Elena Weidinger

How people operate, in the context of fashion, is ever-evolving. This fluctuating dynamic between people and fashion brands is due to the social movements that define each generation. The term “people” encompasses many roles – fashion journalists and editors, suppliers and shareholders – but arguably the one that determines the success of a fashion business, both directly and indirectly, are consumers. Though not the largest consumer generation as of yet, many fashion businesses have already started to cater to Generation Z, a cohort that covers ages 7 to 22 (Dimock, 2019). As they grow up, brands will have to speak to the demographic in “[their] language in terms of interests, preferences, attitudes, and other significant factors” (Mitterfellner, 2019). 

For Gen Z, its defining crises have been gun control, climate change, LGBT discrimination, sexual harassment – along with others. In a chaotic world, Gen Z seeks out stability providing fashion brands with a unique opportunity to “hear their voices… and, in the process, perhaps, gain brand loyalty” (Stone, 2021). By incorporating marketing that speaks to social movements, Gen Z is able to identify themselves better with the values of the brand. Whether that be through racially inclusive, body-positive models, collaborations with activist organisations, or “politically correct” statements – language or behaviour that deliberately tries to avoid offending particular groups of people according to the Oxford Learner Dictionary. That is to say, execution is primal. Due to the efficiency of technology that Gen Z has grown accustomed to, false advertising is easily recognised and scrutinized. Meaning “tokenism” or “green-washing” can be dissected with a few filtered searches about a brand’s history and beliefs. 

Figure 1. Elle Santiago’s Instagram Post (Santiago, 2020)

In 2020, Reformation was accused by former employees of unfair treatment of BIPOC, only a few days after the brand joined the #BlackLivesMatter bandwagon, posting on Instagram a show of support. Former employee, Elle Santiago described “being overlooked and undervalued” working at Reformation for 3 years (see Fig. 1) (Nesvig, 2020). Following the resignation of the brand’s founder, Yael Aflalo, a list of “appropriate corrective actions” was implemented (Chen, 2020). The amendments included donations to black-founded nonprofits, internal workshops on implicit bias, and greater model diversity. Their response to inclusion, or lack thereof, incited conversation on the sincerity of company initiatives. As previously discussed, technology allows ease of access to a brand’s background but this is limited to the brand’s given level of transparency. By providing evidence of the measures being taken to counteract racism, Reformation puts into effect their mission to “bring sustainability to everyone” and “part of that sustainability is treating everyone equally” (Nesvig, 2020). Evidently, three key values lay the foundation for the fashion industry to prosper in

Circular economy can be defined as the general concept of taking existing material goods and recycling them in a cyclical manner; hence the term. In a circular economy, the aim is to ensure the minimal production of waste, shift our current consumer mindset, and ultimately, cultivate a balanced economy – one that is not “inevitably linked to resource depletion” (Conde Nast glossary, 2020). Changing spending habits, integrating company policies that focus on repair rather than replacement, designing for disassembly to extend the shelf life of individual components are all strategies that society can implement to achieve a more sustainable approach to consumption and production (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2011).

Figure 1. Circular Economy Model (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2011)

A circular economy is essentially the prioritisation of our planet and in recent years, earth, has suffered inconceivable amounts of environmental damage. For this reason, “planet” has been brought in as one of the four core pillars in the Fashion Buisiness School to aid in the understanding of the intersection between fashion and sustainability. 

In an “era of overabundance,” sustainability has become the next trend in the fashion world (Hethorn and Ulasewicz, 2008). Big fashion conglomerates such as Boohoo, Shein, and H&M have all been perpetuators of “greenwashing” – insincere environmental claims of a campagin or product (Gwilt, 2020). Greenwashing weakens the integrity of the sustainability movement and undermines the values of thrift. There have been however, some genuine initiatives taken in order to reduce the estimated 92 million tons of textile waste created annually (Dean, 2019). Take Patagonia whose Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign encouraged it’s consumer base to refrain from buying too many of their products (Patagonia, 2011). Wearing and rewearing our existing clothes is perhaps the best way in which the public can promote sustainability and even reestablish their relationship with personal style. 

Figure 2. Patagonia Advertisement (Patagonia, 2011)

Due to the nature of the fashion and textiles industry, there is heavy emphasis on clean water and sanitation – the UN’s sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). In fact, the fashion industry is the “world’s second-biggest user of water” and contributes “20% of global wastewater” (textilesforsdgs, 2018). In a world where approximately more than half the population suffer from severe water scarcity, there is clear indication for change (Common Objective, 2021). The most used clothing material is cotton and the crop that requires the most water is also cotton (Magevero, 2020). This dilemma arises from the additional irrigation required to produce cotton in drier regions and the conventional textile dying processes that also end up polluting local waterways (Common Objective, 2021). To rectify this growing problem, companies can source organic cotton instead of conventional cotton or recycle effluent water wasted by manufacturing processes. According to a lifecycle assessment by Textile Exchange, organic cotton utilises 91% less water than conventional cotton. Organic cotton promises potential in helping achieve the SDG’s 2030 targets and in turn, hopefully, provide clean water for the billions. 

Figure 3. 6th Sustainable Development Goal (United Nations, 2015)

REFERENCES

Common Objective (2021). The Issues: Water. [online] Common Objective. Available at: https://www.commonobjective.co/article/the-issues-water.

Condenast.com. 2020. Condé Nast Launches The Sustainable Fashion Glossary.

Dean, C. (2019). Waste – is it ‘really’ in fashion? [online] Fashion Revolution. Available at: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/waste-is-it-really-in-fashion/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20garments%20produced.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2011). Re-thinking Progress: The Circular Economy. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRKvDyyHmI.

Gwilt, A. (2020). A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion. London: Fairchild Books. 

Hethorn, J., & Ulasewicz, C. (eds). (2015). Sustainable Fashion: What’s Next? A Conversation about Issues, Practices and Possibilities. New York: Bloomsbury

Magevero, T. (2020). Clothed in Conservation: Fashion & Water | Sustainable Campus. [online] sustainablecampus.fsu.edu. Available at: https://sustainablecampus.fsu.edu/blog/clothed-conservation-fashion-water#:~:text=Most%20clothing%20is%20made%20from.

Patagonia (2011). Don’t Buy This Jacket, Black Friday and the New York Times – Patagonia. [online] eu.patagonia.com. Available at: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/stories/dont-buy-this-jacket-black-friday-and-the-new-york-times/story-18615.html.

textilesforsdgs. (2018). 6 | Clean Water and Sanitation – Textile Exchange – SDGS. [online] Available at: https://textilesforsdgs.org/sdgs/goals/6-clean-water-and-sanitation/.United Nations (2015). Sustainable Development Goals launch in 2016. [online] United Nations Sustainable Development. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2015/12/sustainable-development-goals-kick-off-with-start-of-new-year/.