Planet

Our planet is under constant threat from an abuse, inflicted by humans, of our finite resources which has resulted in, what could be, detrimental climate change. The fashion industry is a large contributor to this global climate problem and therefore it is vital for the industry to practice and advocate for sustainability. All sectors of the industry must be held responsible for the damage they have inflicted, whether this be the 50 season a year cycle of fast fashion or the linear life cycle of clothing within luxury, and take action to combat climate change.

One way in which fashion brands can tackle issues of production and consumption is through circular economy – a cyclical life cycle for clothing from the first stages of production to the end-of-life destinations. In Gwilt’s ‘A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion’ (2020) this concept is explained as being “often described as a system where all materials are infinitely recyclable or biodegradable”. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a key figure in the development of circular economy, outlined three main principles of the process: design out waste and pollution; keep products and materials in use; and regenerate natural systems. Although these principles encourage and demonstrate sustainable practices it is important to remember that circular economy is not a replacement for sustainability but rather a tool to be used alongside other efforts to make the global fashion industry more sustainable (Gwilt, 2020).

Sustainability often acts as an umbrella term for many smaller practices, regarding the fashion industry sustainability is most associated with solving issues of “overproduction, post-consumer textile waste, poisonous chemicals in clothing and third-world labour in dire conditions” (Mitterfellner, 2023). One way in which sustainability can be improved in the fashion industry is by changing the approach from the very beginning steps, design. By changing one’s approach to design from focusing on the garment to visualising the consumer wearing and living in it a sense of well-being regarding the individual wearing it becomes the focus and thus encourages sustainable practices (Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2015).

The UN decided on 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) that aim to improve sustainability socially, economically and environmentally (see figure 2). One of these goals is responsible consumption and production which has relevance to the fashion industry as overproduction is one of the major issues in the fashion industry with clothing production doubling between 2000 and 2014 (Moran, 2022). Through reducing overproduction and encouraging less consumption less waste will be produced by the fashion industry, tackling one of the most prominent problems.

Bibliography:

Circular economy introduction (no date) Ellen MacArthur Foundation. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview#principles (Accessed 07/10/23)

Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books. https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1452042&query_desc= (Accessed 07/10/23)

Hethorn, J., & Ulasewicz, C. (eds). (2015). Sustainable Fashion: What’s Next? A Conversation about Issues, Practices and Possibilities. New York: Bloomsbury https://www-bloomsburyfashioncentral-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/encyclopedia?docid=b-9781501312250 (Accessed 07/10/23)

Mitterfellner, O. (2023) Luxury Fashion Brand Management and sustainability: Unifying fashion with sustainability. New York: Routledge. https://libsearch.arts.ac.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=1546849&query_desc=kw%2Cwrdl%3A%20Mitterfellner (Accessed 07/10/23)

Moran, G. (2022) Drapers, Collaborating for Change: Sustainability Report 2022 https://www.drapersonline.com/guides/collaborating-for-change-sustainability-report-2022 (Accessed 07/10/23)