What does sustainable fashion mean in 2020?
For a lot of people, sustainable fashion equals eco-fashion. We believe that this is a very limited association and that it can be broader. The subject of sustainability in fashion is a very complex one and full of contradictions. Even the concept of fashion itself contradicts sustainability. At this moment you’re wondering how, so we want to expand a little more. We know that fashion is always changing in its very nature, with new collections popping up every year, not to mention that every season requires other clothes and micro-trends are booming in the present. So you get a big paradox when you put fashion together with the concept of sustainability because the later in it’s core entails holding off on buying new clothes.
But in the past few years trends like ‘’slow-fashion’’, ‘’second-hand fashion’’ or ‘’GO GREEN’’ provided new opportunities for those who were embarking on the big adventure of creating sustainable clothing. Fabrics derived from eco-friendly materials (such as hemp) and recycled resources are starting to gain awareness and to make a presence on the market.
Nowadays sustainable fashion has become a highly debated and increasingly covered topic in the media and fashion industry today. It doesn’t matter if a company is making clothes, accessories, shoes, and other fashion-related products. It’s important they do it in such a way that it applies sustainability in an eco-friendly manner as well as social-economic aspects.
It is a mutual responsibility of both consumers and brands manufacturing clothes and products to make sure it serves the purpose of being environment friendly.
Alright, but what about the general public?
We always place greater expectations around the morality of the upcoming generation, but a common belief is that every generation wants a well-paid job and a house and an Audi. Young people do care more about the environment as we can really feel this, but it's still a long road until we can feel them being socially conscious. They just realize that when they go outside things have changed drastically in a couple of years. It’s a similar situation when we’re talking about the hemp industry in Europe. You would be expecting that people nowadays would be more receptive to it and to see a major comeback. But there’s a long road until we’re going to witness it. We are playing our part when it comes to hemp in Romania.
In the fashion community, corporate social responsibility is still an attribute that is sort of cool or en vogue, but there are other ways of being truly committed. Because the moment a company really makes tangible changes around supply chains and materials and energy use and carbon footprint — it’s very expensive. It puts them in a less competitive position than someone who’s willing to come along and not do those very expensive things and will invest the money in marketing or making cooler-looking stores. So true game changers are the little entrepreneurs, social start-ups and those are willing to follow a different path.
Just a trend?
Some established brands are beginning to use their campaign collections and lookbooks for sustainable storytelling that addresses key sustainability issues. This can be good on an awareness level but it would be far fetched to call them really sustainable. It can be trendy to have a message but it should be a core mission of the brand.
Now if we're talking about the latest trend in 2020, it is not about any color, patterns, or seasonal style. It is all about adapting or rediscovering the concept of ethical and sustainable clothing because we all are well aware of how the textile industry is wreaking havoc on the environment.
Our take on this is reviving the hemp industry in Romania and trying to provide all-time classics relevant to the needs of the modern man.
For a lot of people, sustainable fashion equals eco-fashion. We believe that this is a very limited association and that it can be broader. The subject of sustainability in fashion is a very complex one and full of contradictions. Even the concept of fashion itself contradicts sustainability. At this moment you’re wondering how, so we want to expand a little more. We know that fashion is always changing in its very nature, with new collections popping up every year, not to mention that every season requires other clothes and micro-trends are booming in the present. So you get a big paradox when you put fashion together with the concept of sustainability because the later in it’s core entails holding off on buying new clothes.
But in the past few years trends like ‘’slow-fashion’’, ‘’second-hand fashion’’ or ‘’GO GREEN’’ provided new opportunities for those who were embarking on the big adventure of creating sustainable clothing. Fabrics derived from eco-friendly materials (such as hemp) and recycled resources are starting to gain awareness and to make a presence on the market.
Nowadays sustainable fashion has become a highly debated and increasingly covered topic in the media and fashion industry today. It doesn’t matter if a company is making clothes, accessories, shoes, and other fashion-related products. It’s important they do it in such a way that it applies sustainability in an eco-friendly manner as well as social-economic aspects.
It is a mutual responsibility of both consumers and brands manufacturing clothes and products to make sure it serves the purpose of being environment friendly.
Alright, but what about the general public?
We always place greater expectations around the morality of the upcoming generation, but a common belief is that every generation wants a well-paid job and a house and an Audi. Young people do care more about the environment as we can really feel this, but it's still a long road until we can feel them being socially conscious. They just realize that when they go outside things have changed drastically in a couple of years. It’s a similar situation when we’re talking about the hemp industry in Europe. You would be expecting that people nowadays would be more receptive to it and to see a major comeback. But there’s a long road until we’re going to witness it. We are playing our part when it comes to hemp in Romania.
In the fashion community, corporate social responsibility is still an attribute that is sort of cool or en vogue, but there are other ways of being truly committed. Because the moment a company really makes tangible changes around supply chains and materials and energy use and carbon footprint — it’s very expensive. It puts them in a less competitive position than someone who’s willing to come along and not do those very expensive things and will invest the money in marketing or making cooler-looking stores. So true game changers are the little entrepreneurs, social start-ups and those are willing to follow a different path.
Just a trend?
Some established brands are beginning to use their campaign collections and lookbooks for sustainable storytelling that addresses key sustainability issues. This can be good on an awareness level but it would be far fetched to call them really sustainable. It can be trendy to have a message but it should be a core mission of the brand.
Now if we're talking about the latest trend in 2020, it is not about any color, patterns, or seasonal style. It is all about adapting or rediscovering the concept of ethical and sustainable clothing because we all are well aware of how the textile industry is wreaking havoc on the environment.
Our take on this is reviving the hemp industry in Romania and trying to provide all-time classics relevant to the needs of the modern man.
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