As we enter into a new year and a new decade, there's no doubt that we all have to play a part in protecting the world we live in. Our future is under great threat with the issues of global warming, rising sea levels, depleting resources, ocean and air pollution etc., and these are problems we can no longer ignore. Fortunately, the fashion industry is becoming increasingly conscious of its role and responsibility in solving the problem, and here are 10 things that give us hope:
1. New generation designers
Of course, world-renowned brands like Gucci, Versace, and Prada are able to reach more people with the steps they take, but efforts from all sides are necessary to achieve the end goal of sustainability in fashion. New generation designers like Ulla Johnson, Mother of Pearl, Gabriela Hearst, and Zero + Maria Cornejo have been very successful in setting the right example, infusing the concept of sustainability into every aspect of their creations.
2. Net-a-Porter's Net Sustain platform
In the era of technology we live in, online shopping is becoming increasingly commonplace. For high fashion enthusiasts, Net-a-Porter is undoubtedly the go-to choice, and now the luxury retailer has launched a new platform, Net Sustain, to highlight brands that meet one of five sustainability criterias. The edit includes brands such as Veja, Maggie Marilyn, Stella McCartney, Pippa Small, Melissa Joy Manning, and Chopard, through which Net-a-Porter hopes to encourage customers to make environmentally responsible choices.
3. Ethical sourcing from Tiffany & Co.
The concept of ethical jewellery has been around for a while, but Tiffany & Co. takes it to the next level. Not only does the jewellery house obtain diamonds and other materials from environmentally-friendly sources, it also helps to improve mining conditions through the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, and since 2017 has donated all revenue from the Tiffany Save The Wild collection to the Wildlife Protection Network.
4. Luxury brands say no to fur
If we're going to talk about environmental health, we have to turn our backs on the use of real fur. Calvin Klein became a pioneer of this movement in 1994, and over time brands like Versace, Gucci, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, and Tommy Hilfiger have banned real fur in favour of more sustainable alternatives.
5. Stella McCartney
Ethical, sustainable, and recyclable are all key words in the vocabulary of Stella McCartney. Since the brand's founding it has blended creative power with an environmentally sensitive attitude.
6. Vegan leather
Consumers are gradually becoming aware of what they buy, and while real fur is an obvious no go, what about leather? Vegan leather has become a very viable alternative, made from a range of materials like vegetan, glazed cork, polyurethane, and even cactus and pineapple leaves!
7. Ralph Lauren Earth Polo collection
Earlier this year Ralph Lauren launched a collaboration with recycling-oriented organisation First Mile to create a collection called Earth Polo, in which the classic RL polo shirt is reworked in a material made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Each shirt uses an average of 12 plastic bottles, and the brand aims to clear 170 million bottles from nature by 2025.
8. Vegan sneaker: Veja
Veja is one of the most ethical brands in the world, having championed transparency and sustainability from the very outset, from sourcing and production to packaging and distribution. The French brand is one of the most successful representatives of change in the fashion world.
9. Sustainable denim
Jeans are an indispensable part of our wardrobes, but they have a dark side - more than 20,000 litres of water is needed to produce 1kg of cotton, while the synthetic chemical dyes used are huge sources of pollution. H&M remedied this with its Conscious collection, which makes use of organic cotton and recycled polyester, and Tommy Hilfiger, ASOS, and Reformation have followed suit.
10. The Fashion Pact
How serious the situation is can be understood from the fact that politicians are involved. At the G7 Summit in August, French president Emmanuel Macron introduced the Fashion Pact, a first of its kind initiative that unites the biggest players in the fashion world, shaped around global warming, improving biodiversity, and protecting the oceans. With this project, more than 30 companies, including the Kering group, Prada, and Ermenegildo Zegna, will work to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
