Green Is The New Black by Regina Viesca

GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK Fashion Sustainability: What is next and how does accountability work? Student name: Regina Viesca Student ID: 051488 Supervisor name: Stefano Sorci Academic year: 2018/2020 First Level Academic Diploma Course In: Fashion design & Accessories, Womenswear School: Istituto Marangoni Milano Fashion School

DEDICATIONS To my parents, Andrés Viesca U. and Marisol Ruiz To by loving brothers, Andrés Viesca R. and Montserrat Viesca My loyal friends, and everyone in my family who believed in me. Special thank you to my amazing supervisor Stefano Sorci, who cares as much for fashion sustainability and ethics as I do.

* BY REGINA VIESCA ________ ISTITUTO MARANGONI _______FASHION SUSTAINABILITY: WHAT IS NEXT AND HOW DOES ACCOUNTABILITY WORK?

PUBLISHING February 22, 2022. Milan, Italy Dissertation Thesis For Istituto Marangoni, Milano Fashion School of Design Received: Jan 4, 2022 Approved: Jan 17, 2022 Published: Feb 22, 2022

INDEX Abstract

TEXTILE HISTORY

Textile history, a brief timeline Ready-To-Wear before the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution and mass fashion production

TURNING POINT

70s to 90s Fashion Sustainability & Environmental Movement What is sustainable fashion?

KILLER FASHION

Slow Fashion VS. Fast Fashion Cycle of the product Mass production & Mass consumption Sociological/Psychological impact of fast moving trends Collateral damage

GREEN SOLUTION

Changing the narrative Adopting green thinking Fashionable Behaviour

TRENDING HONESTY

Producer Responsibility Greenwashing & ecowashing Sustainability certifications & authenticity

THE NEXT STEP

Unsustainable trend Change for good

CONCLUSION The perfect fit

10 16 17

18 19 20

22 23 25 26 29

32 35 37

41 43 45

49 50

ABSTRACT The aim of this thesis is to explore and develop the opportunities within the fashion industry regarding more sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. While the pillars and sediments about the industry are important, accountability on the present will be explored as well. Currently there is a gap in materials and production that really troubles a systematic change. Is important to note the ways fashion has been created over the years to change the future, like materials, production, marketing and consumption will be questioned, with the objective of reaching innovative resources and setting goals to break a polluting industry. Giving focus to accountability in the industry hopefully will create regulations and criteria to the way fashion is created.

TEXTILE HISTORY TEXTILE HISTORY, A BRIEF TIMELINE The garment industry had a very different way of working before. For the most part of history, clothing has been handmade. From collecting the materials to weaving and dying the textiles to early pattern makers and seamstresses. As soon as civilizations were forming around the world, each one defined their laws and social constructs, and with that the rules of fashion. The first documentation of this events takes place in Mesopotamia and later in other parts of the Mediterranean. The sociocultural phenomenon called fashion states that a certain style stays relevant for a limited period of time, this was not part of dressing in the ancient world. The variants in the way of wearing clothing differentiated one culture from another, and also the rank of power within that civilization and/or community. Of course, some changes took place over time. Unlike our current times, these changes were slow over hundreds of years and still at times. Special costumes were assigned with different events regarding a civilization. Changing your appearance for a religious or political event was adopted by many regions, and that is a tradition we still carry on, no matter what part of the globe you may be in. Fabric production was really important and carefully curated to create them. The materials were natural and logically from plants or animals of their specific region. The harder it was to produce, the more expensive it was. The materials and the fabrication of these textiles also defined the social rank of who wore them. As time went on and production and trading became more efficient and demand scaled up, the fashion industry evolved into what we know today. (Sichel, 1980, p.78)

Fig. 2 - Gail Rothschild “The Big Frieze”

PREHISTORIC & ANCIENT TIMES Archeological discovery of fine woven fabrics in Turkey

6300 B.C.

Cotton and Silkworm farms in Pakistan, India, China and the Americas 3000 - 2700 B.C.

Egyptians use cotton to dress and balance body temperature 2500 B.C.

Printed cotton fabrics produced in India 327 B.C.

Silk became a luxury product in Rome 17 B.C.

THE MIDDLE AGES Silk weaving industry established by Charlemagne at Lyon as well as imported wool from England 768 A.D.

Expansion of the wool industry on England 900 A.D.

Spinning wheel was in common use. 1200

Venice has over 17,000 people working on weaving wool 1305

MODERN TIMES

William Lee invents a knit hosiery machine 1589

English law requires all people to be buried in woollen clothes. Demand was lower than production 1667

John Kay invented the lying shuttle machine 1733 James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny, the first machine to spin more than one piece of yarn at the time 1764 Richard Artwright patented the first water frame, a spinning machine that ran on water power 1769

Samuel Crompton invented the spinning mule. A machine that combined the jenny and water frame 1779

Edmund Cartwhright patented the first power loom 1785

THE 20TH CENTURY The industrial revolution completed sweeping, spinning and weaving from small workshops to fabrics and mills 1900.

Synthetic fabric rayon was introduced by Chardonnet in the United States 1910

Wallace C. Carrothers developed nylon 1935

Polyester, acrylic and other artificial fibers were introduced 1940-1950

Double knit-polyester fibre was introduced. Also, the Textile Fiber Product Identification Act became a law 1960 Knitting machines controlled by computers produced highly complex textiles at a very rapid speed 1970

Textile mills used very high-speed looms with many tiny shuttles called darts, instead of a single use shuttle. Four times faster a shuttle on standard high-speed loom

Robots introduced into the textile industry EARLY 1980

LATE 1980

THE 21ST CENTURY

READY-TO-WEAR BEFORE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION The concept of going inside a store and picking-up something off the rack is a slightly new concept considering the history of the ready-to-wear industry. Not so long ago, before fast fashion came into play, garments were considered or expected to last for a long time. Archaeological records show that merchants in Ancient Babylonia shipped and distributed some ready-to-wear garments as early as 1400 B.C. Before 1300 CE (AD) garments had very simple wide patterns that fitted loose on the body. This was more popular in places in the Middle East. In contrast, Medieval Europeans used these loose linen garments as undergarments. The garments on top were usually made from wool, which could last them up to a lifetime. Because of the complexity of production of the textiles and the durability of the pieces, the ready-to-wear industry started to produce separate pieces and accessories to complete the look. Things such as detachable sleeves and collars, gloves or hats became really popular around 1400. By the 16th century, all of these items were shipped around the world to be sold in bulk quantities. The production of textiles previous the industrial revolution, was made by hand, with very antique weaving machines. The employers of the workshops often recycled the scraps of the projects and re-purposed them for lower quality textiles.

Fig. 12 - Interior of A. T. Stewart’s Astor Place Store, ca. 1880s.

