SOURCING NEWS REVIEW

Five Initiatives Making Fashion More Sustainable by JOHNNY LANGENHEIM

Fashion had hit a standstill in sustainability in the late 2010s in which a call to arms was issued to stop the practices disrupting the planet. At the same time, most designers refused to change the manner in which they went about supply and production. However, in 2019 deals were struck with AQUAFIL, The Ellen McArther Foundation, and Fashion Revolution to highlight, expose, and solve our unreliable systems by mid-century. One initial practice change has been sourcing and using more sustainable fabrics. As of 2023, 70% of our fashion garments are made out of recyclable materials, specifically nylon and polyester, which being made out of plastic, cannot biodegrade and therefore take up most of the space in our garment landfills. Prada was one of the first designer labels to sign this pact and began collaborating with companies such as the Italian company “AQUAFIL”, which practices recycling the fibers of nylon to be repurposed into ECONYL. This thought process surrounding more sustainable products also translates into better farming practices for materials like cotton and leather, both of which contribute largely to CO2 emissions, but with these treaties set, more sustainable manners of this level of production can be accomplished. Brands also aim to incorporate more circular trends into our apparel consumption, by incorporating more “fashion libraries” to diminish the amount of waste contributed by the fashion industry. The article also mentions recycled discarded fabrics cut from patterns for other garments, as much of the waste being contributed comes from scraps of fabric deemed unusable. The last example mentioned is closing the gap between consumer and producer. Many are aware of the conditions in which much of fast fashion is produced, and by highlighting the disconnect between the designers and the real manufacturers, we can allow the system to not be so hidden, therefore holding contributors to such conditions accountable. The article mentions that the only real holdup on accomplishing this is getting enough people on board, but with goals in mind and big fashion hauses already signed on board, there is hope for more turnover in the coming decade. 

This article covers a lot of what we as a class have already discussed, however, it brings up something that I feel has been skipped over more than a few times; exposure. We allow these systems to continue by allowing them to stay hidden. However, with the Fashion Revolution, allowing the reality of the predicament the industry is in to be globally seen and discussed, it allows for those hiding away and avoiding the issue to be brought to light whether they want to or not. My thoughts on the topic are that we have allowed capitalistic principles to prevail over the safety of our own planet and the people on it. One of the main issues I continually delve into in these discussions is profit and greed, these big fashion brands skim over the real issue because it is deemed too costly; stop buying from them. One of the easiest things we as consumers can do is to draw them out. Make them realize after this many years of sirens going off across the globe alerting us of the climate crisis we face, that if they are not willing to change, they will stop getting business. We boycott brands all the time for publicized scandals, Gucci doing blackface, Victorious Secret's blatant transphobia and appropriation of indigenous symbolism, and Karl Lagerfeld’s misogyny, the only difference is that climate issues within these brands are much easier to hide. A lot of discourse occurs over SHEIN’s practices, yet everyone still buys clothing at Target, Brandy Melville, DollsKill, and Urban Outfitters, just because we aren't getting letters in our Amazon packages asking for help because of the working conditions the manufacturers are put in, doesn't mean the conditions are any better than SHEIN’s. There is a huge emphasis put on not buying from unsustainable brands, but almost exclusively brands that are cheap (SHEIN, Walmart, etc), because maybe the quality of materials feels better, or the price mark makes you feel like you're not buying from an off-shore shipping department, that energy is not matched for more expansive brands doing the exact same thing. If we actually want change, support brands that are actually changing, and putting in effort to meet their sustainability goals, i.e. not putting out 32 collections every year. 

Langenheim, J. (2021, May 3). Five initiatives making fashion more sustainable. Environment. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/partner-content-five-initiatives-making-fashion-more-sustainable