What is it about Sustainable Fashion?
About the author
The meaning of the term 'sustainable fashion' is not always clear cut. Natalia is the founder and CEO of Circlle, Czech sustainable activewear brand launched in December 2019. She studied International Business Management in Prague, followed by Msc. in Luxury Brand Management in Monaco. Her career went from an internship at Bottega Veneta in Monaco where she helped to develop better CRM and clienteling practices, to a Store Supervisor in Paris and an offer to become Marketing Specialist for Bottega Veneta France and Monaco. Her passion and interest in the world of sustainability led her to study online courses at London College of Fashion and her current mission and goal is to push the boundaries of sustainable fashion and steer it towards a circular economy, from manufacturing to delivery to customers.
What is sustainable fashion?
Sustainability is all around us when it comes to exercise, food, and lately, fashion. Just like we take care of our bodies, we should think about how we take care of the planet and the resources we have. Sustainable fashion is a movement aiming to bring change in the fashion system leading to greater social and ecological integrity.
Fashion is one of the greatest industries. It employs over 40 million people (one of the very few industries where women have the major representation), yet over half of them don't even reach the minimum living wage.
Other key facts are:
● It can take 2700 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt, which alone could provide up to 3 years drinking water for one person
● Textile processing currently accounts for around 20% of water pollution.
● Fashion is directly linked to habitat loss and a decline in biodiversity through land use
● Clothing production worldwide has doubled since 2000, and yet the average British or European person keeps their clothing items for about half as long. 1% of textile is recycled.
● Modern Slavery still exists today in the forms of forced labor people trafficking and child exploitation
Those facts highlight that fashion impacts not only ecology but also the social, economic, and cultural aspects of our lives and the planet.
When talking about sustainable fashion, we have to mention fast fashion, the phenomenon of the 21st century. Zara and H&M are the perfect examples of this business model. These brands create over 52 collections a year, exploiting labor in Asia and Africa to sell clothes that are cheap for us but are of poor quality, made through outrageous working conditions. Where are the times when 2 to 4 collections were created per year? Who made wearing the same thing more than once shameful? Among such brands are also activewear companies who produce sport clothes in poor conditions in Asia from unsustainable materials (quality does not equal sustainability), to benefit from higher margins (yes, these also include Adidas, Nike, GymShark and such).
And do not get blindsided if such brands create "conscious" collections, it's pure greenwashing. For these brands and business models, it is much cheaper to invest in marketing and a little better material than to change your business model and create an adequate and non-harmful supply chain. It's cheaper than to start addressing their supply chains, materials that are renewable, recycled, packaging and transportation, employee salaries, and working conditions. That's why greenwashing exists because these brands would have to completely change the fundamentals of how they work, which could affect their bottom lines. Many brands use sustainable materials and spread sustainable messages, yet they manufacture abroad, mostly in Asia. In those cases, be curious, and research if the factory they work with pays their employees fairly, ensures safe working conditions, or is it yet another case of greenwashing.
It can be overwhelming to think about all the details. So what can we do about it?
Here is a short list to focus on when making a purchase.
The 30 wear rule. Do I like it so much that I will wear it at least 30 times?
Do I really need it? Maybe I already have something very similar? The fashion industry contributes to around 10% of global Greenhouse Gas emissions, which is more pollution that the aviation and shipping industries combined.
What kind of materials, chemicals, dyes is the brand using?
Is the brand transparent enough about their practices and business?
Are their employees paid fairly? Are they abusing their workers and child labor?
Do not get distracted, perfection is unachievable, and every little step helps, just like exercising. Be kind to yourself, and try to think of every purchase as a vote to put your money towards what you stand for.