Fig. 13 - Paco Rabanne plastic geometric accessories ad campaign. The 1960’s youth culture embraced this line due to it’s affordability and expandability. Source: Runway Magazine

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION AND MASS FASHION PRODUCTION This all changed in 1738, when two English engineers, Lewis Paul and John Wyatt invented the Roller Spinning Machine. This particular creation spun cotton into thread, leaving old machinery to create yarns in the past. By 1764, technology improved once again and machines were able to multi-spun that made thread more quickly than ever before. After this, one creation after another came along to improve productivity, quality and reduce time-frames that satisfied the increasing demand. With the birth and rise of synthetic fabrics like rayon and viscose in the early 1900s, the quality of textiles suddenly went down to a secondary panel and conspicuous consumption bloomed, especially after World War II.

Big machinery and new marketing strategies made the fashion and textile industry grow. Other fabrics like Spandex and polyester opened the fashion market to every type of consumer. By the late 60’s, most of the American apparel products were produced in the U.S. However, today the U.S. apparel market is the largest in the world, comprising about 28 percent of the global total. And hardly any of this clothing comes with a Made in the USA tag. This means cheaper labor and likely unethical production regarding employees and the environment.

TURNING POINT 1970 TO 1990 FASHION To understand modern fashion, we need to understand what made it change, what created a new time period in fashion? As everything else, fashion evolved to do with the social and political events happening at the time. In the mid-70s fashion was becoming increasingly diverse, with an overall rejection of the system and design creating desire to return to nature. The growing ecological movement in 1968 forced fashion to shift their focus in textiles and occidental culture references. (De La Haye & Mendes, 2021, p.196-199) Asian designers like Kenzo Takuda, Kansai Yamamoto and Issey Miyake found big success in Paris at the time. Designer Sonia Rykiel understood the demands of the consumers and gave pieces a philosophical meaning and created easy-to-wear fashion, considered an anti-fashion designer since to her, fashion was not only seasonal pieces.

Fig. 14 - Harper’s Bazaar Feb 1970, Oriental fashion influence.

SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT The first environmentalist reforms rose in the late-19th century, right after the industrial revolution, but nothing was really changing systematically speaking with only very few environmental protection societies. In the 1930s, the first global consequences of the industrial revolution came to light, this made professionals start to worry, noticing the incredible wealth growth and the idea of non-renewable resources models started to emerge. Very shortly after World War II, economists and scientists started to see the consequences of the innovative creations of the industrial revolution and the overconsumption mind set that came with the end of the war. It was evident that the current lie-style of society was unsustainable and threatening for the planet. Consequently, the environmental movement was born. According to the Cambridge English dictionary, the word sustainable is defined as: “the quality of being able to continue over a period of time”. Meaning that sustainable production is “the idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment” The American marine biologist, naturalist and environmentalist, Rachel Carson was one of the first people to denounce the harsh change in nature in her book Silent Spring from 1962, which criticized the so-called “Green Revolution” and its devastating results. By the early 70s, the energy crisis became a global issue, evidently caused by reckless production and consumption of non-renewable resources, creating new ONG’s to protect the environment and regulate pollution from past mistakes and future developments as well as concern within society. With the war declaration to Vietnam, the U.S. youth wanted to make things different. Hippie culture mobilized in the late 60s and early 70s the ecological ideal. In spite of the good turn of events for the planet, around the early 80s, consumerism was making a comeback. With the birth of various subcultures like punk in 1976 in the UK, designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren led in fashion. Punk fashion was mostly made from ripped-second hand garments and crafted or up-cycled genderless pieces to demonstrate anarchism and nihilism. However, synthetic materials like PVC, rubber and fake leather were the preferred materials for these subcultures as well as others, turning away from natural materials proposed a decade earlier by hippie culture. (Watt, 2012, p.409) The 80s was definitely a time of inspiration and development, which resulted in fashion accessible to anyone, individualistic and synthetic materials more popular than ever at a very low-cost. Carefully curated long lasting garments were still relevant in the mid 80s, especially for Italian fashion designers like Giorgio Armani. The perfect tailoring and high quality of Italian materials kept this side of fashion alive. Although not all Italian designers took this approach, Gianni Versace and Moschino took very different approaches to fashion, never turning away the focus of materials.

Following the steps of Armani, American designers like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein turned the attention of consumers to higher quality garments, yet accessible, that maintained that classic gender-neutral style in the early 90s. As in the 1960s, fashion in the 90s started to reflect a general interest in ecology and spirituality due to the Gulf War. Either subtle fashion or conceptual garments from designers like Alexander McQueen, the 90s were years of experimentation and reflection. Fashion is a pendulum that keeps going back and forth. With economic stability in the early 2000s, everyone was fashionable and what you wore consisted on showing your wealth and social status, a very different ideal from the 90s or the 60s, but as we have come to learn, with the 2008 recession, fashion changed again into neutral color palettes and simpler materials. Around this time, conscious and eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton gained popularity, especially in Northern Europe Now in 2020, with the outburst of coronavirus, the fashion industry and consumers were faced with a harsh reality, and while quarantine lasted, the general concern for quality and functional garments yet fashionable was noticeable. Now in the last months of 2021, fashion can turn two ways. It seems that sustainable, conscious and long-lasting fashion is here to stay. Today, we can see the impact of these issues with severe climate change and the urge to search for solutions. The environmentalist and sustainability movement have had a massive growth in the last decade, with activists like Greta Thunberg and the interest of many public figures and celebrities. The eco-living or zero-waste lifestyle has almost transformed to a trend, with millions of people adopting it into their daily lives. Over the past couple of years, the conversation has shifted the blame onto manufacturers instead of the consumer, adding pressure to factories, companies, and whole industries to reform themselves in order to save the planet.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION? Taking on the concept of sustainability to the fashion industry is as simple as it sounds. Creating an industry and its products to last for a long period of time. Having the context on how the industry grew and the lack of regulations on this matter can have severe repercussions, the movement of sustainable fashion was born. However, it is only recently that consumers started to pay close attention to this branch of environmental pollution. The fashion industry is known to be one of the most contaminating globally. As mentioned in the Netflix movie documentary “The True Cost”, companies have gone under the radar about their manufacturing consequences, not only for the planet but also the workers who make clothing. The incident of the Rana Plaza collapsing in Bangladesh in 2013 raised multiple concerns around the world. The tragedy resulted in over 1,100 deaths, showing people in the western world just how costly their cheap clothing really is. Yet, companies like the Spanish group Inditex are far from solving this problem.

Sustainable fashion focuses on both ethical labour and eco-friendly topics. There are many approaches to this take on fashion, whether it is zero-waste or minimal-waste production, to recycling or buying second hand garments. The main goal of sustainable fashion is to lower the carbon footprint of the industry while keeping humans flora and fauna safe. Cruelty free products are really important when talking about sustainability, just like other materials used for clothing.

