Sustainable Fashion

Being sustainable is the act of fulfilling needs and requirements of the present generation while ensuring that the needs and requirements of the future generation are taken care of.

Sustainable Fashion is the process of creating and consuming clothes in a manner which is sustainable while also ensuring the safety of the environment as well as the people who are involved in the production process.

Therefore, we can imply that sustainability in the fashion industry is multifaceted as it involves all the processes, activities and the products which work in tandem to make the fashion industry carbon neutral while promoting social justice, equality and welfare.

Current scenario In Sustainable Fashion 

Sustainable fashion is vital for the present and the future as the fashion industry has an overwhelming environmental impact due to 4-10% of greenhouse gas emission.

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The high rate of emission is leading to the depletion of the environment and the different ecosystems it comprises. So, there is an urgent need for fashion brands to implement new business models where they can use technology and alternative raw material which reduces the severe impact of the fashion industry on the environment.

5 Things You Must Know - Sustainable Fashion

5. Shopping second-hand and vintage

Second-hand and vintage shopping has become increasingly popular and is a positive step towards ensuring that the fashion industry becomes sustainable.

It is easily accessible through apps or websites like Depop, The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective.

Through second-hand shopping the clothes have an extended lifetime and people can also find rare and unique vintage clothing on online platforms which may not be available in most physical stores across the world. Therefore, while this practice contributes to sustainability, it also brings a sense of excitement by offering unique choices. 

4. Being conscious about vegan fashion

Although fabrics such as wool and leather which are derived from animals is detrimental to environmental and ethical concerns, vegan options also contain synthetics such as PVC which can be harmful to the environment as well.

Hence, vegan options shouldn’t just blindly be considered as safer and sustainable options and people need to be aware of the kind of materials that is used in the production process.

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3. Focus on scientific targets & avoid harmful chemicals

It is important as consumers that we should have good knowledge of scientific targets with regards to materials and the production process adapted by the brands we shop from and ensure that they meet the scientific targets.

Some brands just explicitly state certain characteristics about their collection without actually educating the consumers how they do it. Therefore, this is an important aspect for both brands and consumers to consider. Consumers also need to be aware of the chemicals that are used to treat clothes in the manufacturing process.

Some of the signs which can help consumers to check whether it meets industrial requirements are the Made in Green by OEKO-TEX and Bluesign certifications as this ensures that the product has been manufactured in a sustainable way by means of eco-friendly practices and socially responsible working conditions.

2. Support brands who have a positive impact

Most consumers are drawn to certain brands which they usually shop from as it is more comfortable. But most of those brands may not yet have sustainable practices in place and consumers choose to overlook that due to their loyalty and likeness for the brand.

But, due to the global impacts of climate change, it is essential that consumers opt for more sustainable brands who care about their environmental impact and are working towards improving the health of the planet’s ecosystems.

A growing trend is Regenerative agriculture which involves farming practices such as growing cover crops and no-tilling to maintain soil health and biodiversity which not only reduces the negative impact of the fashion industry but also tries to impact the environment in a positive way.

1. Ensuring your clothes have a second life & circularity is maintained

It is important that we take proper care of our clothes so that we can ensure that when we are done wearing them, we can pass it on to someone else to whom it can be useful through reselling or donating to charity.

This ensures that the clothes have an extended lifetime. This is made easier through the presence of various second-hand clothing marketplaces online. Creating a circular fashion industry is crucial in order to ensure that the clothes are reusable, recyclable and they are biodegradable or compostable. This can help reduce the negative impacts of wastage on the environment.

5 Trends To Look Out For/Things You Can Do - Sustainability In Fashion

1. Eco-friendly dyes

Dyeing process is often water intensive and might involve chemicals which are not necessarily eco-friendly. Therefore, brands are looking to implement more eco-friendly and sustainable materials into the dying process in order to reduce negative impacts on the environment caused due to pollution.

2. Digital fashion

The Metaverse is a popular and growing concept and there is a great scope for the fashion industry to explore this concept.

This can give rise to virtual clothing allowing people to purchase clothes virtually and try it on an image of themselves. This can lead to lesser wastage by minimising the usage of more physical clothing goods leading to more sustainable buying practices although digital services require a large amount of energy which is not the most sustainable practice. 

3. Degrowth 

An important concept that has been discussed at climate conferences and is relevant to the fashion industry is “degrowth”, which is the idea that we cannot continue to have exponential economic growth, while continuing to live within the boundaries of our planet.

This encourages brands to get rid of a fast fashion business model and adapt the practices of using clothes for longer time periods and ensuring that they can be reused and recycled.

4. Supporting local industries and craft

By supporting smaller local industries which have taken up eco-friendly manufacturing practices, consumers can act more responsibly towards making the environment healthier. This also contributes to the welfare of people working in the local community. Social media has made it possible for local industries and craft to be recognised around the world and it provides people with more options and better choices which may not be available at big high street brands.

 5. Avoid synthetic products

Usage of synthetic materials is a big issue in the fashion industry and it is important to cut down on the buying practices of synthetic products due to its detrimental impact on the environment. It is manufactured from fossil fuels and they release microplastics when washed which are non-biodegradable which can severely impact the health of the environment.

Sustainability at Fashion Week

Fashion weeks involve a number of activities which need to be taken care of in order to ensure that the show is successful. Hence, it is not really a very sustainable activity to undertake.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that production of the show is taken care with great detail to sustainability as partnering with big producers may not always be the most sustainable option to go for and also ensuring that the designers who participate in the shows are passionate about and meet certain sustainability criteria.

Fashion week producers can set guidelines for their shows with regards to the kind of material and clothing styles that can be used by designers in order to participate in the shows. This type of regulation can challenge the designers to think more creatively in a sustainable manner.

Since fashion weeks are popular all over the world and influences fashion worldwide, it is important that they properly convey the issue of sustainability which is important to tackle the problem of climate change and environmental degradation.