“ Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere, is paying.”
If you are thinking its the humans then you are totally wrong because here the one paying the price is our very own Nature.
Covid-19 pandemic has truly affected every sector of the economy across globe and compelling them to revamp in order to cope up with the future scenarios. One such sector is the apparel sector. The fashion industry is key for economic development: it is valued at some USD 2.5 billion globally and directly employees 75 million people throughout its value chain. It is the world’s third-largest manufacturing sector after the automobile and technology industries. But this shouldn’t ignore the fact that it had fatally impacted the environment and continuous to do so. The soaring fast fashion has severely affected the environment over the past years. According to World bank, every year the fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water — enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people. This just doesn’t stop here, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. At this pace, the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions will surge more than 50 % by 2030. With the world being hit by Pandemic, limiting humans within the confinement of the house, has shut down various production units. With the same, people are all ears when it comes to environment thus giving momentum to the sustainable fashion wave. Fashion is an industry that runs on change with new trends, styles, and whole new ranges offered up every season. In order to meet those demands, it must keep the supply chain working at full steam to stitch up and ship out new fashions at breakneck speed. designer Nimco Adam, who has designed for more than 55 fast fashion companies including Forever 21, has pulled away from chemicals and synthetic materials. She now uses traditional African textiles woven from hemp, bamboo and even barks of tree. Her dyes are natural, extracted from roots, like turmeric. Such changes have put her at the spearhead of the sustainable fashion movement. According to Sarah Willersdorf, Boston Consulting Group’s partner and global head of luxury, Sustainability is going to be table stakes for consumers when it comes to brands, both current and future consumers. Industry will need a reform because of the changing mindset of the consumer too as the pandemic is said to ignite the sustainable consumerism for the long run. The change might not ne instant but a gradual process so as to be in long run. A shift away from fast-fashion will be welcomed by the planet. The clock is going to have to be turned back on mass-production of fast fashion items (at least until our wallets have recovered) and these trying times will unfortunately leave a lot of brands tumbled at the curb. Already the world has witnessed a great many global store closures, drops in stock prices, cancelled fashion shows. An enormous shake up will occur, rebooting the entire industry. To stay buoyant, brands will need to be sagacious and sustainable.
Link for video of designer Nimco Adam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRpJvIWSeGY
Link for video of Sarah Willersdorf, Boston Consulting Group’s partner and global head of luxury talking about sustainability.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulY6zFI_5T4
Swati Singh
