The relationship between the planet and fashion industry is deeply embedded throughout every step of the product life cycle, from the collection of raw materials to the transport and use of the garments. However, the fashion industry is currently the 2^nd most polluting industry, so it holds great power in creating both potential positive and negative global environmental change.

The very nature of fashion is change. However, the word change can be applied to every corner of the industry, from changes in trends and seasons to the change required to make impactful steps towards achieving sustainability. Sustainability progress begins with small developments and adjustments within individual business to large-scale transformational decisions which reinvent traditional business models (Moran, 2022).

A model which has become out-dated is the linear economic model (‘take-make-waste’). Instead, a circular model is vital in extending the product life cycle and minimising the waste that the industry produces. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (MacArthur, 2013.) a circular economy is ‘a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated.’ When applying this to the fashion industry it can be viewed as a regenerative system in which garments are circulated for as long as they can retain their maximum value, at which point they are transformed into new garments, turned into raw materials or safely recycled back to the biosphere. Fashion designer Patrick McDowell has adopted an approach to circularity which involves using reclaimed fabrics and sustainable deadstock materials sourced from warehouses of major fashion brands such as Burberry or Swarovski and reimagining the materials into new garments (Turra, 2020). Simultaneously whilst applying a circular model and operating sustainably, Patrick McDowell is also creating exciting innovative designs, collaborating ideas, patterns and fabric from various brands. 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals form part of the UNs 2030 Agenda which strive towards eliminating various global issues such as poor healthcare and education, poverty, climate change and more (Gardetti and Muthu, 2020). The twelfth goal of ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’ is indisputably one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. The social media boom has incited a wave of rampant consumerism with new trends emerging daily. In order to respond to this, ‘Fast Fashion’ brands create new lines weekly, encouraging unethical and unsustainable methods of production to meet the surge in demand (Gwilt, 2020). A brand tackling this is Ganni who through complete transparency on social media regularly evaluate the environmental impact of each of its products (Bartley, 2022). They refuse to identify as a sustainable brand as fashion is fundamentally based on consumption which contradicts the idea of sustainability, so they focus instead on becoming the most responsible version of themselves. The strict goals they set themselves alongside a yearly responsibility report demonstrates their commitment to creating impactful positive change.

Bibliography

Bartley, L (2022). Drapers, Ganni: ‘We want to leave the fashion industry better than we found it.’ Available at: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/ganni-we-want-to-leave-the-fashion-industry-better-than-we-found-it (Accessed: 5/10/23)

Gardetti, M., and Muthu, S. (2020), The UN Sustainable Development Goals for the Textile and Fashion Industry.

Gwilt, A. (2020). The Life Cycle of a Garment. In A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion London: Bloomsbury Visual Arts.

MacArthur, E.  (2013). Towards the circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022. EMAP Publishing Limited. Available at:https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022 (Accessed: 3/10/23)

Turra, A. (2020) Pinko Taps Patrick McDowell for Sustainable Project, Women’s Wear Daily, Available at:https://wwd.com/feature/pinko-patrick-mcdowell-sustainable-project-1234596506/ (Accessed: 6/10/23)