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Sustainability, the New
Must-Have Accessory
Words Kaydria Prendergast
Startup brands have considered the future of fashion, unconsciously giving incentive to existing and established brands to start their sustainable journey.
Many start-up brands have embodied what existing brands should represent. Seeing the praise “sustainable” brands receive and likewise the scrutiny “unsustainable brands” also get, gives incentive to existing brands, pushing them to begin their sustainable journeys.
People easily forget being in fashion comes with a useful tool that can be used for real change and that is, people follow. Think of the fashion industry like a busy subway station. Everyone is hellbent on getting on and cramming into a single car on the train because they are unwilling to miss out, having to wait for another to arrive. Many in the fashion industry want to be included in the mix and follow current trends, otherwise they will be cast off as an outsider. In order to impart meaningful change, household names and influential public figures in fashion should be the first ones to step up to the plate, leaving no other choice than others to follow.
Big brands who continue to ignore the real issue will not be able to function in the long run. I believe that every brand should implement sustainable methods within every sector of their business. Brands are to be forthcoming with evidence which shows their so-called ‘sustainable’ methods as for many consumers, it is all talk and no action! It is not enough for brands who claim to be sustainable, many continue to greenwash their way into consumer pockets. H&M is one of the biggest fast fashion companies who fall under this umbrella. Fast fashion represents inhumane working conditions, child labour, unliveable wages, fabrics and materials that are not biodegradable but stay idle in landfill. With businesses mass producing at an alarming rate and factory owners not wanting to lose out on a paycheck, this in return creates a brutal environment for workers.
Garment workers have to work in fear of not being able to provide for their families with the almost next-to-nothing compensation they receive. Sustainability is the big fat bow that people use to cover up what really needs change in every industry. Being ethically sound, truly caring about the individuals that work for or with you is what will make a successful business, creating an inhabitable work environment is what will taint it. As more consumers become aware of the actions and methods carried out by their favourite brands they shop with, it immediately stops being about convenience for them but becomes about what is morally right.
Today’s modern consumers want to trust and support brands they truly believe in, becoming less patient with brands that lack integrity. Before big brands and trend pushers would tell us what we wanted or needed, but today’s consumers are adamant and outspoken, deciding what works for them and what does not.