A Sustainability Transformation May Be On The Way For The Fashion Industry
There is a continued focus on sustainability across all industries and there are no signs of this slowing down. In fact, as a fashion photography studio in London, we’ve noticed an increase in focus from activists, customers and the fashion industry itself.
Recently, people from politics and industry have been attending COP27 in Egypt and fashion was at the centre of many discussions. Debates raged on the impact fashion has on the globe, particularly within a session called Sustainability in Fashion.
A strategy consultancy called Roland Berger sent representatives to COP27 and it is the head of the team focusing on retail, Siobhan Gehin who talks below about what the future may hold for fashion.
So what will be the major change in the next five years?
It is the belief of Gehin that within the next five years, we will see the market for consumer goods controlled by products that are sustainable by using recycled goods to create them. As well as that, the belief is that the rental of clothing and resale of second-hand items will be popular solutions.
One of the stand-out figures mentioned is that Roland Berger believes the resale market for Europe’s fashion will grow by more than 15% in the next four years, driving growth in the fashion market.
What is driving this change?
One of the leading drivers for the increased focus on sustainability in fashion is legislation on CO2 emissions that will shortly be introduced. The aim is to bring down CO2 and those fashion brands that can’t find a more diverse and sustainable supply chain will face getting pushed out of business.
Research from Roland Berger found that around 50% of the people they surveyed consider the level of CO2 emissions that have been created during the process of getting a product from manufacturing to the shop floor. On top of that, a large proportion of the younger demographics showed concern about how harmful their clothing is to the climate.
How harmful is the fashion industry to the planet?
As a fashion photography studio, we are always keen to help brands connect with their customers and particularly when it comes to helping show how climate conscious their brand is. To put this in perspective, one of the standout statistics is that of all the water pollution, 20% is a result of the fashion industry.
Furthermore, in this industry over 8,000 chemicals are used and anywhere between 15-30% of all plastic pollution found in the ocean is a result of fashion. This all leads to approximately 5% of all carbon emissions across the globe coming from the fashion industry.
A final thought
This focus on sustainability and the real-world impact of the fashion industry will no doubt drive forward change within the industry. When we combine sustainable production of clothing, with increases in the resale of items via second-hand platforms then it is clear where the focus needs to be for retailers wanting to stay relevant with younger generations who are driving growth.
