Fashion Sustainability Summit 2021

Business of Fashion Hosts Fashion Sustainability Summit April 14 2021

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Fashion Sustainability is an important partition in the new future of fashion – obvious that power is in the hands of the brand when it comes to making decisions regarding environmental sustainability – its whether to follow or not. Unfortunately, the synthetics we all know and love use 1 billion barrels of toxic chemicals to produce [plastic] textiles that greatly enhance the designer’s carry over range of design– look at Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2021 – sequince, furs, leathers with layering of fabrics meshing together in different stylized cuts with bags made of all fur or leather and metal briefcases. The fact that it uses 1 billion barrels of toxic chemicals to produce these materials creating substantial toxic waste to the environment does not seem to dampen the designers tongue nor stop most major designers from designing with heavy materials, from knits to drapingly long collar shirts [cotton], collections in 2021 are full of layering big knits over heavy trousers, going with the romper or really dressing it up with dresses and slacks of leather, fur coats, expensive knits, accessorizing with fur bags and silver [some gold].

Copyright Louis Vuitton

Fashion shows + events have been at a standstill due to COVID-19, so many are wondering if designers will continue the online root, publishing the filming of runway as an expression of movement in art and releasing ad campaigns on designer channels highlighting the season’s collection, usually with a musical arrangement ranging from live singers/performers to tracks layering with the textures and styles of film and movement to create a ‘music video’ or commercial for the brand. The events are filmed privately. 

Copyright Gucci

Giving into sustainable designing for the benefit of the environment + necessity of the planet – the problem as usual? Price points. Surviving in a changing industry thus getting couture prices for each piece is an ideal sector for alternate all natural sustainable design houses. ‘No one has given it the love + attention it [sustainable textiles] needs to grow – fitting the price points to compete with conventional methodologies,’ according to McCartney.

Business of Fashion, which held a summit on Fashion Sustainability April 14, 2021 at 6 AM Los Angeles time, clarified the startling situation regarding fashion sustainability – the lack of accountability. “The Index found actions lag stated ambitions, even among the industry’s largest and most highly resourced businesses. The average score was just 36 out of a possible 100, with significant disparities in engagement and progress. Measuring performance was complicated by patchy and inconsistent reporting that reflects a wider accountability problem.

[Business of Fashion, The BoF Sustainability Index]

Due to COVID-19, some businesses have adopted a remote factory setting for full production whilst others look to online commerce with China. Either way, there are measures that can be taken to ensure sustainability practices are lived up to; examining garment waste is a pivotal cruciality with 11.3 billion tons of clothing waste toxifying the environment, having a negative impact on the overall health of the planet. Using the remainder off the cutting room floor – referring to reworking the trimmings back into fabric for use in the collection – a sustainability trend that furthers sustainability as a whole; using organics and putting better chemicals into the process are all sustainability practices that promote an healither existence for fashion in the future. Many say its the only way to go given the state of the crisis.

The problem is that Stella McCartney is the only design house working with sustainable forests [think mushroom leather] and adopting many of these methodical details behind sustainability. Her design house represents how it can be successful for a number of new businesses currently incorporating new practices. In the grass roots based movement of these small, new compartmentalized companies that do business globally, with remote design spaces where each part of the process is going on; the production team works only from that location and also focuses on more parts of the production in-house, including a measured look at sustainability of the brand.

Photography Copyrights of Business of Fashion + Stella McCartney

Animal cruelty was brought up by Stella McCartney shedding light on the fact that what is not commonly known is how these textile practice sustainability, treat their animals and what they actually pay workers. The fact is that the people responsible for bringing garments to life are not paid a decent wage, meaning they cannot afford to live versus that which is paid in the United States demands the utmost attention at once as it has come true to form – living conditions internationally are poverty level + animals are treated cruelly. Based on new models, regenerative farming will change the way animals + land are treated. Everything will be done on location and savor the earth, rather than make it suffer.

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