Planet blog one
In the fashion business field, there are four key pillars that play a dominant role and will never be left behind: the planet, people, profit, and purpose. These four ideas, which are intricately linked to one another and all share the same significance, are the foundation upon which all brands and enterprises establish their operations.
For the first pillar planet, according to the statistics presented by Climate Trade in 2023, the fashion industry ranks third among the most wasteful industries, accounting for approximately 10% of the annual carbon footprint of the earth. Also, the fashion industry causes catastrophic impacts on soil, water, forests, and other ecosystems. In this case, after consumers’ awakening, companies started to realize the urgency of fulfilling the sustainability strategy. And during this process, many new concepts emerged. The circular economy, for instance, a replacement for the preceding linear economy, aims to keep resources in use for as long as feasible. In this process, goods can be converted and reformed several times to exhaust their last value through a technical or biological cycle. This economy is a solution to the fact that people are losing so many finite resources.
Till now, all the practices of the sustainable strategy are originated from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were presented by the United Nations, urging people to end poverty, inequality, protect the planet, and so on. Among all the 17 goals, ‘good health and wellbeing’ is one of the most fundamental ones, for it’s the most primary need for survival. And tons of fashion brands have taken action in this field. For instance, Ralph Lauren Corporation’s global endeavor to combat cancer, the Pink Pony Campaign, has been ongoing since 2000. 100% of the price of unisex fleece hoodies purchased by customers is contributed to Ralph Lauren’s fight against cancer, and 25% of each Pink Pony collection purchase is donated, benefiting people from all over the world. As it has expanded in the Chinese market in recent years, a noticeable number of consumers actively respond and spontaneously initiate solidarity on social media for this campaign. Through this, the brand successfully builds a reputation among consumers for its sustainability and humanitarian care.
In fact, fashion is intended to encourage the personal expressions of every individual. However, all these expressions are based on the point that people can make a living on this planet. At this point, fashion ought to play its vital role and be an incentive for people, not just because it made an undeniable negative impact but also because it is the product and reflection of human society. Fashion can no longer move forward without this planet, and the fashion industry will be betrayed if it can no longer think what people think and do what people do.
In short, sustainability from the planet pillar is becoming a core and well-known strategy in the fashion industry. It’s where fashion is heading and the urgent demand conveyed by consumers and the whole society. This demand will endure as long as humans still inhabit the planet. Fashion business, especially fashion marketing, is the way to convey strategies, connect with people, and cater to all these needs. Even though sustainability has been discussed for such a long time, there will always be new solutions in this world where change is both necessary and inevitable.
Reference:
Plasencia, J. (2023) ‘The world’s most polluting industries’, ClimateTrade, 11 May. Available at: https://climatetrade.com/the-worlds-most-polluting-industries/ (Accessed: 4 October 2023).
Ellen MacArthur on the basics of the circular economy (2020). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBEvJwTxs4w (Accessed: 5 October 2023).
Pink Pony | Ralph Lauren® UK (no date) Ralph Lauren. Available at: https://www.ralphlauren.co.uk/en/pink-pony/705914 (Accessed: 5 October 2023).
Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022 – Drapers (no date). Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022 (Accessed: 22 October 2023).