Written May 2018
From pollution to lives lost, what are the true costs of dressing to impress?
One of the wonderful things about fashion is that it can make us feel good. We’re all familiar with those moments you find the perfect fitting garment; it hugs you in all the right places and it’s as if you’ve been blessed by the sartorial Gods. But when these clothes are the outcome of processes that negatively affect the environment and people’s livelihoods, should we really be feeling good about ourselves?
‘The clothing industry is the second-largest polluter in the world, second only to the oil industry,’ says clothing designer Eileen Fisher. And this is for reasons stemming from something our trend-over-classic-styles loving culture often turns a blind eye to. We’re talking fast-fashion. If you’re not acquainted with the term, it is where clothing brands produce runway trend inspired designs at rapid pace. To make the trends affordable for consumers, the manufacturing process is inexpensive. Zara has become somewhat synonymous with the term after creating runway dupes practically before the models have had chance to exit the runway.
Not only does fast-fashion mean we are deeming our clothes ‘out of date’ quicker than we can tap our contactless cards to pay for our next trend-led purchase, therefore wasting a lot of money, but when we dispose of these items, the synthetic pieces decay and intensify the pollution Eileen mentions. And even if you routinely re-wear your purchases, playing a part in fast-fashion is still difficult to justify; The Guardian stated, ‘Each time such fabrics are washed, they shed thousands of microfibres that end up polluting rivers and oceans.’
Whilst we’re on the topic of water, note that textile manufacturing involves using up a lot of it. In 2015 the Global Fashion Agenda says the fashion industry used 79 billion cubic metres of water alone. To make just one cotton T-shirt, the World Wildlife Fund and National Geographic reported it requires 2,700 litres of water. Left-over water is flushed away, full of pollution from bleaches, inks and dyes. Between climate change and plastic pollution, we can all probably agree that the ocean has enough on its plate as it is. Realistically, fast-fashion shouldn’t be a reason for adding to it.
Sadly, the problems with fast-fashion do not even end here. Due to the point mentioned earlier where retailers want product turnaround to be inexpensive, this means in every way possible. Just last year, news broke that workers had been sewing secret messages into Zara clothes to proclaim that they had been left unpaid by the manufacturers at Bravo. ‘I made this item you are going to buy, but I didn’t get paid for it,’ read one of the messages according to Business of Fashion. Unfair wages aren’t the only problem workers in fast-fashion are faced with. Their lives are often put at high risk; whether this be because they are operating machinery that they do not have the adequate protection to operate, or because they are exposed to toxic chemicals and are working in unsafe buildings.
You’ll probably recall the incident in 2013 where the eight-storey factory building Ranza Plaza in Bangladesh collapsed. It is considered to be the deadliest garment related event in history. The tragedy was a result of poor construction methods and the top four floors being built illegally. When cracks were spotted in the complex’s walls, all workers except those partaking in cheap labour for Western clothing brands, were sent home. The next day, the tragedy happened. Over 1,000 workers were killed and over 2,500 were injured. Three years later, 38 people were charged with murder in connection to the collapse.
As a result of the disaster and rightfully so, pressure was put on the fashion industry to improve the working conditions of their employees. Bangladesh is a key supplier of clothes for global brands, so the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety agreements were created. They urged factories to improve by the summer of 2018 or else they would risk losing workers. But unfortunately, the disaster and the agreements were not enough to completely dismantle and rebuild the fashion industry. Just last year The Atlantic reported that ‘many factories are still far from adhering to the safety measures outlined’.
Reflecting on events like the Rana Plaza collapse, it begs the question; what is it going take for changes to be made? If popular brands like Nike, Primark and Victoria’s Secret continue to sell clothes produced by workers in substandard conditions, and we continue to buy from them, the future doesn’t look too good. Facts such as 80 per cent of those making fast-fashion clothes are women working in ‘dangerous conditions and not being paid a living wage’, as told by The Guardian, only stay bleakly real.
But maybe, finally and hopefully, change is on the horizon. Shopping sustainably is becoming more accessible as designers start to welcome the idea. The days of eco-friendly fashion equating to forgoing looking cute, are gone. ‘We make killer clothes that don’t kill the environment,’ is Los Angeles based brand Reformation’s ethos. Popular amongst Taylor Swift, Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Rihanna, their clothes provide the ultimate casual-cool Californian girl vibe – all whilst being sustainable. ‘We put sustainability at the core of everything we do. Our factory uses the most efficient, eco-friendly and pro-social technologies and practices we can get,’ reads the Reformation website. ‘By providing on-the-job training and opportunities for growth, we also invest in the people who make this revolution possible.’
Just to further the point that looking good does not have to cost the environment, or workers their safety, look at sustainable swimwear and beach apparel brand Hot-As-Hell. Behind every piece they create is a commitment ‘to minimizing waste through our smarter usage of resources and raw materials’. Their goal is to liberate women through timeless, eco-friendly, fun, wearable pieces that are packed with European simplicity and LA attitude. ‘Isn’t that Hot-As-Hell?’ they ask.
