SUSTAINABLE FASHION: WHAT, WHEN, WHY AND HOW
by Tatum Siles on Jul 31, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtably taken the world by storm, a situation no one saw coming. However, lockdowns and quarantines worldwide have allowed many of us time to reflect on life and the environment more specifically. The planet has been given some much deserved TLC offering it a chance to heal after many years of abuse. The air is getting cleaner and the waters are getting clearer as we begin to see marine life thrive and pollution levels drop. The fashion industry, in particular, has been called upon to stop, rethink, and reset with the hope to limit the amount of damage done to the planet. With this in mind, we would like to emphasise the importance of sustainable fashion and pre-loved clothing, in particular, to show some light at the end of the tunnel. In the article to come we will delve deeper into the WHAT, WHEN, WHY AND HOW'S of the sustainable fashion industry.
[caption id="attachment_11661" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Clive Stewart[/caption] WHAT: IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION? A phrase that has only recently emerged from the framework of an industry founded on the grounds of excess production and consumerism. Even the most prominent icon behind this ever-evolving industry, Anna Wintour, has recently spoken out about the importance of sustainable fashion, urging consumers to be more mindful of their shopping habits. We are being urged by the greats to rethink our notion of clothing. No longer should we think of garments as disposable items but instead as items with longevity that need to be cherished and/or shared. In order to make sense of this shifting paradigm whereby sustainable fashion is gaining more and more recognition, a collective understanding of the industry can prove extremely helpful. What better place to start in making sense of this multifaceted movement by utilising the bounty of resources available to us. Sustainable fashion comes in many different shapes and forms but fundamentally implies the production and consumption of clothes, shoes and accessories in environmentally and socio-economically sustainable manners, involving a shift in individual attitudes and behaviour (Green Strategy). We have included a few sustainable fashion methods below in order to make you a more conscious shopper in the future:- Pre-loved or second-hand retailers (such as HULA)
- Rental systems for leasing clothes and accessories (such as Hong Kong based YEECHOO)
- Companies focusing on creating garments of high quality and timeless design (long-lasting style and durability)
- Collection and recycling systems supporting increased textile recycling, working to reduce waste in the fashion industry (Redress)
- Upcycling garments using textile waste in order to manufacture new garments (R Collective)
- Using recycled goods and raw materials to manufacture garments (Cosmos Studio)
- In 2018, a record 220 million more heatwave exposure by vulnerable people over the age of 65 occurred
- Climate change and global warming are among the key drivers of the recent ruse in global hunger and one of the leading causes of severe crises
- Between January and June 2019, more than 10 million new internal displacements recorded
In a recent poll we conducted through out Instagram page we found that the majority of HULA's audience believe they are not educated enough on the impacts of fast fashion.
Education is vital in making a positive shift towards salvaging our planet. The biggest culprit contributing to the negative stigma of the fashion industry is "fast fashion" or clothes made cheaply to meet the demands of ever-evolving trends and styles. It is vital to follow up this claim with some evidence:- More than 50% of fast fashion produced is disposed of in less than one year (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)
- 1 garbage truck worth of textiles is landfilled or burned every second (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)
- 95% of trashed garments could be re-worn, recycled or re-used (Greenpeace)
"Almost 100% of HULA's audience said that sustainability is either extremely important or important to them with the majority choosing to shop at HULA because it is sustainable"
Living in a thriving international city such as Hong Kong, pre-loved and second-hand goods tend to be coupled with a rather negative stigma. Existing taboos around shopping pre-loved tend to be at the forefront of many consumers' minds, however, the HULA is blurring the lines. The good news is that this is working! The data we have collected resembles a positive shift in this outdated mentality revealing that our customers are happy to or even prefer to shop pre-loved. We have compiled a list below of some of our fave HK-based sustainable companies (not limited to sustainable fashion alone) hoping to make a positive impact on our environment: Basics for Basics The R Collective Cosmos Studio Classics Agnew A.C.F. Clothing Edgar Live Zero Fancy reading more about this important topic? Visit the following: Common Objective: What is Circular Fashion? Pulse of the Fashion Industry: The Global Fashion Agenda Report BCG Report: 2019 True Luxury Global Consumer Insight Forbes: Why Sustainability Matters? Young Designers Discuss Sustainability in Fashion Working towards a more sustainable life is an ever-evolving learning curve. We hope through this article we have educated our community further on the sustainable fashion industry and its importance. At HULA we continue to seek new information about what we can do to further make a positive impact on the environment and welcome any feedback, advice or resources you have to help broaden our horizons even further. Sustainability is a work in progress. A work in progress we must all give our undivided attention and efforts to in order to salvage our beautiful planet.- Accessories,
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