GREEN is the New BLACK!!!

Think of ‘Fashion’ and the immediate words that flood our minds are probably glamour, trend, style, etc. How many of us consider whether that gorgeous dress you are adding to the cart or eyeing at a shop window is sustainable or do we take into account the entire supply chain and life cycle of the garment or from where and how it has been made? The answer is obviously a resounding ‘NO’ or a confused quirk of eyebrows.

The Industry is already responsible for contributing over 8 percent of all greenhouse gases and, if the current situation continues without any major changes, by the year 2050 more than 25 percent of the entire global carbon budget will go to this one industry. So, in the coming ten to fifty years the most important question the fashion industry needs to ask is how sustainable it is?

Sustainable Fashion

You’ve probably heard or used the term sustainable fashion at some point, but what does it mean?

Sustainable Fashion can refer to stitched garments or fabric that have been designed, manufactured, distributed, and used in ways that are environmentally friendly. Sustainable/Ethical/Slow Fashion has been steadily gaining momentum and awareness across the world in the past ten years.

The phrase encompasses not only designing but designing and manufacturing of textile in a manner that minimizes the impact on the environment. The word ethical literally translates to something that is morally right. Hence, ethical fashion just doesn’t indicate how it is manufactured or how it ends up in somebody’s wardrobe; instead it involves a whole gamut of processes:

How the raw material is grown
If harmful pesticides have been used
Factory conditions in which labourers work to produce a garment
If colors that are used are eco-friendly
How it’s distributed

Ethical means something that is morally right and acceptable. Therefore, ethical and sustainable fashion does not start from manufacturing clothes. It starts from the cotton fields and ends in consumer’s wardrobe. Therefore, conventional cotton farming cannot be termed as ethical and sustainable as harmful pesticides are used.

Today, sustainability has become a way of doing business. Brands like Stella McCartney and NOIR are the pioneers of ethical and sustainable fashion. Now many companies have embraced the concept of sustainability and have implemented it in the business. Hence, we need to be aware of which companies are simply using the tag of ‘sustainability’ for simply business returns and which brands are truly moving towards sustainability. Brands which propagate and practice so called ethical and sustainable fashion should remain committed to their goal. Else, they will surely lose the trust of the consumers and create a mockery of their brand’s ethical values.

However, credit must be given where it’s true. We need to understand that sustainable fashion is simply just not one aspect; it covers a wide plethora of elements. Hence, a brand cannot turn sustainable overnight. It’s a long process but the good news is many small brands have already started making small changes in the right direction. We should encourage them however small the beginning and keep motivating them.

Factors that build Trust

Transparency, transparency and transparency!!! That’s the Mantra. Transparency in every aspect of a production is a must so that consumers are aware whether brands are actually delivering what they claim are their values.
Combine consumer demands with sustainable principles. Usually customers are always attracted to excellent designs, colors and of course, fabric; sustainability is always the last element that is considered. Hence, sustainable principles should be combined with what customers want- excellent designs, colors and of course, fabric.
Sustainable fashion need not necessarily be expensive or exclusive. Stating this doesn’t automatically indicate brands should cut corners to deliver cheap stuff. However, it is definitely possible for ethical fashion to be affordable. Remember that it doesn’t need to be always exclusive. Brands may consider segregating products based on exclusivity and regular fashion which is durable and sustainable. Bringing it to the masses by making sustainable fashion more affordable and long lasting helps to build trust.

As we have already discussed sustainability is just not limited to environment but is a process which starts at production and ends at the retail stores.

For the fashion industry to turn truly sustainable, it needs to ensure that fair wages are paid to labourers, and they get their basic human rights, there’s no forced or child labor, all health and safety measures are followed in factories and workplaces, organic cultivation as well as eco-friendly manufacturing of clothes is ensured.

Why Choose Ethical and Sustainable Fashion

Harmful pesticides which are used for growing cotton and toxic chemicals used for dyeing fabrics create a hige negative impact on the environment. Hence, if one chooses organic and sustainable fabric such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, it can help reduce the carbon and chemicals discarded in the environment.

Buying clothes under the labels of Fair Trade Act helps workers and is sustainable on many grounds. The label guarantees the customer that the garment he/she is purchasing has been produced by workers who are employed at a place which ensures proper working conditions and fair wages. This also means that customers will not be paying for fashion at the cost of animals.

Choosing sustainable fashion will mean that your wardrobe is full of garments that are durable thus contributing to reduction of waste disposal. Investing in clothes that are long-lasting yet classically fashionable ensures that one can use it in the future. This is much better than choosing products that are trendy yet and cheap which usually do not last long or go out of fashion so fast that you end up discarding it.

Fashion brands and companies relate differently to the term sustainable. But what is important is that the industry brand leaders should themselves practice sustainability and set ant an example for smaller organizations to follow in their green footsteps.

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