He's everywhere. Everybody talks about it. It's a trend. It's a dream! A dream that must come true! It's vital. It's the present and the future. It's sustainable fashion!
Ethical fashion is the best – and unique – answer to the most pressing and current problem we face, and all industries – not just fashion – must transform.
We must change to adapt to reality and we must insist as much as possible that eco-responsibility is not limited to production or delivery methods, it is an attitude.
The fashion sector, innovative and susceptible to social evolution, must pave the way for the formation of a new spirit and a more luminous reality, before even the most optimistic realize that it is too late!
Interesting statistics and figures on sustainable fashion
- Completed by a study with more than 3,000 american adults over 18 years old, the report tells us that more than one in two consumers (52%) bought second-hand clothing in 2022.
- A sustainable packaging strategy it is an approach that aims to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of packaging. This may involve assessing the life cycle of packaging material options and the availability of waste and recycling infrastructure
- The fashion industry faces a problem with greenwashing, increasing pressure on brands to publish information that supports their sustainability claims. But there is still a long way to go... many companies still do not disclose the “minimum”, according to this year’s Fashion Transparency Index..
On the other hand,
- The annual report of the Fashion Revolution workers' rights group, which classifies published information on human rights and environmental issues, concludes that this year's average report score is 26 points out of 100, or 2 points lower than a year ago.
But,
- Like the ethical fashion market will reach $9.81 billion in 2025 according to business research Companybarriers such as price, availability and access to information still prevent consumers from diving
Although,
- Today, more and more consumers want to resort to ethical fashion brands. 82% of the French make sustainability an important criterion of choice in the purchase of their clothes. This is indicated by a study by OpinionWay for Avenida Marques published in July 2022. 68% of respondents even say they prefer quantity.
Sustainable fashion and generations
To say that Generation Z, and other younger generations, are more interested in sustainability is a somewhat abstract and general statement, although a study conducted by First Insight and Baker Retailing Center of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania highlights that three quarters of the Z puts sustainability before brands when making decisions and purchasing actions.
Generation Z continues to consume fast fashion. In fact, this generation is the main target of brands like Shein or Asos that have greatly benefited from the boom of online sales, fast deliveries and influencers.
Today, consumers of all generations say they are willing to spend more on sustainable products. 90% generation
The number of men and women, of all age groups, social classes and ethnicities that opt for ethical fashion, is increasing. Sustainability is a growing concern and all consumers demand that fashion be environmentally friendly.
One difference may be that younger consumers are buying more. As we grow old (or mature), we tend to buy less. Our style is set and probably already there is an elegant and flexible capsule wardrobe. Obviously there are differences, nuances and exceptions, but the arrangements are clear.
Sustainable fashion will continue to grow, even if dramatic obstacles and situations arise. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is an example of how unfortunate events (to say the least) destabilize – mainly – life, the global market and undermine environmental, social and economic development!
5 ideas to be truly sustainable
1. Reset
Knowledge is the key to improvement and progress. Every day, new studies and
Innovative articles are published and disseminated through multiple channels. Statistics
revealing things appear all the time. Useful information can be found anywhere
( from clothes labels to packages). The rivers of knowledge flow freely.
Let's stay informed, let's be aligned with the spirit and words of science, let's listen carefully to the voice of
nature and everything will be better! Freedom, disclosure and love and we will restart the system, let's go
change!
2. Positive is easy, creative and cheap!
Fashion brands that operate sustainablely and offer quality clothing
superior quality are abundant and easy to find. The same goes for the means
alternatives to acquire the greatest fashion trends. Brechós, the infinity
online applications (to buy and sell), vintage flea markets or even the
night clothes rental that will be used only once, are all means
to be more ecological and more elegant.
3. The future is minimalist!
Choose a minimalist dressing room! It is ethical, practical and economical! Why buy winter or spring clothes when you can buy clothes for all seasons? Why pay for a costume for a special occasion and do not opt for a versatile formal costume that you can wear in all kinds of celebrations? Hybrid clothes are fashionable and make it very easy to create an extremely stylish capsule wardrobe. Let us be minimalists and our future will be plural, diverse and rich, as well as the ecosystems that welcome us.
4. Sustainable us, sustainable everything!
Living sustainablely is not just a decision that affects human life! The ecological consciousness creates a cascade effect so powerful that it spreads throughout everything. It is not the survival of humanity that is at stake, it is the preservation of something infinitely greater and more important, and some small actions can make a big difference.
Let's not throw away our kids' clothes, let's pass them on to other kids. Let's not play tennis that we don't wear anymore, some people walk barefoot! Let's take a look at our parents' or grandparents' lockers, before buying a new outfit, they're definitely full of pearls.
The quality is durable, timeless and indestructible! Rekindle the sparks of a wonderful past wearing your grandfather's pants, light your nights with your grandmother's Fendi bag! All you need to do is change your habits so the earth turns blue again. Sustainability must end! Sustainability is idea and matter!
5. Being sustainable is ontological!
New technologies and their creators make promises. Is AI the future of sustainable fashion? The Metaverse is the space where we will soon buy our clothes? Will cryptocurrencies and NFTs be the new money? Will our next incredible looks be created for us or for our avatars? Will the virtual become our new reality? What will the face of the future look like? It's hard to say, but it's easy to imagine that the most friendly and fertile option is the most sustainable option.
Being ecologically correct and ecologically correct is the most logical thing to do. Ontology is the study of being and, to be good, we must do what is logical even if sometimes logic seems a little... Illogical and counterintuitive.
Sustainable brands: sustainable fashion
Brands like Kohr, Wawwa, Yes Friends, Levi’s and Dockers® and fashion designers like Stella McCartney, Dries Van Noten and Amélie Pichard fight for a more responsible fashion. They strive to cross limits, move boundaries and generate palpable changes! They seek to reduce the use of natural resources and implement environmentally friendly production methods, create new fabrics and put ethics first!
So, fashion sustainability? In a context where words like ecocide are emerging, fashion has no choice but to be conscious and just.
If the fashion industry wants to take off the role of polluter and assume the role of savior, now is the time to do so. We have only one house, one sky, one sea, one sun and one moon. We will treat them as they should be treated in a unique way.
It may seem ridiculous, unbelievable, unimportant, but washing less, turning off the lights, offering others what we ourselves do not use, bathing and not filling the tub with bubbles, eating better, being loving and caring, costs nothing, but also helps.
Bio
Joan Calabia acts as digital leader of Dockers® International (in Levi Strauss & Co). Joan's experience ranges from marketing operations to the creation of immersive experiences. He continues to lead the direction of the brand in adapting to the new generation of casual consumers of our time, while maintaining the cool California lifestyle, which is the priceless heritage of the brand.
Note: guest posts are the sole responsibility of the authors.
(Credits) Photo Basura en la calle durante el día – Imagen Volunteers gratis en Unsplash)