In this post, I would like to talk about the rise of Circular fashion. It is one of the many sustainable strategies that fashion retailers have adopted to reduce their impact on the environment. There are many fashion retailers that have adopted this model of the circular fashion, a few to note are Stella McCartney, MUD Jeans and OhSevenDays (Pereira, 2020). The Circular fashion premises on the circular fashion economy model. This model essentially allows fashion retailers to continue to grow while having limited impact on the environment. This is done through changing business practices to focus on the recycling, reusing and eliminating the concept of waste (Pereira, 2020).
The concept of sustainability is evident through 3 main stages. They are the manufacturing, utilization and disposal (Hu et al., 2014). Hence, by examining these 3 stages, we can determine if a brand is truly sustainable. Therefore, I would like to look at how Stella McCartney as she has heavily prided her brand on the circular fashion economy. One of the starting points of the fashion process is selecting the materials used for the manufacturing of the clothing for consumers. Generally, for more sustainable and less pollutive manufacturing of clothes, materials used have to be sustainability oriented. They could range from ‘organic fibers, naturally-colored fibers and recyclable fibers’ (Hu et al., 2014). For Stella McCartney, they have engaged in numerous such materials like organic cotton, recycled nylon and polyester and natural fibers.
In our previous posts, we have talked about the massive pollutive effects cotton has on our environment. Hence, through the usage of organic cotton, it aids in trying to lessen these impacts. Organic cotton utilises less man-made chemicals such as the pesticides we have mentioned in our previous post. Instead, it uses natural fertilisers like manure to aid the growth of these crops (Senthil & Yaashikaa, 2019). As a result, with the lessening of pesticides, not only will pollution of the water bodies lessen but there is enhanced positive soil conditions and the natural biodiversity that surrounds these cotton fields (Senthil & Yaashikaa, 2019).
Through the lens of disposal, Stella McCartney has also engaged with this area to incorporate itself into the circular fashion economy. Stella McCartney partners up with The RealReal to stem the flow of disposal. Specifically, The RealReal is an online store that sells pre-owned luxury items. It allows anyone to consign their luxury items online, The RealReal will then place your item that you no longer want on their site for other shoppers to buy. This greatly reduces the amount of fashion items people have been disposing off. Although these items are only luxury items, it is still a step in the right direction as it is not common for luxury items to be resold at places as compared to the regular reselling of clothes at thrift stores.
In this post, I have hopefully shed some positivity in terms of what retailers / suppliers have been doing to try to mitigate the effects of pollution when it comes to the fashion industry. Although I do know that there are still numerous fast fashion companies out in the industry. However, it has to be noted that the circular fashion economy model that a growing number of retailers have been adopting is definitely a heartening sign for me. Maybe all is not doom and gloom when it comes to the fashion industry, and that there is still a glimmer of hope. I believe that more positive changes can be done through the manufacturing, utilization and disposal processes that are being mentioned above. It ultimately boils down to the visions of the people who run these fashion companies and Stella McCartney is one to look out for.
References:
Hu, Z., Li, Q., Chen, X., & Wang, Y. (2014). Sustainable rent-based closed-loop supply chain for fashion products. Sustainability, 6(10), 7063-7088. doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.3390/su6107063
Pereira, J. (2020). Top 10 Sustainable Fashion Brands Leading the Circular Economy. Retrieved 26 September, 2020, from https://goodonyou.eco/circular-fashion-brands/ https://goodonyou.eco/circular-fashion-brands/
StellaMccartney. Sustainability, materials and innovations. Retrieved October 8, 2020 from https://www.stellamccartney.com/experience/us/sustainability/themes/materials-and-innovation/wool/
Senthil Kumar P., Yaashikaa P.R. (2019) Organic Cotton and Its Environmental Impacts. In: Gardetti M., Muthu S. (eds) Organic Cotton. Textile Science and Clothing Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1007/978-981-10-8782-0_6
The RealReal. (n.d.). Luxury consignment sales. Retrieved 26 September, 2020, from https://www.therealreal.com/consign?reg_gate=true
