Responsible fashion, or in English "sustainable fashion", is one of the leading trends in fashion. But is it just a passing fad, or does it concern a larger idea and will it become a trend that will have a permanent character?
Eco-fashion is a phenomenon that we have been observing in global fashion for the past few years. It is strongly linked to the environmental situation around the world and everything points to the fact that it is changing for the better.
Fashion takes an unenviable second place in the ranking of industries that contribute most to environmental pollution. It is outpaced only by the fuel industry. Where does so much pollution come from? Primarily from overproduction, to which brands from the fast fashion sector contribute significantly. Overproduction is also associated with overconsumption. Clothes from this sector are relatively cheap, so consumers buy significantly more than they actually need. This leads to the disposal of barely or not at all used clothes that end up on large landfills.
This problem is related to zero waste solutions, which are implemented not only in fashion but also in every other sector of daily consumption. What is the concept of zero waste in fashion? For example, the introduction of new technologies and patents for minimizing waste during production. The use of waste from tanneries in the creation of leather products, or searching for semi-finished products in large warehouses, which often dispose of unnecessary material, is an example of a zero waste approach to production in fashion.
Ecological fashion also advocates the banal, but in this context very important motto: less means more. Fewer clothes mean more benefits for the environment. Fewer toxins that dye clothes and then end up in water channels. It is also less water used for the production of clothes that you may wear two or three times a year. Social responsibility in the field of fashion means smarter and more thoughtful purchases. It is also sticking to the principle that quality is more important than quantity.
What then is the social responsibility of fashion business? It is a concept guided by the principle that at the level of production planning, a company takes into account the effects it may have on society and the environment. This applies to every stage of production: from employing people for decent wages, in safe places to work, through the amount of items produced and the natural resources used for this, also through transport, which does not leave a large carbon footprint, to a series of other, smaller or larger issues that have a significant impact on the condition of the environment. Social responsibility of business, especially of large clothing corporations, is key today in the fight for a better tomorrow for global ecology.