Hello, Darlings!
Welcome back, and welcome to another blog from the Future of Fashion, a place where we can magically impact the future of fashion, beauty and creativity for all living creatures.
This week we are going to address a question I have been considering for some time. How can we make money in fashion while saving the planet?
Sustainable fashion is very important for the future of fashion. Addressing the challenges of the environmental impact of fashion by providing alternatives is a key step for the future of fashion and the industry.
We are constantly faced with information on the negative impact of fashion, its wastefulness, the environmental damage, and human rights horror stories. We all welcome sustainable alternatives to wasteful fashion, yet, this has seemed unlikely and almost unachievable. We all have ongoing concerns about sustainable fashion being expensive. Even though we know better than to judge sustainable fashion on financial comparisons only, we also know that our budgets have concerns, not everyone is fully aware of the true cost of cheap fashion.
To be truly sustainable in fashion, we should not make any more clothes, or at least reuse or recycle those already on this planet. To make money in fashion while saving the planet seems rather intangible, rather too challenging for us to make sense of or achieve. It is a big question I have been considering for a long time but not fully answering. So, now is the time for us to explore and address this further.
To answer this question, we have to open our minds and create something innovative, responsible and very fulfilling. There are certainly many business models that can be successful, but, firstly, we need to address the proverbial “elephant in the room” – this being that sustainable fashion has become a place where former fashion people have gone in order to resolve their guilt for all the damage that has been done during their careers. This might seem a simplistic generalisation, yet I can see how fulfilling this world of sustainable fashion can be, a place of possibility, newness, innovation and doing good, creating a positive impact. Many of us, myself included, have become resigned and even desperate about the direction fashion has taken. Whilst we have many great innovations and commitments for sustainable fashion alternatives, there have also been many new fast fashion juggernauts selling ultra-cheap fashion. Leaving me with another question, “Does anyone care?”. If not, why not?
It is clear that transformation in fashion is something that many people support, but they do not necessarily support it if it costs them more or limits the business's ability to generate profit or growth. For true transformation to occur, we need to have a new way forward. Something completely new and not an adjustment of the past. I have been looking at solutions for several years now. There are many sustainable alternatives, but somehow they have not provided a clear way forward.
Let’s look at what has made the new fast fashion brands so successful. In the case of “Shein” it has primarily been technology. How is it that there is no true sustainable alternative to this brand (Shein)?
Fashion is a complex world. There are so many challenges, costs, and complexities involved in producing a fashion collection. It is not viable to try to solve the issues with simple adjustments. We require a fundamental shift in the business model. A new way forward is needed. Living in an era of technological advancement and AI, we have amazing resources and tools available to us.
So, How Can These Help Us?
AI and technology can offer innovative solutions to mitigate the issues of wasteful fast fashion.
Let’s explore the way these problems can be addressed:
Environmental impact
Social issues
Economic issues related to unsustainable business practices and market saturation
At a macro level, through the use of AI
We have opportunities in supply chain optimisation, inventory management, personalised design and production.
As we explore further opportunities, this becomes very exciting and inspiring. A whole new industry starts to emerge, providing many business and career opportunities.
These include:
Recycled and upcycled fabrics
Smart/Intelligent factories
3D printing
Digital design,
Blockchain technology
Sustainable dyeing
Energy efficiency in manufacturing
Biodegradable materials
AI and machine learning
The opportunities are endless.
What is required here is for someone or some company to take on this challenge and provide a solution for a sustainable fashion alternative. To take the tremendous waste that is currently in the system and make it into new clothing or other resources. It is time to use the profound advancements in technology and put them to use for impacting the future of the planet productively. This is not only a business problem, this is a challenge for the future of life on this planet. Let’s solve this together and consider the future of life and the thriving of every creature on this planet.
This is an exciting future to live in.
As always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.
Kate xx