Fig. 15 - Monumenta: “Personnes”, 2010, Christian Boltanski, Paris, France.

KILLER FASHION SLOW FASHION VS. FAST FASHION It can be clear now that designers have a lot of responsibility when it comes to fashion damage. Having a closer look at the way clothing is made and it’s life, we can discuss the format of fast fashion. Unlike ready-to-wear, fast fashion has 52 micro collections per year, excluding collaborations with artists and other brands, so it is a rough estimate. Up until the mid-20th century, the fashion industry ran 4 seasons per year, Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. Hence the name seasons. This forced designers to think about durability at least for a couple of months and limited choices to maintain process costs and status. This not only limited the pieces produced, but the customers.

TRADITIONAL FASHION VS. FAST FASHION TRADITIONAL: 2 CYCLES PER YEAR JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AGO

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JUL

AGO

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TYPICAL FAST FASHION: 50 CYCLES PER YEAR JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

Source: The True Cost Documentary, 2015

The idea is to massively produce large volumes of clothing as fast as possible, with lower quality materials and production to keep prices low and accessible to everyone. Up until the 60’s not everyone could access fashion, until synthetics fabrics peaked. However, the real problem of overwhelming production and consumption rose in the mid-2000’s As stated before, the more accessible or cheap the product is, the cheaper the labour hand is. It is safe to say that fast fashion can’t really exist with ethical supply chains and sustainability. There is nothing long-lasting about fast-fashion. Slow fashion is not the same as sustainable fashion. The business proposal of slowfashion is returning to 4 seasonal collections, in which offer and demand meet ethical work environments. Delaying or slowing down the process gives the opportunity to refine design, have more durable pieces and lower fabric waste. It even promotes the production of natural materials without damaging chemicals.

The price is definitely higher than fast fashion, but if you buy at least once a week from fast fashion, it is the same or even more expensive than buying slow-fashion. At least you’ll have the piece for a longer period of time without going out of style or ripping out.

CYCLE OF THE PRODUCT When understanding the life-cycle of clothing, the importance of production and materials really stands out. Traditionally, the life-cycle is broken down into different phases. Starting with the raw materials to create textiles and finishing up with the end-of-life. For the purpose of this thesis, the cycle will be broken into 6 key phases, considering the different activities in the fashion chain. First up design, prototyping, production, distribution, use and end-of-life.

Design: Garment design Selection of fabrics, materials and techniques.

Prototype: Alteration & samples Sell in (buyers)

Production: Textile production Production Production control

Distribution: Promotion Distributing goods during/for production and retail Sell out

Use: Wearing Laundry / Cleaning Repair or alterations

End-of-life Garment disposal Reuse Recycling

All of the activities listed above have different levels of ecological impact, but they all do in some way or another. The most important is the first phase, before production. Smart design can reduce the damaging effects of the consequent steps. The most damaging often are textile production, which can involve slavery, pesticides and define overall quality and durability of the garment. Second comes production of the garment, which also can be linked to slavery and un-safe work spaces and a lot of fabric waste that ends up on landfill. The use phase is very tricky, since each individual has a different sense of use. It is common for fashion consumers to use it once and never wear it again. Alterations of garments are rare cases, since there is no need to amend clothing thanks to fast fashion and constant ripping of the pieces. Washing materials like polyester, rayon and other synthetic fabrics contaminate the water by releasing micro-plastics on the washing machine that end up in the ocean. 2% Beauty Prod. 1% Plastic nurdles

3.7% Marine coatings 7% Road markings

24% City Dust

WHERE DO MICROPLASTICS COME FROM?

PRIMARY MICROPLASTICS IN THE OCEAN Source: Boucher & Friot, 2017

35% Clothing & Textiles

28% Tyres

When thinking about design, creators have to take into consideration all the other phases, because the most concerning phase of all is the end-of-life of clothing. Depending on the material used, the faster or the slower the material decomposes. Today, clothing represents more than 60% of the total textiles used and in the last 15 years (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) Having in mind that most of the garment-disposals end up in landfills (rarely recycled), the longer it takes to break down, the more trash is generated and harder for the environment. Making all the right choices during the middle phases can really make an impact.

MASS PRODUCTION & MASS CONSUMPTION The impact of the world wars took a toll on marketing and consumption. As stated by Rachel Carson on Silent Spring, consumers wanted to experience abundance in a post-war world. This cycle of a global shortage of goods and later having it all has been repeating itself for a long time. It is only natural for society. Mass consumption is a big part of contemporary economics, although it seems that after the coronavirus outbreak in 2019, things are beginning to change for consumers, as well as it did after 9/11 in the U.S. It seems that after a human tragedy, people grieve for a period of time and then return to richness. “A young woman from Myanmar might wrestle with the decision to feed her children or send them to school. In Bangladesh, sewing-machine operators frequently toil for 100 hours or more a week, only to run out of money before the end of the month. Workers have demanded higher pay in all those countries, of course, sometimes precipitating violence between protesters and police.” (Malik Chua, 2018)

JUST

OF THE CLOTHING IS RECYCLED INTO CLOTHING

80% OF ALL THE CLOTHING IN THE EU ENDS UP IN LANDFILLS

Source: Business of Fashion 2018: The State of Fashion 2018 & Heinrich-BöllStiffung, Bund für Umwelt and Naturchutz Detuschland (2019): “Plastikatlas”

The ways of mass consumption and production have taken a toll on global warming, Carson on Silent Spring, denounced the use of pesticides on food plantations, but the same issue also takes place in the textile industry. Cotton plantations for example, use very toxic pesticides and a huge amount of water is contaminated in order to produce as much as they can at the fastest time possible to comply with the high demand of mass consumption. (Yehounme, 2017)

SOCIOLOGICAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF FAST MOVING FASHION TRENDS Fashion is a reflection of society, where it’s standing and the emotions of the population. The success of fashion trends lies in the way the society interprets the fashion trend and judges it. Hence the impact is measured by the barometer of social acceptance which in turn is driven by the several motivational forces that underlie the people’s values and behavioural traits. (Venkatasamy, 2015, 2) In a pre-capitalist world, fashion meant political power and high social ranking. The heads of governmental institutions were the ones with access and interest in garments that were not only functional, but fashionable, with the only purpose of showingoff, Conspicuous consumption versus utilitarian ideas. In today’s post-modern and capitalist system, fashion is accessible to everyone, from the upper-classes to the masses. However, the reason why people wear fashion is different. Style gives the individual their own sense of self-expression and self-awareness. Everyday Fashion is an interactive process through which the aspiring individuals of the society consciously project their bodily self in a distinctive manner in the form of clothing style. It is unlike the traditional capitalist fashion system where the so-called elite or rich decide the course of fashion tastes and fashion gets disseminated from the top to bottom sections of the society. (Barnard, 2013, p.167) Fast moving fashion trends can be a symptom and cause of society’s struggle of individuality, identity and self-discovery. There is no space for the consumer to explore in a healthy and objective manner their personal style. Therefore, the initial purpose of fashion communication as a form of self-expression is becoming less and less true.

