Planet
The “planet” pillar is one of the four pillars in how a brand markets itself. This pillar has become more prominent in recent years with the increased amount of consumer awareness towards their individual impact on the environment, which is demonstrated from recent “scandals” in which brands have found themselves in uncompromising positions. For example, H&M were found to be using transgenic cotton (cotton in which pesticides have been used to speed up growth process). (Environmental sustainability in fashion supply chains: An exploratory case based research, International Journal of Production Economics, Volume 135, Issue 2, 2012)
One key factor of this pillar is the “circular economy”, which runs on 3 key principles
- Keeping clothes in use
- Using renewable and safe materials
- Solutions based on upcycling
(Katarina Rimarcikova, UAL, 2023)
This circular economy would involve less wastage and would evolve the fashion industry to help our environment and aid those who are detrimented by it. Moreover, brands would be able to convey their Corporate Social Responsibility, which would present the brand as a moral company.
Sustainability has become an overwhelming problem in the fashion industry, given that the industry is responsible for 20% of all global waste (Katarina Rimarcikova, UAL, 2023), due to the amount of “fast fashion” that goes into landfill. Fast fashion is the result of a change in the amount of fashion seasons as well as the fast changing of trends within consumers. These changes have convinced retailers to prioritise speed of release, over structural quality. (Doyle, Moore, and Morgan 2006)
Even many luxury brands who have the amenities needed, choose to prioritise quantity over quality to ultimately gain profit. These products are often at the bottom of their “product pyramids” and are therefore more accessible to a consumer on a regular income, whilst still providing the facade of luxury that comes with the brands reputation. (Mitterfellner, Olga. Luxury Fashion Brand Management: Unifying Fashion with Sustainability. Routledge, 2023. )
The United Nations have set 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to combat these issues. One of these SDGs highlights the importance of “life on land”, this identifies the need to prioritise the wellbeing of all life on land. In fashion, many brands use things such as leather and fur, which require the animal to be killed in order to get this material. This emphasises the need for fashion brands to take into consideration the life that it is ending in order to sell its products, and urges businesses to change their behaviour, as well as creating awareness on the consumers end, which may lead to a decrease in purchase of these products. (The Sustainable Development Goals Report, United Nations, 2023)