July in Fashion, Condensed.
Who should pay for the cost of sustainability, what to do with climate emotions, and an interview with Andrea Cheong on the launch of her book: Why Don't I Have Anything to Wear?
Hello there,
In July, I wrote a feature for Remake on the cost of fashion’s sustainability transformation. In any conversation we have about reducing fashion’s environmental impact, it always comes down to one thing: money. The bottom line drives all decisions in this trillion dollar industry.
Here’s the issue: fixing the industry will be very expensive. Fashion For Good estimates that $20 to $30 billion must be funnelled into fashion every year until 2030 in order to develop and implement truly game-changing solutions. These include switching to green energy supplies and scaling nascant solutions from material innovations to recycling infrastructure.
So whose responsibility is it to finance this urgently needed transition? In my writing about traceability, I’ve discovered that the industry and its suppliers fundamentally disagree over who should pay.
Most major brands don’t see it as their responsibility to finance sustainability deep in their supply chains. Beyond their owned facilities (retail spaces, distribution centres and offices) or Tier One suppliers (the facilities that cut, sew and package their products), most brands don’t own, have any contact, or even know who makes their materials or other components. It’s no wonder they think: why should we pay for their sustainability improvements?
The problem is, around 80% of fashion’s emissions are thought to happen in the production of fibres, yarns and fabrics, wet processing, and manufacturing. So if a brand chooses to ignore where the majority of its emissions occur, it’s creating superficial solutions that don’t make a dent in its overall environmental impact.
Sure, fitting your store with LED light bulbs and using recycled packaging is fine, but if all your clothes were produced in unknown coal-powered facilities, what have you actually achieved (other than greenwashing your customers into thinking you’re doing your bit)?
In many instances, suppliers can’t afford to finance the changes needed to make their facilities more eco-friendly. They work to incredibly tight margins imposed by brands and many battle just to get paid what they’re owed for orders they completed months ago. Many struggle to ensure their facilities are in safe working condition — to invest in major machinery upgrades or switch to renewable energy is simply not a priority.
So where does that leave us? It’s complex, and there is no singular answer. Citizens, investors and legislators also have roles to play. Liv Simpliciano, policy and research manager at Fashion Revolution, put it perfectly when I interviewed her for the Remake piece. She says: “The responsibility of fixing the fashion industry doesn’t rest on the shoulders of any one stakeholder, but an outsized responsibility sits with those who have the most power.”
I’ll let you read the story to find out more about the possible solutions to this battle of the budgets. Whatever the case, fighting over who should pay the bills only delays action and if there is one thing we’re short of, it’s time.
As ever, I love to hear your thoughts and burning sustainable fashion questions. Hit reply at the end of the email to get in touch.
Until next month,
Meg X
Things I Did Write
Who Should Pay The Cost Of Sustainability In The Fashion Industry? for Remake
There is a growing sense of urgency to find solutions that help mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, and the fashion industry has begun its slow transition to more ethical practices. The question is: who should pay for the industry’s sustainability transformation?
Things I Didn’t Write
What To Do With Climate Emotions by Jia Tolentino for the New Yorker
Can Couture Be More Socially Responsible? by Dana Thomas for the New York Times
Bangladesh Minimum Wage: Are Low Wages To Blame For Nutritional Deficiencies In Garment Workers? by Heather Snowden for Remake
Why Are There Still So Few Eco-Minded Creative Directors? by Emily Chan for British Vogue
Why Mushroom Leather (and Other New Materials) Are Struggling to Scale by Ken Pucker for Business of Fashion
How Many Casualties Is Clothing Worth? by Ben Hanson for the Interline
Why Are Fast Fashion Fans Making A Joke Of Child Labour On Tiktok? by Sophie Benson for Dazed
‘A Tough Sell To Ceos’: Fashion Sustainability Is Taking A Hit In The Current Economy by Zofia Zwieglinska for Glossy
The To-Do List
Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear? by Andrea Cheong
If you’ve seen Andrea Cheong on social media, you’ll know she’s built a huge following for her no-BS, honest and in-depth reviews of high street brands by inspecting everything from the material composition to the buttons and seams. I’m really excited to read her book Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear? which comes out today! It expands on Andrea’s Mindful Monday Method — a 5-step approach to shopping better for your wallet and the planet. Paid subscribers can listen to our conversation about the book below!
Wardrobe Crisis Podcast: Say What? The UN Wants To Help Fashion Get its Sustainability Coms Right. Rachel Arthur Explains
I shared the UNEP’s Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook last month and found this Wardrobe Crisis podcast episode really useful to understand the guidebook in more detail. Host Clare Press and Rachel Arthur, who wrote the playbook, explore why accurate, data-led fashion communication is essential to the future of the industry and healthier consumption habits.
Take Back Trickery by the Changing Markets Foundation
Another fascinating report from Changing Markets to sink your teeth into. The team put tracking tags in 21 garments and then followed their journey around the world to understand whether or not take-back schemes like charity or recycling boxes are doing what they promise. The results are depressing and indicate that the system is deeply flawed.
The Conscious Chatter Podcast: The Complications with Resale’s Moment
The rise of the secondhand clothing market is generally regarding a positive thing, but it’s not without challenges. From the gentrification of thrifting to the shoppers consuming pre-loved clothing as vorasciously as they did with fast fashion, this podcast episode with Jessie Frances is a frank and thought-provoking conversation about the limitations of fashion’s resale sector.
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This month, paid subscribers can listen to my conversation with Andrea Cheong, a content creator and author whose book Why Don’t I Have Anything to Wear? comes out today. I highly recommend following Andrea on social media — she reviews high-street brands by showing you how to spot the signs of a garment worth buying, helping her audience to shop better, no matter their budget.