RECURRING FASHION CYCLES

Peak

Latent Period

Intro

Increase

Decline

Rejection

Intro Increase

PERIOD OF YEARS Source: Fibre2Fashion

Decline

Rejection

The overwhelming fast cycle of trends leave no room for depth, instead they have caused the need of consumers to keep buying or keep on style and relevant rather than their own interpretation or take on fashion. It seems as if trend forecasting no longer depends on the consumer, but rather the industry’s fast production and desire for higher retail revenue. The average consumer is now purchasing 60 percent more items of clothing compared to 2000 (McKinsey, 2016) Resulting in more clothing sales ending in landfill. The number of garments disposed of is so big that textile-only landfills exist. The biggest one is located in Chile, on the Atacama Desert, where mountains and mountains of clothing are disposed of there. The pile which totals 39000 tonnes can take up to 200 years to fully break down. As much as sustainable fashion has gained visibility and attention, it seems that we are not being more responsible about the way we shop. Conscious or Sustainable fashion have also become trendy, but that in it’s own is the danger. During the past four years, the number of clothes and accessories described as “sustainable” has quadrupled among online retailers in the US and UK, according to Edited, a London-based retail analytics company. Corresponding terms such as “vegan”, “conscious” and “eco” have also seen their usage multiply, the company said. (Indvik, 2020) The growth of the fashion sector has made it difficult for luxury fashion groups like LVMH to reduce their carbon footprint. LVMH and Kering are one of the most transparent groups in the luxury industry, yet trends are making it really difficult for them to improve because of high-demand. The pandemic seemed to have helped to slow fashion consumption and production, but as we return to normality, sales are going back to where they were before the COVID-19 outbreak.

AS GLOBAL FASHION SALES RISE, WE ARE GETTING LESS USE OUT OF OUR CLOTHES Clothing sales vs. World GDP Rebased (2000=100)

Average number of times a garment is worn before it creases to be used 200

200 180

180

160 140

Clothing sales

160

120 100

140

80 60

World GDP

120

40 20

100 2000

2005

2010

2015

0 2000

2005

2010

2015

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

THE GLOBAL FASHION INDUSTRY’S PROFIT IS EXPECTED TO FALL BY 93% IN 2020 TOTAL ECONOMIC PROFIT, Index (100=2016) 200

169

150

100

93%

11 0 2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: McKinsey&Co Global Fashion Index

INTEREST IN CATEGORIES THAT WERE DOWN AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC NUMBER OF PAGE VIEWS ACROSS-CATEGORIES ON LYST.COM % change from previous year -50

100

150

Activewear Lingerie Handbags Knitwear Sneakers Heels Luggage Shirts & blouses Occasion dresses Aug 2020

Source: Lyst, august 2021

Aug 2021

200

250

COLLATERAL DAMAGE The textile and fast fashion industry is the second most polluting worldwide. It is responsible for 1.2 billion tons of CO2 every year. More than air travel and shipping combined. Fast fashion produces 20% of global wastewater, which pollutes rivers, oceans, drinking water and soil. 60% of clothes are made of synthetic materials, derived from petrochemicals like polyester. These fibers are unable to decompose, but they rather break down into smaller pieces producing microplastics. IUCN estimated between 0.6-1-7 million tons of microplastics that end up in the oceans per year. One garbage truck of clothes is burned every second (2,626 kg) Discarded clothing made of synthetic polymers can sit in landfills for 200 years.

CO2 CONSUMPTION IN COMPARISON

5% Total flight and maritime transport

10% Fashion industry

Sources: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). A New textiles Economy. & EEA Europa. (2016) “Luft and chiffsverkehr im Fokus”

It is important to pin-point what process is the most polluting and damaging to the environment and require immediate action, since a lot of so-called systematic changes are focused on the way garments are produced and reducing the textile waste, rather than the raw material production that causes almost 35% more damage to the environment. (McKinsey&Co, 2020)

ANNUAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS OF APPAREL AND FOOTWEAR BRANDS PER CENT OF TOTAL INDUSTRY EMISSIONS

30%

20%

10%

Material production

Yarn preparation

Fabric preparation

Wet processes

Cut, make, trim

Transport

Retail

This is an annualised rather than a life-cycle analysis. Results from 19 June 2020. Sources: McKinsey&Co and Vogue Business

30 FIG. 16 - Venus of the Rags by Michelangelo Pistoletto

Product use

End-of-life

w o H e l b a n o i h s a F ? s i h T is FIG. 17 - Rana Plaza, 2013. bangladesh

GREEN SOLUTION CHANGING THE NARRATIVE The way fashion has been produced in some decades has demonstrated just how flawed the system is and there have been a lot of innovations to improve the way the fashion industry fabricates it’s products. Having all the studies pointing to the fashion industry as a major polluting industry, the problem has been studied and taken seriously. Leather-like material has been developed from various raw and natural objects, such as mango residue, mushrooms, cactus fiber and many others, not only reducing the amount of synthetic leather and vinipiel but also helping to stop the use of animals to create fashion. Other materials have been re-thought like silk, also to stop the use of silk-worms and under-funded factories in China with non-ethical work environments. Also, the concern for greener fashion has also taken into consideration the production of older and classic materials like cotton or linen to create textiles. Organic cotton and linen among other plants and flowers are now being monitored by certifications to stop the use of pesticides that contaminate water and slavery that are still happening in the 21st Century. Looking back and taking one or two steps behind is not always a bad thing. Natural dyes and natural dyes setters are now making a comeback to sustainable fashion. Indigo dye is one of the most polluting colors, and yet blue denim jeans are probably the most sold and used garment in today’s world. It is one thing that everyone has in it’s closet. For one, younger consumers are boosting conscious and sustainable fashion. Engagement into responsible fashion has deepened during the coronavirus crisis and the need for fashion manufacturers to start taking responsibility for the environmental damage. In a survey done by McKinsey in 2020, two-thirds of consumers state that it has become even more important to limit impacts on climate change. Additionally, 88 percent of respondents believe that more attention should be paid to reducing pollution. The high demand of consumers is slowly but surely putting a lot of pressure on fashion brands to own up to their consequences or they’ll start shopping from other retailers who do take seriously global warming.

DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS, CONSUMERS HAVE ALREADY CHANGED THEIR BEHAVIOUR TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS CHANGE IN BEHAVIOUR DURING COVID-19 CRISIS, % of respondents (n=2,004)*

I have made significant changes to my lifestyle to fessen my environmental impact Strongly agree

Agree

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

I have started to go out of my way to recycle

I have gone out of my way to buy products in environmentally friendly packaging

9 21

9 Disagree Strongly disagree

12 7

10 7

* Figures may not sum to 100% because of rounding. Question: Thinking about our habits and attitudes over the past several weeks compared to prior to the COVID-10 crisis, to what extent do you agree with the following statements?

