This blog talks a lot about the future of fashion, sustainability, new ways to be more conscious consumers, and to define how to enjoy fashion without compromising our ethical and moral standards.
However, having worked as a fashion industry senior executive for a number of years, I have experienced that when business gets bad, a lot of that can be (let’s say) deprioritised. Do we ever really face the reality of the “true cost”, or do we just look for the optimal margin and prioritise other costs—a Business rather than a Planet-first approach. Let’s look at a few further examples.
Recently, there’s been quite substantial news on fashion businesses and brands not meeting their sustainability targets and getting up to their old tricks, including a BBC Panorama Documentary reported on Boohoo pressuring suppliers to reduce already confirmed contract prices for products.
A recent New York Times article announced:
“SHEIN aims to win over Wall Street and Washington”. This really had me question whether the fashion industry has made much progress at all when it comes to Sustainability. The article discusses the potential of an IPO for SHEIN in the US and the ways that the company has taken significant measures to detach itself from ties with China, including moving its headquarters to Singapore and opening operations in Ireland in Indiana, as well as hiring a number of lobbyists in the US.
Are consumers and business people so easy to fool, or is it just that they want to be fooled? There’s one quote that sums it up. “Shein is hoping that investors will welcome an IPO. Bankers had hoped that the long-moribund market for new listings would reopen this fall…”
A recent article from the “Business of Fashion” asked why big brands are unable to meet the 2030 targets they committed to in “UN Fashion Charter for Climate Action”. Nine of the brands, including Kering, Nike, Puma and Inditex, saw that overall emissions declined between 2018 and the end of 2022 (much of that must have been due to the pandemic), but only Levis, Ralph, Loren and Gap are on a trajectory to reduce emissions enough to achieve that 2030 commitment analysis has found.
“It is interesting to note that fast fashion companies are showing more progress than luxury or athletic businesses with Chanel LV, MH, and Lululemon, all having had increased manufacturing emissions since 2019.” Literally no progress!
Another “BoF” article posed the question, “…are consumers sold on design and price more than sustainability?” It also went on to state that the trend for the reduction in carbon emissions is going in the wrong direction, and the proportion of materials getting a second life through recycling has declined by 20% in the last five years. This takes me back to my question: “Is anybody really interested in sustainability, and should we just forget it altogether?”
So where is all of this going? Are we destined to destroy the planet with all the Fashion we keep buying? I want to wrap this blog up with a nice, positive ending. Guys, I really want to have an answer, but I don’t right now. Let’s keep creating something in the future.
Love you all and welcome all your questions.