The diminutive but immensely powerful Japanese designer instils in her collections a very philosophical approach to fashion. In this essay, fashion historian Ángela Hurtado Pimentel dissects Kawakubo’s creative, cultural and philosophical vanguar

 

The holiday season sees consumption at its peak: juicy bonuses and tempting discounts merge with an urge to buy presents, put together new outfits for parties and events, and well, indulge in a treat or two. It is easy to forget our ethical pledges among the bursting racks and shelves of a fast fashion store but, what if we actually took a moment to think about how our very purchase could determine the retailer’s path towards sustainability? 

 

As many of us know, the fashion industry, which produces 62 million tons of clothing each year, is also the second most polluting in the world. According to this year’s Changing Fashion: The Clothing and Textile Industry at the Brink of Radical Transformation report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the industry emits 1.7 billion tons of CO2, produces 2.1 billion tons of waste (only 20% of this is recycled) and uses up to 79 billion cubic meters of water annually. As announced by the United Nations, at this rate, by 2030 we will be producing twice as many clothes for the expected population of 8.5 billion, and we will therefore pollute twice as much.  

 

These alarming figures not only affect the environment –as has been often assumed– but also the very survival of fashion businesses and the livelihoods of their workforce. The 2017 Pulse of the Fashion Industry report unveiled at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit last May indicates that the scarcity of resources may lead to rising costs in labor, materials and energy, and to a 3% decrease in profits. In countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, where fashion represents between 60 and 80% of exports, such events could prove catastrophic.  

 

With this in mind it is difficult to ignore the role of fast fashion retailers, whose business model based on low cost garments produced at high speed has proven to be anything but sustainable. However, in the current year a record amount of high-profile campaigns, events and publications have emerged on the topic of sustainability in fashion, many of which involve fast fashion retailers such as H&M committing to some ambitious goals in this aspect.  

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H&M: “We do not identify as a fast fashion company”

 

Just this year, the Sweden-based H&M Group, who in 2016 reported profits of over $2 billion, vowed to become 100% circular and renewable by 2030. Owner of H&M, Weekday, the newly launched Arket, and four other brands, the group has also promised to become climate-positive throughout its entire value chain by 2040. Upon request for a statement, H&M press officer Ulrika Isaksson explained that they actually “do not identify as fast fashion,” as they do not encourage a “throw-away attitude” and “receive clothes back from customers to reuse or recycle.” However only 0.1% of these clothes are actually recycled, which is why they have other initiatives such as textile innovation in place.  

 

While H&M’s efforts will take years to fully materialize, it has become evident that the retailer is at the vanguard of sustainable engagement. Some of the world’s largest fast fashion conglomerates, such as Inditex (Zara, Bershka), Gap (Banana Republic, Old Navy) and Arcadia (Topshop, Topman), although not completely absent from sustainability conversations, are certainly falling behind. This is confirmed by the Pulse of the Fashion Industry report, which has said that fashion as an industry is performing well below expectations: “Many fashion brands are aware of their impact and are ready to engage further. However over 50% of the industry has not started to take action yet.” And why is this?   

 

“Many claim ignorance, not knowing where to start,” says founder of Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) Patrick Duffy. As consultants, Duffy and his partners advice their clients on supply chain, marketing and story telling, all within the wider framework of sustainability. “Some companies think in reactive ways; we try to find preemptive solutions based on three dimensional operations, looking beyond traditional aspects such as KPIs [Key Performance Indicators] and towards the principles for circular fashion and understanding social impact, for example,” he says.  

 

The circular economy model is championed by Dame Ellen MacArthur and her foundation, who claim all retailers will eventually have to assume the model, which is based on designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural systems, if they want to stay in business. “We will all have to rethink fashion and the model of growing, expanding and selling 20+ collections a year,” Patrick Duffy adds.  

 

“Our vision is to lead the change towards a circular, fair and equal fashion industry,” says Isaksson at H&M. “This we will achieve by making the product life-span longer, using recycled or other sustainably-sourced materials, further developing sustainable production processes and using renewable energy. We want to continue making clothes that are affordable, that allow people to express their own style, and that are sustainable.” 

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We are all agents in this call

for change.

 

But, are big fashion conglomerates the only ones to blame for the current state of affairs? From governmental powers, raw material providers and outsourcing companies, to smaller standalone retailers, luxury labels, and the consumers, we are all agents in this call for change. “I believe in collective consciousness and positive thinking,” says Duffy. “ If we all come together we will all find solutions together.”  

 

The key in these brands’ odyssey towards sustainability and business restructuration may just rely in us taking a moment before grabbing that cute t-shirt or cool dress and thinking hard about what our role is in the chain. We can be the drive behind fast fashion brands striving for sustainability. The change can be made because of us and for us. As for whether these pledges will turn into reality, only time will tell.