Source: McKinsey&Co.

FIG. 18 - Anne Sofie Madsen, Fall 2017.

ADOPTING GREEN THINKING The shift in young consumers before the pandemic was visible, but post COVID is really when this new consumer behaviour is really noticeable. It is only logical to wonder what fashion companies have done to comply with these new demands? The luxury fashion industry has undergone some changes around 2008. Materials like organic cotton and fine linen gained a lot of popularity, since quality was better and the production was way more ethical for workers and the environment. Green designers like Stella McCartney in the UK have had a lot of influence in these changes, being the face of green fashion campaigns since then. McCartney is probably the biggest name when it comes to ethical luxury fashion. The pressure she created upon her peers motivated fashion houses like Gucci to stop using fur and stop animal cruelty in their production, introducing faux fur. Other brands have joined the movement, like the Milanese house, Prada. The Prada Group associated with a textile producer to create an eco-nylon fabric that is made from recycled fibers to keep producing their signature products of nylon, such as their shoulder bag that has re-gained popularity in the last years. Recycling is just as important as sustainability. Nike also noticed the impact of recycling and the big issue the fashion industry has created, giving them the opportunity to create sneakers from recycled plastics pulled out from our oceans. These types of campaigns and shifts in production, really show their audience how critical the situation is and we need to take action, helping with a healthier consumer behaviour. Unlike these fashion houses, others didn’t even have to reinvent their process, but rather did that from scratch, like American designer Gabriella Hearst, targeting a gap in the market. Fast-fashion brands like H&M tried to join the movement as well, creating a program for customers to return their old garments to recycle the fibers and stop them from ending up on a landfill fire-pit. It is hard to say that they are really solving a problem when they are still a fast-fashion brand that keeps producing and selling at a cheaper price than luxury goods without a good quality. These made their clients realize that it was just a smoke curtain to justify themselves instead of solving the real problem. They made other attempts to gain their public back, by creating their conscious collection (with no backup information to sustain their claims) and leaving their ordinary clothes and stock with the same numbers, so the problem got even worse. Not only are they producing more garments than before, but they are trying to fool the public again with small reformations in the company that really don’t change anything. However, some feel that H&M is at least trying to comply with their clients, whereas other big companies like Inditex, especially their brand Zara, has been demonized by Gen-Z and their complete disregard and indifference towards global warming and unethical working conditions, along with other issues such as the plagiarism of luxury fashion houses on their micro-collections on a budget.

FASHIONABLE BEHAVIOUR When talking about the transformation of the younger generations, not only are they demanding brands to rethink their production strategy, but they are also changing the way they shop. Second-hand shopping and vintage shopping have picked their sales in the last 2 years. It seems that designer pieces with a story, especially those of creative directors that are no longer working for that fashion house like Dior by John Gallhiano or Gucci by Tom Ford are extremely treasured in this generation. Platforms like TikTok have also inspired many youngsters to engage in the practice of up-cycling their old garments or people close to them like their parents and grandparents. This is obviously helpful to avoid these pieces ending up on landfills and lowering the need to buy new clothes. Fast fashion brands have started to resent this and luxury brands in an attempt to continue with their sales in upcoming collections, are looking back at their design archive to give a fresher look of their iconic comeback pieces that are sold for a high price on pre-loved websites and vintage shops. One can not deny that this is a very smart move for luxury fashion brands, but is not necessarily following the philosophy of their comeback, rather making it again mainstream and making consumers buy new. Is not a coincidence that 2000’s fashion is coming back in style. Design is always inspired by something and in the fashion field there are always cycles that can forecast the trends that are coming back, along with the sociological environment. Taking into consideration the needs of the young consumer, it can be said that fashion is entering a slower trend movement. However, this is not true at all. Fashion is faster than ever, as well as our life-style. Everything changes quickly and fashion can’t stay behind. It would be naive to think that big companies care more about the environment than their revenue. Ultimately, society is in charge of how trends are received and where they stay or not. Taking away the power from big corporations and reclaiming them is important to create longer-lasting trends and have better quality clothing. COVID has only proven truth to this statement. People dug out their closets in search of something to focus on, took a moment to pause and looked back at what they already had. The pandemic made it hard for a considerable amount of consumers to think about shopping and spending their money on shops given the social climate. The coronavirus outbreak forced everyone to slow down and that only left room for self-reflection and the need to reconnect. Hence the store for buying second-hand, pre-loved and up-cycle old garments. This is where smart shopping comes in. Looking closely at the production process of fashion brands and learning about them can help the consumer to make a more objective and informed decision, without deceit. Knowing the materials of the garments and their quality can usually tell you if the brand is trustworthy or not. Developing criteria while apparel shopping can definitely change the gears of path that the fashion industry is currently headed.

FIG. 19 - Lotta Ludwig, 2018.

PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG CONSUMERS, THERE IS A GREATER INTENT TO PURCHASE SECONDHAND FASHION ITEMS AFTER COVID-19 CRISIS. INTEND TO BUY MORE SECONDHAND FASHION ITEMS AFTER COVID-19 CRISIS, % of respondents*

Gen Zers (aged 18-23)

Strongly agree

Agree

Millennials (aged 24-39)

Gen Xers (aged 40-55)

5 10

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

17 Disagree

Strongly disagree

Baby Boomers (aged 56-75)

7 7

Older generations (aged >75)

3 4 12

15 25

30 27

* Figures may not sum to 100% because of rounding. Gen Zers, n=234; millennials, n=441; Gen Xers, n=483; baby boomers, n=681; older generations, n=196 Source: McKinsey&Co.

This can also be seen as taking back the power from those who do not care about the consequences of global warming and unfair working conditions. Buying consciously and responsibly will drop demand and therefore the numbers of production. A study by McKinsey & Co. in 2020 revealed that the newness of trends and buying the latest collection is not a decisive factor when shopping, but in fact is less important when making a shopping choice.

CONSUMERS CITE NEWNESS AS ONE OF THE LEAST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES WHEN MAKING PURCHASES, INDICATING A SHIFT IN THE FASHION-CYCLE MINDSET. IMPORTANCE OF FACTORS WHEN SELECTING WHICH FASHION BRAND TO BUY FROM, % of respondents (n=2,004)

Style you like

Comfort

Quality of materials

Functionality

Durability

Price/ promotion

Made by a brand you trust

46 9

Newness (eg, latest season’s trend)

19 34

Respondents selecting as top 2 factor Respondents selecting as bottom 2 factor

Source: McKinsey&Co.

