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Inevitable necessity or another fad?

Is sustainable fashion an inevitable necessity or just another fad?

Given the rise in environmentally conscious consumers, growth prospects of the sustainable fashion industry seem promising.

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BY NIKHAAR GOGNA

According to industry estimates, approximately 2.2 billion meters of denim fabric are produced annually. But from cultivation to production, a pair of jeans uses about 7600 liters of water, making denim one of the most water-intensive industries in the world. Similarly, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature, it takes more than 20,000 liters of water to produce just 1 kg of cotton. The World Bank states that textile manufacturing and the fashion industry accounts for 10% of carbon emissions and one-fifth of the 300 million tons of plastic produced globally each year.

Customers across the world are becoming more sensitive towards the environmental impact of the fashion industry. For instance, India Sustainability Report 2020 found that 45% respondents want to adopt recyclable fashion and 22% would prefer upcycled garments. Likewise, 64% of those polled across Hong Kong, London, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo regard themselves as supportive of sustainable fashion, according to a KPMG Survey.

The global ethical fashion market is expected to grow from US$ 6.4 billion in 2020 to US$ 15.6 billion in 2030. Ethical fashion refers to “the designing and manufacturing of clothes while caring for the people and communities involved in the process, and while also minimizing its environmental impact”.

Asia Pacific was the largest region in the global ethical fashion market, accounting for 31.6% of the total size in 2020, followed by Western Europe. The survey predicts that during 2020-25, the fastest-growing regions in the ethical fashion market are likely to be Eastern Europe (13.6%) and South America (12.1%), followed by Asia Pacific (11.9%) and Africa (11.9%).

Within this segment, organic fabric is expected to be the fastest growing, at a CAGR of 18.4% during 2020-2025, followed by the ecofriendly segment (12.2%). Further, the women segment is expected to drive the ethical fashion market, growing at a CAGR of 10.9%.

GREENWASHING MENACE While sustainable fashion is a mushrooming industry, one of

the key challenges to its growth is greenwashing, a term coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westervelt. It refers to misleading advertisements or false claims by companies on their environmentfriendliness. In 2019, for example, a very eminent global apparel brand introduced its ‘Conscious Collection’ featuring leather-like Pinatex products, made from orange peelings and pineapple leaves. It drew flak, as Pinatex contains plastic and petroleum-based agents and is non-biodegradable.

Another hurdle in the adoption of sustainable fashion is the high cost the tunnel. One such measure is to develop ecolabels to make brands accountable. “Ecolabels are marks placed on product packaging or in e-catalogs that can help consumers and institutional purchasers quickly and easily identify those products that meet specific environmental performance criteria and are therefore deemed environmentally preferable,” according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

At the same time, the industry must also invest in educating customers about the need for adopting sustainable fashion. Brands must also invest in R&D to expedite the time taken to produce sustainable clothing and come up with various affordable options. Finally, fashion influencers and celebrities need to be roped in to encourage young consumers to purchase them, thereby ensuring much needed traction.

WHILE A SECTION OF URBAN CONSUMERS IS WAKING UP TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES WITH WHICH THE FASHION INDUSTRY OPERATES, A LACK OF ECOFRIENDLY OPTIONS LIMITS THE PENETRATION OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION.

Manisha Kinnu, Campus Director, NIFT

involved in producing sustainable clothes, as these items aren’t mass produced. Further, there are gaps in the sustainable fashion supply chain. So, those venturing into this industry need to start from the scratch and go the extra mile to establish the value chain.

SLOWER THAN FAST FASHION

The India Sustainability Report 2020 shows that factors like the need to create a good impression in society, keep up with novel fashion trends and the convenience of online shopping are the top drivers of fast fashion trend in the country. Customers are attracted to such clothes since they are very affordable, offer knock-offs of popular international brands and offer an extensive variety.

On the contrary, some customers regard sustainable clothes as being made of cotton or not looking expensive enough to justify their high price. The long process of creating such garments (6-8 months) and not keeping up with the latest fashion fads also demotivates purchase. So customers need to be educated to expect seasonality and speed in fashion, to appreciate the beauty and value in slow yet sustainable fashion.

While roadblocks remain to the success of sustainable fashion, there is certainly light at the end of

9%

I am a shopaholic and need retail therapy from time to time

22%

I cannot repeat the same clothes or accessories

36%

I need to buy new clothes, accessories to create a good impression

41%

Every season I need to add new variety to my clothes

45%

I buy when a new fashion trend sets in

47%

49%

I do not have enough garments or footwear or accessories

I am browsing a market or mall or looking online and I like it India Sustainability Report 2020 Source :

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