(This new decade started with a bang when activism took over as one of the most prominent happenings in 2020. The financial innovation, protests and government policies this year are aimed at positive societal change. An increasing number of policymakers, CEO’s and consumers have learnt that the time has come to make some serious changes for the environment. There are big social problems looming over our heads which include climate change and environmental problems that seem to be accelerating beyond the boundaries of our current eco-system. Under this pressure to transform their policies to match the current environmental momentum, companies are embracing systemic changes and are disrupting to address the world’s urgent challenges that will be creating huge opportunities for investment, innovation and greater relevance and market share.
Here are a few fashion technologies and sustainable trends that companies can turn to, to adopt more sustainable practices.
-
Greenwashing
2019 saw an abundance of sustainable initiatives that made some brands stand out for being exceptionally green (if not suspicious). Brands like Colgate launched a sustainable bamboo toothbrush, and Vogue Italia took to illustration for its frontpage rather than photographing it. Companies like Primark also took to sustainable clothing and cotton. These stunts rather fell into the category of deliberately misleading marketing stunts. But 2020 sustainable fashion trends also called for transparency and authenticity. A product loses it’s credibility if it cannot match up to it’s “green” carbon footprint. Consumers and organisations have increased the pressure on companies to make full-hearted attempts at being sustainable.
-
Fabric Innovation
The oceans have become full of plastic. This includes the beautiful coastlines in dirty wrappers and containers which has made us all acutely aware of the importance of materials we use in our everyday lives. Fortunately for us, many ethical and sustainable brands are tackling the problem of aquatic lie consuming hundreds of pieces of plastic by taking concrete action. For example by using Recycled Plastic Bottles. A few sustainable brands have started turning rubbish into profit. It’s made from recycled plastic bottles and uses compostable and recycled materials.
-
Fashion that is Fair
1 in 6 people all over the world work in fashion-related jobs and about 80% of the labour force in the supply chain are women. One’s owned clothing is not sustainable unless they are made in fair conditions. As sustainable fashion becomes more and more trending in 2019, we have also become more aware of its social component. Incidents like The Delhi fire are a devastating reminder of Rana Plaza, which killed 43 labourers. In Leicester, it was brought to notice that the workers in a garment factory were paid as little as £3 an hour, which seems to be another case of modern slavery.
-
Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
Second-hand clothing has been known to raise eyebrows. It has been considered a faux pas and it’s taken us a long time to establish that this might not be such a bad thing after all. In 2020, however, fashion influencers, celebrities and other fashion gurus have taken this movement and made it fashionable and trending. This has revamped the reputation of second-hand shops and more and more people are looking at second-hand shopping as god sent.
-
Fashion Rentals
People are slowly becoming aware of the massive impact fashion has on the environment. From landfills that are overflowing to underpaid factory workers, to unethical practices in producing fast fashion, it is slowly becoming clear to consumers that they need to find an alternative. This is where Fashion Rentals come into play. For quite some time now, women have been acquainted with the idea of borrowing high-end clothes and bags to flaunt newer and more styles in their wardrobes. With renttherunway.com becoming a smashing hit with consumers, more people are flocking to this ideology to save on their hard-earned money and time.
If you are a consumer who wants to be more ethical, sustainable and fashionable, consider looking at these global sustainable trends, and execute them in your daily life!
Published by: Ryan Williams/ 2020-02-24