The 8 Sustainability Issues that Fashion Brands Need to Address To Stay Relevant

Part One: Gaining Context

The relationship between fashion and sustainability is a tricky one. It’s not a black and white problem, nor are the solutions one size fits all. It’s a continually evolving topic that requires a holistic 360-degree approach spanning the social, economic, cultural, and environmental issues plaguing fashion.

However complex or dynamic the relationship is, as one of the world’s biggest and most impactful industries, fashion has a key role to play in safeguarding the future for generations to come. Now more than ever understanding multifaceted topics that feed into the system will be paramount for fashion brands who want to pave the way forward, or simply the ones that want to stay relevant.

Shift From Looking Good, To Doing Good

Over the past couple of years, we have seen brands predominantly focused on the issues that can be seen as value-added for the brands, things that they can use for marketing to capitalize on, but rarely the things that would cost more than they can give. This led to an influx in brands launching a small collection made with recycled materials or innovative eco-materials, but not considering the impact of the rest of their value chain.