In a bid to enhance their brand identity and establish themselves as environmentally minded, Adidas have released a new limited edition pair of sneakers that have been made using recycled plastic and old fishing nets retrieved from the coast of Africa.
And they aren’t the only leading brand who have recently embraced an eco-friendly ethos as fashion labels attempt to respond to criticism over their practises. Fast-fashion label H&M have launched a new ‘H&M Conscious’ range and Levis have announced that they’re working on a pair of jeans made out of 100% recycled material. And even luxury brands have made sufficient headway in adopting sustainable and environmentally consciousness practises.
So is eco-friendly fashion set to become the new normal, or is it just a niche trend that labels are merely adopting for a brief moment as they look to win a few brownie points with consumers?
“There is a growing demand for transparency in a brand’s ethics and a genuine expectation for brands to be socially responsible where possible”
For an industry that promotes both rampant and aspirational consumerism, to talk about sustainable fashion seems ironic. And let’s be honest for an industry that prides itself on aesthetics, discussions surrounding ethical practices usually aren’t at the front of consumers mind when eyeing up those Saint Laurent Tribute 105 heels…or at least that used to be the case.
A new generation of conscious and inquisitive buyers are looking to make more informed decisions when it comes to brands they spend their money on. There is a growing demand for transparency in a brand’s ethics and a genuine expectation for brands to be socially responsible where possible. The term ‘sustainability’ in fashion is no longer treated like the uninvited tag along at a party, rather now designers are actively embracing sustainable fashion creations. It’s important to say however, this rise in the more conscious customer is not enough to signal the end of the fast-fashion industry just yet. Why? Simply put whilst there are expectations by brands to employ more sustainable practices, the fact still remains many sustainable fashion brands still haven’t got the balance right between making sustainable garments that do not comprise its aesthetics.
The most effective brands are the ones that take ownership of their process from start to finish, from the supplier to the maker . For these designers the emphasis is on quality, never quantity – and the intent is to make clothes we will cherish, that will make us consume less and make the best possible choice when we do.
“…in a sense it all comes down to consumer behavior and the industry that profits from it. Is fashion ready to move away from a multiple-buys, impulse-acquisition model based on cheap clothes racing from trend to trend?”
Consumers will have to accept a change in mindset
One question we could ask ourselves is: why is the fashion business environmentally disastrous to begin with? Why should making clothes damage the environment as it does? We are not talking about fishing or coal mining here after all. Or even computer manufacturing. Well the answer is simple: price. As John Oliver pointed out in his satirical segment on the subject, it is just naive to think we can produce jeans costing less than 20$ and have it made in an ethical way.
That means that for at least a few more years “environmentally friendly” is going to be synonym with “more expensive”. Or at least “not cheap”. And that is fine for Adidas, Levi’s or Ralph Lauren who have the means to cut a bit into their profit margins to reap the rewards of green branding. But for fast-fashion companies it is assured to be nothing more than a subterfuge or a temporary fix: the pressure to drive prices down is such that somewhere along the supply chain, environmental norms will be transgressed.
So in a sense it all comes down to consumer behavior and the industry that profits from it. Is fashion ready to move away from a multiple-buys, impulse-acquisition model based on cheap clothes racing from trend to trend? And are we ready to maybe accept we cannot buy £5 t-shirts by the kilo and expect them to respect the environment? Such a shift would be of seismic proportion for an industry – and one of the most basic desire in our society – that has always been about more clothes, more variety, but for less money.
But there are signs: the rise of slow wear, of vintage clothing, a renewed interest in distinctive clothing and yes, the efforts of the more luxury-oriented players of the industry give us hope than in maybe less time than expected we may be looking at a greener, and very different, fashion industry.