Sustainability in Luxury Fashion
Sustainability is “the quality of not being harmful to the environment”. With every report and news of what is going on with our environment today, it is evident that we need to act and contribute to controlling the damage.
It is quite scary to say and admit that fashion is also one of the most polluting industry. The fashion industry is having a hard time to reach that sustainability level because fashion is always about something new, something trendy, and it requires the production to produce and release new sets of collections every now and then to attract consumers. Sustainability is more than just a word and the fashion world, including the luxury brands should have a deep understanding of what that is. In one of the video advertisements about DIY Culture made by I.D, it states that: “Hopefully, sustainability won’t be seen as a trend as much as it would be seen as a necessity”.
True enough, Sustainability should not be just an option, it should be considered as a necessity. We need to have a deep understanding of what sustainable fashion is and how to do it. Yes, we need to focus and have more information on how to do it. According to Harper’s Bazaar, 32 companies both fast fashion and luxury fashion namely, Chanel, Prada, H&M, and Zara - signed the fashion pact and pledge to combat greenhouse gasses and emphasize sustainability in the industry. It is nice to see some well-known brands are contributing and doing their part in saving the planet.
The question is, how luxury brands are becoming more sustainable? First on the list is about innovating or change of fabrics. Choosing what kind of fabrics to use is something we should look for. Fashion companies need to contemplate if that certain material has a lower economic impact. Fashion companies should start sourcing organic material that is ethical.
One example is ECONYL – it is more than just about recycling. ECONYL has a campaign of producing new products but with a better environment at the same time. Nylon waste is converted into ECONYL. Creating new products from the nylon waste is a good form of reducing materials.
Gucci released a new sustainable collection “OFF THE GRID”. As per Gucci, “It is basically designed for those mindful of their environmental impact, Gucci Off The Grid uses recycled, organic, bio-based and sustainably sourced materials.”
Prada also launched “Re-Nylon” project as a contribution to achieve a sustainable luxury fashion. As per Prada, “Our ultimate goal will be to convert all Prada virgin nylon into Re-Nylon by the end of 2021. This project highlights our continued efforts towards promoting a responsible business. This collection allows us to make our contribution and create products without using new resources." Second on the list of how luxury brands are becoming more sustainable is about up cycling the products. Nowadays, up cycling materials are starting to become in demand. Repairing of products that can sell as good as new is worth investing. Supporting resale should be put to practice. By doing so, both the luxury fashion companies and consumers can contribute to lessen the waste. There is a program named RECOLLECTION INITIATIVE that promotes restoration to produce another one-of-a-kind piece.
Sustainability requires responsibilities. It calls for actions as well and not just only information. Luxury brands have a huge advantage over fast fashion companies because luxury brands are being purchased for the quality and value. Therefore, luxury fashion brands should take the lead in promoting sustainability in the industry.