What is 'sustainable' fashion?

The word ‘sustainable’ is bandied around with quite a bit of abandon these days. It can be found in the marketing communications for an environmental movement focused on climate justice and simultaneously for a large, multinational company in the sales of its mass-produced products.

So what are we talking about when we say ‘sustainable’? Is it the best word to describe the activities we’re suggesting our audiences participate in?

A definition I read in a Fashion Revolution fanzine that I like is this: “an activity that can be continued indefinitely without doing harm”. And this works for me. And of course – this is exactly what is needed for all human activity if we want to thrive in the future. All activity, whether it be shopping, eating, travelling or heating our homes, must be done in a way that can be sustained long into the future and it needs to stop doing harm.

Currently, the fashion industry does a great deal of harm and in time something will give way, especially with the rate of growth projected for the industry. We need to stop this growth in its tracks, taking into account all those involved in the supply chain, and put in place a new path for fashion to take. One that is truly representative, transparent and fair.

Why am I staging Sustainable Fashion Week? What is our role in changing the fashion industry?

The information about fashion’s damage to the environment and people across the globe is becoming more and more well known. It’s in the news, it shows in the growing green commitments of large fashion brands (albeit that these commitments often fall far short of where they need to be), it can be seen in the rise in demand for second hand clothing.

You know by now that fashion contributes excessive amounts of carbon emissions to the global carbon budget. You know that plastic fabrics such as polyester release microfibres that contribute to ocean pollution. You may have heard that 11 million items of clothing are sent to landfill each week in the UK. You may worry about the overuse of water in the production of clothing and the poisoning of waterways as they are dyed. You may have felt heartbroken on the news of factory workers dying in factory fires and collapses.

We’re not here as an information source – there are so many great organisations out there doing incredible work campaigning on these issues, collecting the data, investigating and making the information available for all (when you have a moment, explore some of these pages - they are just a few examples: Fashion Revolution, Fashion Roundtable, TRAID, Labour Behind the Label).

I want Sustainable Fashion Week to use this information to help change attitudes and behaviour. Through our inaugural event and our engagement with our audiences we’re going to promote clean, green and fair ways of engaging with clothing. We’re going to help generate an optimistic vision for the future of fashion by giving practical tips on what you can do to have a relationship with fashion that you can continue indefinitely, without doing harm.

SFW 2021

There will be lots of information on our website about our first event and our plans. We’re going to try different approaches and see what works. We’re going to talk and listen and identify what’s needed to help people to become more sustainable in their fashion choices. We want our event to measurably change behaviours in favour of sustainability. Our two core aims are:

Change the story

Often, as we talk about sustainability in fashion one of the key issues that inevitably comes up is the rate of over-consumption. Addressing this can often translate to audiences as a demand to reduce, relinquish and give up a pleasure and sense of self-expression. The sense of loss that comes with that can be a real barrier to change.

We want to change the story of sustainable fashion from one of loss to one of a sense of wellbeing and abundance. Where there are multiple routes to a sense of gaining more from your clothing, without purchasing more. Where participation leads to a greater sense of community and collaboration.

Cultivate Inclusivity

Our second aim may not be worded perfectly – but it’s essential. Sustainability in fashion is not an exclusive privilege of the wealthy. It is not luxury or niche. It is a necessity for everyone who puts on clothes in the morning. And of course, that is everyone. 

Regardless of income or background, everyone is entitled to have access to ways of making their relationship with clothing more sustainable. So we want to actively make our event and activity inclusive and accessible. More info on this to come… The more we stand shoulder to shoulder in diversity and demand change, the further and faster we will drive this movement. 

Thank you for coming on this journey with us. Any comments or Qs? Get in touch: hello@sustainablefashionweek.uk.