At a time when hope for sustainable fashion seems to be slipping away, here are 10 values for the new season.
Photo: Francesco Scottiluc
A cursory glance through the headlines of our trade media in the last few weeks suggests that – despite Earth Month’s commitments, launches, and pledges – this sector is far from fixing fashion for good. As my friend and mentor Lucy Siegle says, “There is much pearl-clutching: cotton standards have turned out to be untrustworthy (see: the Better Cotton Initiative and Inditex), brands and retailers are falling short on climate goals, and the collapse of a great new material savior in Renewcell has caused panic and despair.”
The Better Cotton Initiative works in developing countries to make cotton farming more sustainable and beneficial for local communties
Lucy and I have known each other for 16 years – she was there when I started the Green Carpet Challenge in 2010 (in fact, she is the one who challenged me to do it) and I always turn to her when I have existential questions. Knowing that in times of crisis tradition dictates we need something to blame, I pick up the phone to clear my brain: Should we blame the crazy business model predicated on overproduction for over-consumption, should we blame the rampant greenwashing, or should we blame sustainable action? Lucy is used to my crises, and she is good at toning them down. “You’re right, things are not looking that great, and we know the tendency of the fashion sector is to cling on to defunct models. So it is not surprising that in some quarters the response is to proclaim loudly that sustainability should be ditched or watered down.” We both decide that there is no escape from the fact that we have to be morally and pragmatically committed to sorting out the dual crisis of soaring climate emissions and nature loss – so the only possible solution is to “stay with the trouble” of deep sustainability. Because, as we know, there is no fashion…
