Sustainability as a concept has been buzzing for years, but its precise application to the world of fashion has been a bit murky. Still, there have been milestones:
● This past June, H&M, Nike, and Asos were amongst the 13 fashion and textile brands who signed the Prince of Wales International Sustainability Unit, vowing to source 100% of all their cotton from sustainable sources by 2025
● In April, the industry came together at leading denim trade show, Kingpins, part of Amsterdam Denim Days, and stirred up the sustainable denim debate
● In March, global fashion retailer C&A and its corporate foundation, the C&A foundation launched the Fashion for Good initiative, promoting a circular fashion economy.
The fashion industry is now at a crossroads: it cannot ignore the environmental trend any longer. One-off sustainable campaigns and collections won’t be effective unless they’re part of a broader strategy: brands have to think of the full lifecycle of their products; more consumers need to change their habits; non-fashion corporations need to shift their conventions; politicians need to address climate change head-on; and a socially-conscious mindset needs to be applied across the board to create a truly sustainable industry. Let’s look to Patagonia as a role model. They consider every step of their supply chain: every stitch, every fabric, and every manufacturer before they create, design, or produce anything. That is what I believe every fashion and textile company should be doing. There’s too much at stake for all of us.
