Week 3
Fast Fashion That Goes Nowhere
Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands
Zoe Martin
In the article, “Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands” Joy discusses luxury brands’ ability to set a precedent for more sustainable fashion due to their innovative designs, limited availability, and high-quality craftsmanship in their ateliers. Although these characteristics provide the opportunity to make changes within the fashion industry, there are now other brands leading the slow-fashion movement. This raises the question, who is now setting this eco-friendly fashion precedent?
After researching, I came upon Reformation, an LA-based fashion brand focused on sustainability. With a mission statement indicating their commitment to just labor conditions, the company also works to follow other sustainable practices--from sustainable fabrics, green building infrastructure, to hangers and totes. The company also provides an annual sustainability report, giving statistics about their yearly environmental footprint and impact on the earth. Reformation attempts to implement sustainability in all aspects of their business. Their website provides the fact that it takes 12-18 months to bring a garment to life; however, with their methodology, a dress can go from sketch to sewn in one month. Is this considered slow or fast fashion?
Although luxury brands such as Stella McCartney and Ferragamo are able to raise awareness about sustainability issues within the fashion business, it is important to look at the impact that smaller fast-fashion companies are able to make. For instance, H&M and Mango have eco-friendly lines based upon fabrics used and labor conditions used to construct these garments. Fashion brands are working toward a more sustainable future; thus, we must also look at the consumer’s responsibility to support changes in the industry. I wonder, how can we make the consumer more aware of the connection between fashion and sustainability?
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