Fast Fashion VS Luxury Fashion which side is greener?
Our Marketing Manager (and environmental advocate), Katie, deep dives into the retail sector, exploring which brands are taking steps in the right direction to implement real change- and those who aren’t just greenwashing their policies for kudos.
We investigate the environmental impact of the industry we work in, and what initiatives are in place to combat global warming and the obliteration of natural resources by fashion brands. And ultimately decide, which side is greener?
Around 8%* of Greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for by the fashion industry – a figure which is set to increase with the growing world population and subsequently the rising levels of consumption over the next few years. (Sustainability Magazine December 2023)
But there is hope on the horizon! Apparel brands - both luxury AND fast-fashion – who are making significant strides in sustainability.
Luxury Leads the Way
Stella McCartney is THE luxury brand that always springs to my mind when I think of eco-friendly processes in fashion, and for good reason. The progressive brand boasts many ethical and sustainable practises on their website, from innovating new materials and implementing the circular fashion* model, to collaborating with charities and global initiatives such as PETA, the Humane Society, and the Apparel Impact Institute.
Stella McCartney’s website lists 11 innovations in future fabrics including MIRUM – plastic free alternative to animal leather, BANANATEX – biodegradable material made from banana leaf, and BIOPUFF – regenerative feather down alternative which is farmed from bullrushes in the UK. Numerous other environmentally friendly practises such as recycling materials (including nylon and polyester), regeneratively sourcing natural materials and the production of sustainable textiles such as Forest-Friendly Viscose are significant advancements in clothing manufacture listed as processes used by SM on their website.
Many of these cruelty free and sustainable materials are used exclusively by Stella McCartney, so how accessible are these fabrics and processes to other brands? Should pioneers in sustainability share their trade secrets or is it up to other brands to invent their own?
However, Stella McCartney’s ethical goals are always transparent and are widely available through impact reports. Her presence at high profile public events such as COP28 raises global awareness, and Stella herself also supports LVMH’s CEO, Bernard Arnault as an advisor on sustainability. “We will always give people information and offer them an alternative way.”- Stella McCartney.
We are always taught to buy consciously, to buy slow fashion over fast, but in a world where supply is ultimately higher than demand, the responsibility lies with the manufacturers.
LA based high end brand Reformation started life as a vintage store and expanded into creating womenswear that is focussed on making luxury and sustainable clothing more widely available. On their website, Reformation pledges to source 100% of their fabrics from recycled, renewable, or regenerative materials by 2025 - that’s only one year away…
Each year, over 40 billion items of new clothing remain unsold, meaning clothing that is never even worn ends up in landfills, with textiles waste predicted to go up by 60% by 2030. (source Reformation website)
Citing process like clean chemistry - moving away from using hazardous chemicals during fabric dying, using regenerative fibres in garment manufacture and pioneering the development of vegan and plastic free leather alternatives, the brand’s website is full of the latest innovations in ethical practices.
According to their 2023 Sustainability Report, Reformation uses 55% less water per year and produces 38% less carbon emissions than the average American clothing brand. Reformation promises to be Climate Positive* by 2025 and Circular by 2030. “We can do this. We can be the leaders on the frontier of driving change and innovation and building best practices.”- Reformation CEO Hali Borenstein.
But will others follow suit? We see a number of brands who promote a specific range or collection as sustainable or climate friendly but there are very few who solely produce ethical fashion.
For example, a luxury brand who has taken steps to implement policies that started off as singular collections is Italian luxury giant Prada developed their Re-Nylon range in 2019, and, as we know nylon as a fabric is a huge part of the brand’s identity. Starting as capsule collections, Prada’s Re-Nylon range spans across accessories and ready-to-wear for men and women. The project has instigated a shift across the brand, and now all Prada virgin nylon* has been converted into regenerated nylon, a huge step for a luxury fashion house.
Gucci’s Equilibrium initiative has been investing in regenerative agriculture since 2020. Today, Gucci declares it is directly transforming its own supply chain through the regenerative farming of materials both in Italy and internationally, including Cultivating Cotton with Regenerative Farming, using natural wool which is farmed using ancient techniques, and launching NATIVA™ Regenerative Agriculture Program, a collaboration of 9 agricultural companies in Uruguay.
