SUSTAINABLE FASHION: GREENWASHING OR TRULY GREEN?
By Antonia Brooks
In an era where environmental consciousness is at the forefront of global concerns, the fashion industry is undergoing a transformative evolution. From iconic luxury labels to high-street favorites, major fashion brands are increasingly steering their focus toward sustainability, marking a paradigm shift in an industry long-associated with negative environmental impact. As consumers become more discerning about the environmental and ethical implications of their purchases, renowned fashion houses are now embracing sustainability not just as a buzzword but as a fundamental principle guiding their practices.
As the movement towards green energy and minimizing carbon emissions has become more prominent in recent years, consumers have become increasingly aware of the damage caused by the fashion industry. However, the use of unethical practices can’t solely be blamed on fast fashion, with the luxury fashion sector producing 4% – or $2 billion worth – of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions annually. This has caused consumers to actively search for alternative brands that support this sustainable mission. If high-end brands don't turn to clean energy, they are at risk of rapidly losing their customers.
So what exactly is the aim of these high-end brands now? In an article by Banknotes, Dana Thomas for Vogue wrote that “The industry is reshaping its methods, from field to form, dirt to dress.” While many luxury brands claim a shift toward sustainability, it is hard to discern which brands will actually uphold their promises.
The Vogue Collection’s mission is to Rethink, reduce, and recycle. Vogue has moved toward sustainability in multiple different ways: “We only produce our jumpers, t-shirts, hoodies and accessories in small quantities and limited editions to avoid overproduction.” Vogue has also stated that they have made a total shift to 100% organic cotton, a popular move for sustainability in fashion. The cotton is grown in a pesticide and synthetic fertilizer-free environment, thus maintaining the quality of the soil. The cultivation of organic cotton also preserves water by 90% and reduces energy use by 60%. All in all, Vogue seems to have a specific mission, and is taking real action toward sustainability.
Reformation, another high end brand, has been vocal in their pledge to be a climate positive company by 2025. They are doing this through the usage of regenerative fibers, plant-based materials, and through their support and partnership with recycling companies such as ThredUp. Reformation has even issued sustainability reports since it began its sustainability journey in 2016 in order to be transparent about their efforts to their customer base.
In 2022, Kourtney Kardashian partnered with the fast-fashion brand BooHoo. BooHoo offers a prime example of a brand that distracts consumers from their unethical production practices with attractively affordable pricing, and covers it with a green mask. This can be described by the term “greenwashing.” According to Good On You Eco. “The brand also doesn’t appear to minimise textile waste when manufacturing its products, crucial for a brand pumping out so many styles so quickly.” It is clear with BooHoo that they are using sustainability as a cover up for their obviously harmful working conditions and working wages.
The question is, why are these high end brands only moving toward sustainability now? It puts into perspective the ethics of these huge, wealthy brands. Climate change has been at the forefront of pressing global issues for multiple decades, yet most of these brands have only begun their environmentally friendly movement in the past 8 years.
It is consumerism and the desire for profit that fuels these brands’ movements toward environmental consciousness, not the actual deterioration of our Earth. While it would be cheaper for brands to neglect climate change, it also hurts their reputation among a growing culture of sustainable consumers. It is no coincidence that after the pandemic, 57% of consumers said they were actively making lifestyle changes to help the environment. Many ways consumers have done this is by eliminating fast fashion because of its CO2 emissions. Overall, consumers have worked to become more aware of the brands they shop at, demanding sustainability from the brands they shop at. High-end brands, and the broader fashion industry, pays attention to what the consumer is doing. After all, the consumer is the single most important factor in the success of a company.
All this is to say, while brands, both luxury and fast, may be moving toward sustainability now, their ethics are still questionable. However, I believe that regardless of the objective of these companies, moving toward sustainability is the way to go, and I hope to see this movement continue and not just dissipate with whatever the consumer wants next. In order to accomplish this, the industry must maintain certain standards such as reducing their purchase of new clothing, reducing the amount of water used in making clothes, and disposing of products used in the creation of clothing in a responsible manner.
As the movement towards green energy and minimizing carbon emissions has become more prominent in recent years, consumers have become increasingly aware of the damage caused by the fashion industry. However, the use of unethical practices can’t solely be blamed on fast fashion, with the luxury fashion sector producing 4% – or $2 billion worth – of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions annually. This has caused consumers to actively search for alternative brands that support this sustainable mission. If high-end brands don't turn to clean energy, they are at risk of rapidly losing their customers.
So what exactly is the aim of these high-end brands now? In an article by Banknotes, Dana Thomas for Vogue wrote that “The industry is reshaping its methods, from field to form, dirt to dress.” While many luxury brands claim a shift toward sustainability, it is hard to discern which brands will actually uphold their promises.
The Vogue Collection’s mission is to Rethink, reduce, and recycle. Vogue has moved toward sustainability in multiple different ways: “We only produce our jumpers, t-shirts, hoodies and accessories in small quantities and limited editions to avoid overproduction.” Vogue has also stated that they have made a total shift to 100% organic cotton, a popular move for sustainability in fashion. The cotton is grown in a pesticide and synthetic fertilizer-free environment, thus maintaining the quality of the soil. The cultivation of organic cotton also preserves water by 90% and reduces energy use by 60%. All in all, Vogue seems to have a specific mission, and is taking real action toward sustainability.
Reformation, another high end brand, has been vocal in their pledge to be a climate positive company by 2025. They are doing this through the usage of regenerative fibers, plant-based materials, and through their support and partnership with recycling companies such as ThredUp. Reformation has even issued sustainability reports since it began its sustainability journey in 2016 in order to be transparent about their efforts to their customer base.
In 2022, Kourtney Kardashian partnered with the fast-fashion brand BooHoo. BooHoo offers a prime example of a brand that distracts consumers from their unethical production practices with attractively affordable pricing, and covers it with a green mask. This can be described by the term “greenwashing.” According to Good On You Eco. “The brand also doesn’t appear to minimise textile waste when manufacturing its products, crucial for a brand pumping out so many styles so quickly.” It is clear with BooHoo that they are using sustainability as a cover up for their obviously harmful working conditions and working wages.
The question is, why are these high end brands only moving toward sustainability now? It puts into perspective the ethics of these huge, wealthy brands. Climate change has been at the forefront of pressing global issues for multiple decades, yet most of these brands have only begun their environmentally friendly movement in the past 8 years.
It is consumerism and the desire for profit that fuels these brands’ movements toward environmental consciousness, not the actual deterioration of our Earth. While it would be cheaper for brands to neglect climate change, it also hurts their reputation among a growing culture of sustainable consumers. It is no coincidence that after the pandemic, 57% of consumers said they were actively making lifestyle changes to help the environment. Many ways consumers have done this is by eliminating fast fashion because of its CO2 emissions. Overall, consumers have worked to become more aware of the brands they shop at, demanding sustainability from the brands they shop at. High-end brands, and the broader fashion industry, pays attention to what the consumer is doing. After all, the consumer is the single most important factor in the success of a company.
All this is to say, while brands, both luxury and fast, may be moving toward sustainability now, their ethics are still questionable. However, I believe that regardless of the objective of these companies, moving toward sustainability is the way to go, and I hope to see this movement continue and not just dissipate with whatever the consumer wants next. In order to accomplish this, the industry must maintain certain standards such as reducing their purchase of new clothing, reducing the amount of water used in making clothes, and disposing of products used in the creation of clothing in a responsible manner.