Fashioning change for the clothing industry
As brands try to manage production costs AND improve sustainability, we're looking into areas where they can differentiate themselves from the competition.
☁️ TL;DR
Well this has proved a tricky topic to find a silver lining on (meaning the metaphor, not the trim). Finding business value from circular sales strategies is one thing. Finding business value in using more sustainable manufacturing strategies is another. Luckily, Rebecca Perkins, former Senior Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at New York brand Kenneth Cole, has stepped in with some ideas.
What is top of mind for brands right now?
Production prices on the rise due to inflation
Fear of green-washing accusations
Investors restricting capital for those who don’t comply with Environmental and Social standards (here’s looking at you, boohoo Group)
The gap between intention and action from consumers on purchasing from value-aligned brands
So where might a brand differentiate itself? We’re looking into:
Avoiding green-washing by looking at the whole life-cycle of products
Collaborating to bring new materials to market
Mixing up supply chain processes to improve efficiencies
Avoiding green-washing by (actually) meeting regulation
i.e. brands can’t just say “we’re good for the planet” unless they can prove it
A few brands have had advertisements and marketing pulled for misleading statements or even faced lawsuits based on allegations of greenwashing: often this is for claiming environmental change when only a tiny part of it is improved rather than the entire product.
Rule 101: ‘No’ lawsuit is better than a ‘dismissed’ law suit (Source: author)
Governments are key to reform within the sector. The UK for example has the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) whose greenwashing guidelines require that adverts making an environmental claim must have evidence.
Meanwhile the EU has brought in regulations around deforestation-free supply chains. Yep, that’s now a thing. Companies including fashion brands will soon have to confirm that their product comes from land which has not been deforested after 31 December 2020. And the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation is making retailers responsible for the full lifecycle of products including textile waste management.
Big retailers also have a huge role to play in holding their suppliers to account: look to US activewear retailer REI who hold their suppliers to high standards.
The takeaway? If a brand can’t be specific about how exactly the item is better for the planet, it’s best not to use those types of environmental claims in marketing.
Collaborating to make next-generation materials
You’ve heard the stats - 3,781 litres of water to make a pair of jeans, 300 million trees logged each year to create fabrics like viscose - it makes for grim reading. Now institutions and innovations are collaborating to raise the scale and lower the costs of new materials.
H&M Group’s investment arm CO:LAB has invested in multiple products like bio-based and biodegradable polyester (Kintra Fibers) and dyes from natural products (Colorifix)
Reformation and Patagonia are working with Rubi Labs to turn carbon emissions into carbon-negative textiles (!)
Living Ink make a sustainable ink made from algae, and are working with Nike on sneakers, as well as major brands like Coach and Patagonia
Nike has also trialed Piñatex, a leather alternative made from pineapple leaf fibres, in some of their Air Max and Air Force 1 ranges
Forces of change: The Air Force 1 editions made out of Piñatex which is made of pineapple fibres - although I definitely think think this looks more like cork (Source: Nike)
Mixing up the supply chain to reduce waste and inefficiencies
Supply chain costs include things like raw materials, water, and energy, which can be tackled with two pathways.
☝️ Upcycling materials
This isn’t an easy task - most clothes are produced from a blend of materials which makes them hard to break down, but there are some good examples of progress:
Renewcell - the first commercial-scale textile recycling mill opened in Sweden in 2022 - and will produce enough pulp to create the equivalent of 600 million t-shirts. It also has nearly 50 yarn and textile producers committed as ‘early adopters’ to using the new circulose fibres in their clothes.
Produced from oil, polyester constitutes 55% of all textiles produced, and now has recycled polyester comprising 15% of the market
Portuguese shoe company Bolflex says it saves around €1 million each year by recycling rubber waste from old shoes to create soles for new ones
VF Corporation (who own The North Face and Timberland) issued a €500 million green bond to help scale recycled-content nylon and polyester
Recycled vs virgin polyester fiber production is growing slowly but surely (Source: Statista)
👇 Slimmed-down production methods to reduce waste
Traditional production models follow a "take-make-waste" model, with high consumption and high waste. It’s rare, but smaller brands have been adopting lean manufacturing practices to reduce waste, streamline production processes, and create efficiencies in the supply chain.
Designing for circularity: products that can be re-made at the end of their lives reduce waste and cut costs. Adidas has a MTBR [Made to Be Remade] footwear line including Stan Smiths
Zero-waste pattern making technique: Creating pieces using an entire piece of fabric: we’ve done this already with Japanese kimonos and Indian saris
Made-to-order production: Instead of producing large quantities of clothing upfront, brands manufacture products only when they are ordered by customers (You’ll be surprised how many are out there doing this!)
👀 Want more?
The Fashion Climate Fund, anchored by lululemon and H&M Group are raising a $250 million fund to cut carbon emissions in the fashion industry
The Regenerative Cotton Fund help farmers implement techniques that sequester carbon dioxide whilst growing cotton
Canopy is a US non-profit working with 500+ brands including H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, and conglomerate LVMH to reduce deforestation in their supply chains
Generative AI has the potential to transform core processes in fashion, including anti-slavery goals, supply chain logistics, inventory management, and quality traceability.
Buying clothes using Augmented Reality helps customers select what fits them and reduces the risk of returns
For those who want some help on marketing their sustainability, check out some essential Words that Work (and those that don’t!)