Hypothetically, the correct answer is yes. However, we can’t ignore that there are problems left to be conquered. Despite there being these cool brands showing hope for a greener future in fashion, and there now being a demand for ethical fashion starting to happen (44% of millennials are asking for eco-friendly fabrics, says retail analyst Alice Goody in an interview with The Guardian), not everyone can afford it. Just take a Reformation dress retailing at around £150 and a Hot-as-Hell swimsuit being priced at £112. ‘The reason why it can get so expensive is because it takes low-impact organic crops to produce them. They are typically grown without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and can't be genetically modified,’ explained Rachel Grant, founder of eco-friendly brand Bad Decision Adventure Club, when talking to Bustle. ‘There are very strict federal guidelines to be certified organic which is why it's more expensive to mill organic or recycled fabrics - you're paying for conscious fashion.’
Stella McCartney is probably the most famous designer for championing the sustainable fashion mantra. Her Autumn Winter 17 campaign was shot amongst landfills to show ‘our man-made constructed environments are disconnected and unaware of other life and the planet which is why there is waste.’ But though her collections are sustainable - ‘no compromises’ made according to her website - her pieces will also burn a hole in your wallet. A Stella McCartney T-shirt could cost you over £300. Yes, Stella McCartney is famously a high-end brand, but you get the point; if a shop is selling an unsustainable dress for around £10, it’s going to appear a lot more tempting than a £200 sustainable dress.
Luckily, affordable sustainable options are starting to appear on the high-street. Take H&M, Topshop, Mango and Zara all releasing sustainable collections. Zara’s campaign Join Life uses wood fibre from sustainably managed forests and organic cotton that uses 90 per cent less water than conventional cotton. It’s certainly a step up from the workers sewing cries for help into their clothes. Even Primark, notorious for using sweatshops, has introduced sustainable cotton products.
Eco-friendly pieces will stand the test of time much longer than a piece of clothing that was made hastily with cheap materials. It’s all kind of a no brainer when you really get thinking about it. Livia Firth, the founder of sustainability company Eco Age, aptly explained to Bustle, ‘Sustainable fashion equals a sustainable wardrobe - full of memories and pieces I bought over the years, which I reuse over and over again. If I have to buy something new, I always ask myself, “Will I still wear this when I am 60?” - if the answer is yes, I buy it.’
Emma Watson has shown her support for a sustainable wardrobe through creating a whole Instagram account (The Press Tour) on the topic. From vintage Ralph Lauren at the Oscars, to a 100 per cent organic silk Burberry gown, her account is unquestionably a lesson in showing sustainable does not mean ugly (let’s shut down the stereotypes once and for all people). Emma also captions her outfits with details on where the items came from. When wearing a pair of Monique Péan earrings she wrote, ‘In an effort to limit the ecological damage and human toll caused by gold mining, Monique Péan uses only 18-carat recycled gold in its fine jewellery pieces.’
Emma isn’t the only celebrity endorsing sustainable fashion. Not only has Gwyneth Paltrow collaborated with Stella McCartney, but her lifestyle brand Goop teamed up with Amour Vert to make eco-friendly T-shirts. For every top that was sold, a tree was planted in the Tahoe National Forest. In 2015, Olivia Wilde collaborated with H&M for their Conscious Collection which used recycled fabrics. This was a particularly commendable decision on Olivia’s behalf when we also take into account that H&M advocate for fair wages. Pharrell is another star who has done their part for sustainable fashion. He worked with Woolworths SA and G-Star Raw to create designs using sustainable materials from his company Bionic Yarn. It’s refreshing to see we are in an age where celebrities, with their massive influence, are paving the way for sustainable fashion becoming the norm.
It is a huge shame that many brands are still not making their lines completely sustainable, and that some are a little bit too comfortable sitting in the ‘not sustainable at all’ corner of shame. But maybe it’s all about baby-steps and spreading the message. Although it would be tremendous, it is unrealistic to think the fashion world will change overnight. But with big players in the industry taking steps in the right direction, it’s hopefully a sign that much more change is to come. Michael Kors, Versace and Gucci are amongst those who recently declared they will be going fur-free and there’s no denying that the pressure is on for other fashion houses to follow suit. Not only does using fur cost animal lives and create environmental damage from pollution and energy consumption, but the chemicals used to produce it can cause allergies, cancer and hormonal imbalance. ‘Technology is now available that means you don't need to use fur. The alternatives are luxurious. There is just no need,’ expressed Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzarri at the 2017 Kering Talk at the London College of Fashion.
So yes, the battle to an entirely sustainable fashion industry is admittedly far from over. But if more people educate themselves on fast-fashion, demand changes to working conditions, and influential names continue to make changes, the future is looking bright – and green for that matter. When change comes, and you are a part of it, well that just gives a whole new meaning to power dressing.
Photo by Tamara Bellis on Unsplash
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