% government initiative). However, as usual,…