INDEX

40 FIG. 20 - H&M Magazine

TRENDING HONESTY PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY If fast-fashion and unethical production is the only option we are given by the fashion industry, it is really hard to make different choices and pressure them to change. The monopoly of the fashion industry is what it is, no real effort to make a systematic change, even though the market differs from their supply-chain. So, if this is not what the consumer wants any longer, why are they able to continue with their practices and consumers end up falling for it? The answer to any monopolies is the lack of regulations and accountability of the object in question. Many fashion retailers produce in third-world countries for their lack of laws and regulations regarding the environment and minimum-wage legislations. Over the years, this work-flow has caused one two many tragedies in countries like Thailand and Bangladesh that have forced local authorities and their government to create regulations and have surprise visits to their factories, especially after the Rana Plaza incident in 2013. Poverty makes it easy to bribe and turn a blind-eye on the real situation, avoiding sanctions and continuing production with zero work safety regulations. Today, the same industry is facing redundancies or zero pay because of COVID-19 to their employees. This issue has been denounced for decades, yet it continues and getting worse. COVID-19 has brought its own problems to fast fashion production. Brands and retailers are cancelling or reducing orders, which have put millions of jobs in jeopardy worldwide. This has shut down factories causing extensive job-loss for many garment workers in the global south. The people who manufacture fast fashion tend to be women and these jobs can often be the only thing keeping them and their families out of poverty. While the rest of the world has been focusing on social distancing and lockdown, many of these workers are struggling to meet their households’ basic needs. It seems that taking the information public and going on record about these issues is not enough. Alternatives about the fast fashion business model have been pitched, and some brands have adopted them, or at least that is what they want us to think. Modifications on the supply chain for example, are one of the few things that can be transformed to make the fashion industry a safer place. Recycling materials instead of producing them from scratch (especially synthetic textiles) can reduce the carbon emissions of the garment cycle. However, it is very difficult to see this through with total guarantee. Most of the fabrics used in this kind of clothing are synthetic and take hundreds of years to break apart, often ending up in landfills producing microplastics on the soil. Printing a label with recycled fibers is cheaper and faster than actually making it happen, which is something many brands go for. Fast fashion companies, as well as some luxury houses, are failing to see the bigger picture when it comes to compromising their sales revenue.

So what can be changed in order to stop once and for all the abuse of human rights and protect the planet with a profitable economy? First, it is important to shift the consumer practices, and with that the marketing done by these companies. PR and marketing teams are entirely responsible for how we see fashion today, or at least how we saw it, which has allowed fast fashion companies to grow exponentially as they did in the last decades. Trying to convince your target that they need more garments to feel a certain way and be accepted by society is a strategy that has proven to be very popular since the end of World War II. Mass consumption really is the worst enemy of the fashion industry and what makes it the second most polluting worldwide. Companies often try to make demand and consumerism the fault of the public, making us think that we are the only ones that should change our practices. Blame cannot be one sided, it is a two way street and customers are as guilty as fashion brands and their advertisement strategies. Different ONGs and initiatives are trying to make a difference. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach under which producers are given a significant responsibility (financial and/or physical) for the treatment or disposal of postconsumer products. Assigning such responsibility could in principle provide incentives to prevent wastes at the source, promote product design for the environment and support the achievement of public recycling and materials management goals (OEDC) Building on the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy for England, which identified textiles as a priority waste stream, the Consultation confirms that DEFRA will consult stakeholders on a proposal for Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”) for textiles by the end of 2022. By making producers responsible for the costs of managing and recovering waste they produce, the aim is to insensitive the reuse and recycling of textiles, thereby reducing the amount of textiles going to landfill and incineration, and to encourage sustainable design and material use (Jaminson, 2021). There is still a long way to go, but the fact that policies and regulations are being rethought are a big indicator that sustainability and global warming are being taken seriously, along with the importance of accountability. The creation of the EPR gives hope, but still is not enough considering the consequences in contrast with the solutions proposed by different governments.

GREENWASHING AND ECOWASHING The interest for more eco-friendly options in the market rose in the mid 90’s and early 2000’s, and it went away as easy as it came in consumer’s minds. Today, sustainable products as well as conscious, zero-waste and eco friendly devices and results. As manufacturers and big companies realize the rebirth of this trend, it is in their interest to attract a greener audience. Companies often use terms claiming to have a cleaner process or products for the clients without any type of certainty, certification or validation. The grey area of definitions and marketing laws, allow them to make such statements without committing criminal acts. The proliferation of environmental disinformation, or greenwashing, has become so common and is of such a concern, that EnviroMedia developed the Greenwashing Index to monitor environmental claims used by manufacturers (Miller, 2008). The term “greenwashing” was coined by environmentalist Jay Westerveld in 1986, back when most consumers received their news from television, radio and print media, the same outlets that corporations regularly flooded with a wave of highpriced, slickly-produced commercials and print ads. The combination of limited public access to information and seemingly unlimited advertising enabled companies to present themselves as caring environmental stewards, even as they were engaging in environmentally unsustainable practices. In academic literature, this behaviour is known as “perceived consumer scepticism” (PCS) (Aji & Sukitno, 2015).

“I BARELY KNOWS WHAT THE WORD ‘SUSTAINABLE’ MEANS ANYMORE” - Stella McCartney The practice of greenwashing has made consumers confused and mistrustful about their shopping choices and whether or not they are contributing to global warming. Corporate greenwashing is now seen in almost every industry, from cleaning products to fashion as well. Many fashion retailers, even those who claim to be ethical, exploit social-causes like environmentalism for capital gain. As talked before, fast fashion companies like Inditex make an enormous effort to gain back their customer base, especially Gen Z clients. Brands like Zara announced their own crowd-pleasing sustainability goals last year, yet continue to follow a fast fashion business model that produces huge amounts of low-quality, low-cost clothes. This is a perfect example of greenwashing.

So many different strategies have taken part into the practice of greenwashing that pioneers of sustainable design and conscious fashion are just as concerned and blind sided as the consumers. “I barely even know what the word ‘sustainable’ means any more,” said the designer Stella McCartney, who has been speaking out against the industry’s record on the environment and human rights since the 1990s, as she unveiled her spring/summer 2021 collection. “The majority of people who say they’re doing a sustainable thing, if you ask one question, it will pretty much fall down at the first hurdle . . . It’s a bit tiring to see people’s overuse of these terms and really not have any substance to back it up.” (Indvik, 2020) PCS is getting stronger with the growing trend of sustainable and zero-waste living. This concern also comes with it’s perks, one being creating new consumer criteria while shopping that spots a lot of the greenwashing practices when asking the right questions and taking a closer look at the product and company and not taking their word for it. The information of the product, (garments for the purpose of this thesis) is crucial to know if your piece is likely damaging at some point of the supply chain. Asking companies for transparency in their supply chain and them being able to prove it. A good number of manufacturers took notice and now it is expected from them to have the mission and vision available to the public, in order to get to know the brand and give back to them the trust that was lost due to the common greenwashing in the industry and transforming it into green-trust. Younger buyers are now more critical than ever thanks to the awareness of global warming. Traceability is of great importance to early generations like Gen Z. Following the steps of a brand or a company can easily tell you whether or not they are being truthful. It is true that global-warming was not so much of a concern as it is today and that some brands have become the bigger person and accepted their past mistakes, however a lot of corporations like to create a public ecological persona when they aren’t. FIG. 22 - Hysteria collage, 2019.

w n e e gr

g n i h as

SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATIONS & AUTHENTICITY Necessity has pushed institutions to take action on this matter of false marketing, affecting consumers and the environment. Authentications, traceability, transparency and certifications are now regulations that make it harder for companies and top sales people to scam and trick people into buying their products. Certifications make it able to force companies to comply with certain standards on their supply chain.

