Episode 05: Fashion’s Revolution
In Episode 5 of environmentenlist, we dissect some of the issues that the fashion industry is facing today, and also look forward to all the exciting innovation that is to come. Sustainability and transparency are both getting some well-deserved attention in fashion, but in the process are being conflated. Here are some key things to remember, as mentioned in the episode:
More than ever, consumer research is showing that people want transparency, they want sustainable products, and they want to shop their values.
However, according to the Vogue Business Index, people often incorrectly correlate the brands they love as the brands that are the most sustainable.
Additionally, studies find that despite improvements in transparency and sustainability, there is no significant evidence that people are actually buying clothing that is more sustainable. A survey by CGS showed that only one-quarter of consumers care about sustainable apparel and footwear items, while almost half (42.5 percent) are concerned about eco-friendly paper goods.
The Fashion Revolution Transparency Index ranks top brands on their transparency.
The average transparency in the index is 23%. This year, H&M topped the index at 73%, but it caused a controversy as many people began to misconstrue this finding. This is because:
People often confuse transparency with sustainability.
No brand on the transparency index is truly sustainable, because none of them are closed loop systems or fully contributing to circular economies. Additionally, while a brand can be transparent about portions of its supply chain, waste, governance, and more, omission of information often leaves customers misinformed. It is also critical to remember that what a brand plans to do is not what it is currently doing.
“The less resources we have, the more resourceful we become”- Kathleen Grevers, Education Director, Fashion Revolution USA
Our interview with Kathleen was so valuable and definitely worth a listen! She breaks down where the fashion industry is headed, how we will have to adapt, and ways to find brands that you can trust.
