of course, but it spoke to the urgent need for action on the issue, mated 85 percent of the world’s textiles end up in landfills or waste, according to several United Nations groups. An esti-carbon emissions and nearly 20 percent of the world’s water one that designers and customers alike are now recognizing. incinerated. Fast fashion no doubt con-Fashion is responsible for around 10 percent of the world’s precedented move while planning the annual Stock-everyone in fashion is taking such drastic measures, citing concerns about its environmental impact. Not holm Fashion Wast year, the Swedish Fashion Council made an un-eek: They canceled the event entirely,
no means alone.mental initiatives, agreeing to eliminate when she offset the carbon footprint of fashion companies, including Kering, Chanel, and Inditex (the parent company of Zara), committed to a host of environ-tributes mightily to this waste, but it is by single-use plastics by 2030 and to seek out more sustainable sources of raw ma-terials. Gabriela Hearst made headlines her spring 2020 fashion show in New At the G7 summit in August, 32 major
costs, booking local models, minimizing searches for that category rose by 3,100 packaging and energy use, and reducing waste. And after Nordstrom created a mechanism for its customers to shop online for “sustainable style,” customer York by limiting transportation energy percent in 2019.to impactful action? Certainly, many are shifted from lip-service sustainability making changes, simultaneously forced So has the fashion industry finally
economic forces, from stricter recycling ing carbon credits and to commit to full laws to the galvanizing activism of so many young people. In 2019, Kering—owner of Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Lau-rent, and other luxury brands—pledged to offset its greenhouse gases by purchas-and incentivized to do better by socio-carbon neutrality across the company. LVMWgiants truly sustainable, but it is a potent riting checks won’t make the fashion H and Burberry are doing the same.
try’s leaders.awards season. Easier done with a suit than a gown, but the Aquamanfashions that are jetted across the world and worn once, if at all. But some stars are shaking up the status quo. Joaquin Phoe-nix showed up at January’s Golden Globes in an impeccable Stella Msustainable options for their red-carpet appearances. At his and promising gesture from the indus-dis to fashion’s wear-it-once ethos was on point. Hollywood stylist Jeanne Yang says severOne shudders to think of the carbon footprint of red-carpet cCartney tuxedo he promised to rewear throughout premiere, her client Jason Mal of her clients have requested omoa donned a vintage
Tom Ford–era Gucci robe that Yang found on The RealReal. (He slipped it off to dance the haka.) “I try as much as possible not to use fast fashion, even for my kids,” says Yang, who is cooking upreduce the need for her clients’ frequent wardrobe changes. It’s tion required of the industry and the consumers who support now boast-worthy to participate in sharing-economy and reuse enterprises such as Rent the Runway and The RealReal, which posts the gallons of water offset by each customer’s purchase. fashion industry. a concept for a suit that could be worn three different ways to it. It may take real discomfort to make the changes necessary in time to avert planetary disaster. And discomfort—unless we’re talking stiletto heels—is rarely embraced by the ease-obsessed It’s heartening, but none of this nears the tidal wave of ac-We can all do our part by buying
it has to be desirable.” That thought is says, is to make clothes that people will designer of Zero + Mechoed by Erin Lowenberg, creative di-been manufacturing in New York and re-using dead-stock and sustainably made materials for years, but her real goal, she fewer, better clothes. Mwant to wear for decades. “Manything because it’s sustainable. First, heirlooms,” she argues. “Nobody buys rector of Rothy’s, a footwear company aria Cornejo, has aria Cornejo, ake good
cred has surely contributed to its explo-impact on a waste- and leather-intensive category in Ming 1.4 million). It introduced its newest tomers may have been more interested in the look and feel of the shoes than their industry, but the brand’s environmental (Msive growth (its customer base increased 105 percent from 2018 to 2019, surpass-that launched in 2016 with two styles of flats knit from recycled water bottles eghan Markle is a fan). Its initial cus-arch: handbags made from
and recycled water bottles. case for Queen of Raw, a technology plat-tion run. Queen of Raw caters to home green, which is why Stephanie Bene-detto talks up financial and inventory- management benefits as she makes the a blend of ocean-bound marine plastic form she cofounded in 2018 to connect people and brands with leftover fabrics—an estimated 15 percent of every produc-sewers as well as big fashion companies, Solutions must be more than just
ormation operates on the borderline of fast fashion, but it offers account of suppliers such as Filpucci, a Tuscan mill that recycles who has listed fabrics up to a million yards long, or as short as a few yards, for a base of over 130,000 clients. “Never doubt you can change the world,” she says. “Wequally drawn to their designs and their sustainable efforts. Ref-ness. “It’s insane, the volume that is out there,” says Benedetto, public tours of its Los Angeles factory to prove the bona fides of its fairly treated workforce and posts photos to its Instagram Young brands such as Reformation are finding fans who are textiles could become a $120 billion busi-and Benedetto estimates that dead-stock e will.”
cashmere into new yarn.muse, but she has inspired everything It’s doubtful Greta Thunberg intended to become a fashionL
ANYTHING BECAUSE IT’S SUSTAINABLE. FIRST, IT HAS TO BE DESIRABLE.” —MARIA CORNEJO“NOBODY BUYSRAVE REVIEWZERO + MARIA CORNEJO
CIOLLAGE:^ DJUNO^ TOMSNA.^ RAVE^ REVIEW:^ MICH CONTINUED ON PAGE 172
LI^ CAMPANELLA/GETTY^ EMAGES;^ ZERO^ +^ MARIA
CIORNEJO:^ MAXTREE.^
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