Although not classed as a luxury brand, high-end outdoors apparel company Patagonia is at the forefront of sustainability in fashion and is highly worth mentioning. The brand supports grassroots communities and groups collaborating to find solutions to environmental crisis with their 1% for the planet incentive. Patagonia has donated over $140 million dollars since 1985, awarding funds to causes around the globe such as “We the Power” in the UK, a campaign for the right for renewable energy production in local communities. Patagonia established a bail policy for any of its employee’s who may be arrested whilst peacefully protesting for the environment and also supporting the removal of dams in the U.S. since 2014.
This forward-thinking brand paved the way and has implemented a Supply Chain Environmental Responsibility Program to measure, reduce and eliminate the environmental impacts of manufacturing their garments and fabrics. Patagonia collaborates with suppliers and other brands striving towards “our best opportunity to drive improvement in a shared supply chain.” The brand is driving forward industry-wide benchmarking and huge collaborative improvement by creating initiatives and widely communicating their progress.
Fast Fashion Horror Stories
Let’s look into some horror stories; fast fashion’s dirty secrets in facts and figures.
The fashion industry produces 92 million tons of textile waste annually.” (The Ellen McArthur Foundation) The foundation was set up by Ellen McArthur - the fastest solo sailor to sail around the world in 2005. She claims her journey gave her new insight to reflect on the limited global resources we rely on.
90% of global deforestation has been driven by agriculture and farming production (FAO, 2022).5 Additionally, 80% of the Amazon’s deforestation is due to cattle and beef farming as well as leather production (WWF). – Stella McCartney Website 2024
The textile industry is responsible for releasing around 500,000 tonnes of microfibres into the ocean annually – this is mainly due to the synthetic fibres commonly used in fast fashion and cheaper garments containing microplastics which shed and infiltrate water systems when washing. (Environmental Science & Technology Journal)
In the US, only 15% of textiles are recycled per year, the other 85% ends up in landfill. This is extremely low compared to other materials compared to 31.3% glass recycling. (US Environmental Protection Agency)
Unsold and over produced items make up 21% of the 100 billion garments produced each year, that’s 21 billion! (European Environment Agency)
Fast Fashion Global Incentives – Too Little Too Late?
Of course, there are initiatives by fast-fashion giants aimed at tackling sustainability, although environmentalists argue that brands are greenwashing their policies with minimal impact. H&M boats a conscious collection but this collection only accounts for a part of their full range, the brand still promotes “disposable” fashion and shares constant rotations of new trends. This has a huge environmental impact. An increasing amount of cheap clothing ends up in landfill after a few wears due to these reasons. “H&M has set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its own operations and supply chain by 2030, but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target.” (Good On You)
A major culprit of using the unsustainable fast-fashion model is ASOS. Whilst ASOS does use some lower-impact materials in its clothing- see the ASOS Responsible Edit, there is still no evidence it minimises textile waste during manufacture.
It is not all doom and gloom in the world of fast-fashion; Primark’s latest eco goal to transition all its clothing (100%) to recycled of sustainably sourced by 2030.
“While 55% of all clothes sold by the retailer this year are now made from sustainable or recycled materials, up from 45% last year, nearly half (46%) now contain cotton that is either organic, recycled or sourced from the PSCP programme.” (Sustainability Magazine)
It seems the value retailer is making steps to become vastly more sustainable across the board. Another of their strategies is to use cardboard clothes hangers in-store and work with their suppliers to make their packaging from recycled materials.
Having researched sustainability and ethical sourcing practises from both worlds – luxury and fast-fashion, there are strong initiatives on both sides. Fast-fashion produces more garments, more waste and therefore have a lot more to do. There are glimmers of hope, Primark, but the majority are simply not doing enough to create real change. (We haven’t even touched on online only retailers like Shein, and Pretty Little Thing as their fast-fast models are the stuff of nightmares!)
In luxury, there are innovators driving the green movement forward and we must praise them for that. It SHOULD be easier for luxury brands to implement ethical practises as they often work with small batches and handmade techniques. However, some still fail, i.e. exploiting indigenous workers and draining natural resources.
The consumer still hold some power, by choosing responsibly, there are sustainable apparel solutions offered across the board. And if you are unsure, this is a great source to see the environmental and social impact of brands before you buy https://directory.goodonyou.eco/