There is a difference between standards, which can be and are certified against, and other schemes and initiatives which may have voluntary codes but do not certify or may have other ways of engaging with members to improve conditions. (Fashion United, 2020) Although certifications like Bluesign or GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) are the only way to have certainty that ends are being met, schemes, compromise and standards are a great way to support the sustainability and conscious movement for new business and entrepreneurs. Sustainability organizations also play a very important role, especially when it comes to customers and their shopping choices. Blogs and songs like Good on You focus on debunking false information in the green community, especially on fashion. Fashion certifications rarely cover all the stages and the life cycle of a product, often focusing on one specific issue, essentially not changing much. Brands get certified to give back to the customer the lost trust and attract “greener” consumers by portraying an image that is not true. (CMF, 2018). The concept of an holistic organization such as B Lab or NFS International, helps to take a broader look of the life of the product and the people who make them. Although a company can get more than one and keep on working on other gears. Holistic organizations do have their downside, and are very hard to keep track of. It is known that so-called holistic foundations like the Higgs Index by Sustainable Apparel Coalition, give sustainability profiles to fast fashion brands like H&M, giving a false sense of environmental change. As talked before, there is nothing sustainable or eco-friendly about fast-fashion and mass consumption. Reading between the lines could be hard for other customers that take the SAC as a serious foundation, but this partnership is not the only one that has disappointed. It seems that the bigger an organization works, they stop being effective. Initiatives and the trust in local authorities can be sometimes more reliable. It looks that for some of this ong’s their focus and mail goal shifts as soon as more money comes in. With the help of other organizations and the public, we can pressure corporations and fashion brands to keep up the good work and have a good transparency policy. At the end of the day, outrage about the consequences started a movement and with it, hope and change. It is a long way to go to abandon capitalism, adopting a new system and re-raining the trust of corporations, but for now, these issues have to be addressed and tackled by the consumer in order to plant our seed of change.

Can y tru ou r st e a me l y ?

Creating a global standardization of the way fashion is produced, could help the traceability of companies that take advantage of the different regulations of each country. Following the global standard with a strong and mandatory financial report to help traceability and accountability to those who fail to comply with the regulations, difficulting the opportunity for corruption and impunity.

STA

INA

ET AG

FIG. 23 - Vogue Portugal, 2019.

THE NEXT STEP UNSUSTAINABLE TREND The hype of sustainable living, eco-friendly fashion and zero-waste consumption transformed into a trend, but with a very poor execution. As long as sustainable living is not taken as a permanent life change and lifestyle and carries on as a trend, we’ll only do more harm without noticing and can be even more hazardous than the initial problem we are trying to fight off. Raising awareness on the situation of climate change and the modifications needed from our society is key, but like everything it has to be done carefully to avoid downsides. Over the years, people concerned about global warming supported and produced documentaries on polluting industries like the meat industry. The documentary Cowspiracy caused a collective panic in society, decreasing the number of consumers. This caused the consumption of fish to sky-rocket, causing a similar problem as the meat industry. Consequently, the same producers premiered their documentary on the fishing industry called Seaspiracy, having the same result as fort panic on consumers. Something similar is happening in the fashion industry. The documentary The True Cost explores the toxic and corruption of the supply chain, governments and corporations. Unlike Cowspiracy and Seaspiracy, The True Cost does not present false information to its viewers, but definitely helps raise awareness on the many problems of the fashion industry. Forecasting the consequences when developing a strategy is of highly importance. A number of movements have had negative outcomes over the decades because of it. Today, fashion sustainability and a green lifestyle is considered a trend, due to the huge success it has seen over the last decade, but sometimes with the wrong focus. As explored before, greenwashing has a lot of responsibility for the failure of several initiatives. To this day, a lot of materials have been created from natural resources that also help to reduce the Co2 of the food industry, using the same food waste. Young entrepreneurs like Adrián López y Marte Cazarez work with renewable resources at a responsible rate to develop leather like materials from cactus fibers and re-cycle synthetic leather to create new textiles. Others scrap throwaway mangos from the supermarkets in Holland, to create leather like material from the fiber of the fruit. Many other innovations like mushroom, lycose, hemp, lotus, pineapple, bananas and many other natural materials that go to waste.

CHANGE FOR GOOD The intent is there, we have seen it happen over the last century and the last decades. The correct action is what’s needed. Impacting accurate sustainability education in schools, continuing with an effective fashion revolution and tackling green and ecowashing to eventually integrate all industries, like lawyers, engineers and economists. A Delphi design study commissioned by the C&A Foundation, about the future of sustainability in the fashion industry, created a timeline with the key concept to change fashion sustainability more than just a trend, having in mind short, medium and long term periods.

DELPHI DESIGN STUDY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

03. Highly detailed Sustainability Reporting 04. Worker-Driven Initiatives 05. High Concentration / Cooperation

01. Global Awareness

14. Majority of Clothing is Locally Produced

06. Resale / Second-hand models +5

2020 Short Term

+16

2025

Medium Term +10

02. Fibers and processing innovation

2035

Long Term

+12

08. Consumer Level Sustainability Index

11. Circular Economy

08. Extend Producer Responsibility

12= Wages in the Fashion industry

9= Automation Revolution

12= Clothing as a Service

9= Tax Regulation

TIMELINE CONCEPTS REGARDING EARLING TIME TO MAINSTREAM (ETM), WITH RANKS PROCEEDING THE CONCEPTS Source: C&A Foundation, The Future of Sustainability in the Fashion Industry

With the help of the C&A research, we are going to underline and explore some key elements of the timeline above. Rising investments and having economical support can really make a difference, in respective R&D (public and private sectors) and the use of new founding models, like co-founding, helping to enable solutions in the life-cycle of the product. Investments will also facilitate the transfer and up-scaling of sustainable practices within the fashion industry. With investment and financial reports, working conditions of fashion employees should improve a s well, since this is one of the biggest issues when it comes to the fashion industry, especially fast fashion. Worker-driven initiatives such as creating communities and networks for communication and support, from protective legislations for employees and the environment (in which many live in), to re-training employees for their ownsafety and legal education about their worker rights and how to make them effective when a company violates them. “Unless there are tariffs, taxes, and extended producer responsibility legislation put into place to support the circularity, it’s not going to happen.” - Theodore Gordon So much is said about the circular economy, what they are, how they operate and why they are so necessary. In our current economy, we take materials from the Earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, we stop waste being produced in the first place. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) The circular economy is a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. When talking about sustainable or responsible fashion, circular economy is one of the first elements to be brought up. The system of a circular economy has 3 main focuses.

