What Makes a Fashion Brand Sustainable?
By: Towards Sustainability Ines
Tags: Sustainability, Sustainable Fashion, Consumerism, Fashion, Sustainable Development

The journey towards a better fashion industry has been slowly building for a long time. When I started to build KiRiVOO sustainable apparel brand in 2015, I knew that's going to be a tough challenge. Although a growing amount of people were writing, designing and advocating for a more environmentally friendly fashion industry, there was still little awareness about sustainability. Now, 5 years later, the sustainability has finally burst into the fashion mainstream as the biggest players have also started to adjust their business models.

As a former owner of a well-known fast fashion company, I understand how the fast fashion industry works and what needs to change. I´ve written this blog post to raise awareness and help consumers better understand the difference between sustainable and unsustainable fashion brands, because together with the rise of sustainable fashion, also greenwashing is on the rise. This refers to those marketing messages used and actions taken to make a business appear more environmentally friendly than it actually is.

‘Textile production produces more greenhouse gas emissions annually than of all international flights and maritime shipping combined’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

SUSTAINABLE FASHION AS A TERM

The basis of sustainable development is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable fashion encompasses the environmental, social and ethical production and consumption of clothing. That means the complete lifespan of a garment from its initial design to end-of-life options are considered in order for a garment to be considered sustainable.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUSTAINABLE BRANDS

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE

Transparency is key to the future of better fashion. Sustainable fashion brands need to follow fair business practises, demonstrate that products are manufactured under ethical conditions (also named as ethical brands) throughout the supply chain and that all people are respected. As well as, sustainable fashion brands often give back to the community and nature through donations, kindness, partnering for improvement and sustainability, building public awareness, planting trees, etc.

TIMELESS SLOW FASHION

Fast fashion brands often produce items that go quickly out of fashion but sustainable fashion brands create timeless style that is effortless and can be worn more often. Brands that embody timeless style are called slow fashion brands.

QUALITY MATTERS

Durability is key to product sustainability measurement, because the items that are made to last help to increase the lifespan of a garment. Product durability is a factor in overall sustainability as it helps to prevent unnecessary waste and preserve valuable resources. Therefore, sustainable fashion brands make good quality items.

ECO-FRIENDLY, ECO-CONSCIOUS, ECO FASHION

Sustainable fashion brands need to use sustainable (or renewable) resources for manufacturing or innovative production techniques that help to save resources. That means using business practices that reduce the environmental impact of operations. For example, use certified environmentally friendly or recycled materials that comply with the highest standards of ecology and sustainable development and do not consist harmful substances. As well as, minimise the ecological footprint of its operations by using all sorts of other tactics that help to build an eco-friendly and safe fashion industry.

REDUCE WASTE

Sustainable brands must demonstrate efforts towards minimising or reducing waste because they understand that waste is a significant global issue. For example, manufacture on demand. Or produce zero waste, which means a set of principles are followed to encourages the redesign and reuse of all resources and products, so, no trash is sent to landfills, incinerators or the ocean. Companies that mainly focus on reducing waste are sometimes classified as zero waste brands which means that all materials are reused until the optimum level of consumption. Or recycled or up-cycled fashion brands that use either pre-consumer or post-consumer waste or a combination of the two for producing new products. As well as, there are other circular fashion brands that help to extend the life of garments by keeping items longer in use — for example, rental subscription services that support the growth of a sharing economy.

There are other terms that brands use for describing and demonstrating their good intentions but these words don’t tell the whole story, neither have any meaning without an explanation: thoughtful brand, responsible brand, conscious brand, etc. I highly recommend to do your own check-up before trusting any brand, especially the giant fast fashion retailers who are slow in adapting to new business models and changing processes.