1. 2. 3.

Eliminate Waste and Production Circulate Products & Materials Regenerate Nature

The current fashion business model needs to be modified, so with the circular economy, new models can be explored keeping in mind the new priorities, like stopping the use of hazardous chemicals that damage the environment, renewable materials and protecting the garment workers with better pay and work conditions. By moving to a circular system the industry can unlock a USD 560 billion economic opportunity. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) Keeping clothing in use will slow down the speed of consumption and therefore production. Developing business models that think about buying for a lifetime rather than buying for a season or worse, a micro-season. The quality will drastically improve, not necessarily doing the same to the price of the garment being purchased. As tackled about before; reducing, reusing, up-cycling, rental business models and recycling are the goal to achieve a circular economy in which everyone benefits.

CONCLUSION THE PERFECT FIT Taking into consideration all the struggles and issues that the fashion industry faces, we have to take a look at the solution as well. Is it really the solution? Why haven’t all these actions been executed if they could eliminate the problem? The answer is really simple. The business model of fashion is only profitable for some. In order to include this reformations, it is necessary to create a new business model in which they all fit and everyone gets a fair piece of the revenue, in order words, make sustainable and ethical fashion profitable. Changing supply chains, investing in new technologies and eco-friendly materials, exploring less waste manufacturing techniques, stronger international regulations by governments, integration of industries, circular economy and better quality products, stronger sanctions for those who fail to comply may make the dream come true. Younger generations are doing it, changing the ideology on mass consumption and overconsumption. New emerging brands with new technology have proven that being sustainable and ethical do not take you out of business. Those who are transparent with their work and products, have a bright future ahead. Fast fashion and fashion luxury houses that get out of touch with reality are doomed to be unsuccessful. Corporations and consumers could make it work. Rethinking the way the fashion industry works and introducing sustainable driven leaders, whom can pave the way to less polluting and hazardous production. New designers are picking up on sustainability and ethical fashion, but is not enough for independent businesses. The work is in the big companies and corporations to change their practices. As for consumers, what we can do is do better research when trusting a company or a brand. Educating ourselves and stop being naive will help us fight greenwashing and false green advertising. Being aware of microplastics and how can we avoid them to get to our oceans while our garments are in use, are the only things we can do in the comfort of our home. On another note, we can take the power back as consumers by demanding better practices and transparency with fashion manufacturers, designers and companies. Fashion is so many things; a form of self-expression, an art manifestation and part of who we are, but it doesn’t have to be harmful for the people who produce it and the planet. This issue is a matter of time, but time is one thing we do not have to spare. It is doable, we just need to care enough.

FIG. 24- Vogue Russia, 2021

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IMAGES FIG 1. Jungle wallpaper, public domain license. Source: rawpixel.com FIG 2. Gail Rothschild “The Big Frieze” acrylic on canvas, 2018. 34½ x 77 in. Source: Textile Society of America from Ancient Textiles at Godwin-Ternbach Museum FIG 3. Zhang Xuan, 1100 - 1133 Cropped from a Song dynasty painting attributed to Emperor Huizong in the style of Tang dynasty painter Zhang Xuan. Public doman license. Source: Wikipedia FIG 4. Egyptian Fresco, unkown artist. 4 women weaving ans spinning linnen. Source: Egypttoday.com FIG 5. World History Archive, 15th Century. Miniature depicting the spinning and weaving of raw flax. Source: alamy.com FIG 6. 1589, William Lee demonstrating the stocking machine. Source: timetoast.com FIG 7. Pictorial Press, 1733. James Hargreaves ‘spinning jenny’ from Baines’ History of Cotton Manufacture published in 1835. Source: alamy.com FIG 8. Ardertising Archives, Nylons by DuPont, 1940s. USA. Source: Fine Art America. FIG 9. ‘Shock them with Trelenka’, december 1968, Trelenka Ad Campaign, United Kingdom. Source: alamy.com FIG 10. William Morris, 1878, Bird. London, United Kingdom. Source: The Met Museum FIG 11. Soviet mass production textile factory, 1980. Photo by Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group. Source: Getty Images. FIG 12. Artist unknown. Interior of A. T. Stewart’s Astor Place Store, ca. 1880s. Engraving. Bard Graduate Center: Collection of the New-York Historical Society. Source: Bard Graduate Center FIG 13. Vintage Fashion Spread Harper’s Bazaar Feb 1970 - Love The Game by Hiro. Oriental fashion influence.

IMAGES FIG 14. Paco Rabanne plastic geometric accessories ad campaign. The 1960’s youth culture embraced this line due to it’s affordability and expendability. Source: Runway Magazine FIG 15. Monumenta: “Personnes” de Christian Boltanski au Grand Palais, Paris. 13 janvier 2010. Source: Paper Blog FIG 16. Venus of the Rags by Michelangelo Pistoletto, art installation from 1967 - 1974. Source: TATE Museum, United Kingdom FIG 17. SK Hasan Ali, Apr 24, 2013. El derrumbre del edificio Rana Plaza en Savar, cerca de Dhaka, Bangladesh. Shutterstock. Source: Vogue México. FIG 18. Anne Sofie Madsen Fall 2017 Fashion Show Details, Paris Fashion Week, PFW, Runway. Source: TheImpression.com FIG 19. - Vogue Portugal September Issue, 2019. Photography: Luca Meneghel, Model: Nana Skovgaard, Stylist: Michele Bagnara, Beauty Artist: Luciana Chiarello. Source: DSCENE FIG 20. Lotta Ludwig, Wear Your Values, 2018. Source: Tumblr. FIG 21. Unknown Artist ,Made in Inhimane Conditions collage. FIG 22. Unknown Artist, Greenwashing collage, 2019. Brazil Source: Hysteria Magazine FIG 23. H&M, 2020, Concious Exclusive AW/20 Campaign, Fashion From Waste. Source: H&M Magazine - Inside H&M FIG 24. Vogue Russia, June 2021 Cover. Photography: Alexander Saladrigas, Model: Carolyn Murphy, Stylist: Sveta Vashenyak, Beauty Artist; Karo Kangas & Lauren Palmer-Smith. Source: Vogue Russia