”Fashion is one of the most central cultural expressions of our time. With our clothes, we communicate who we are, but also who we want to be. Fashion can be creative and playful, a way to push boundaries and challenge outdated norms. In addition, fashion is also an important industry; in Sweden alone, the industry employs just under 60,000 people, the majority of whom are women. But the influence of fashion is not entirely positive. Next to the oil industry, the fashion and textile industry is considered the most polluting in the world. There are several reasons – from raw materials being produced in unsustainable forms to garments being thrown in the rubbish when the consumer is tired of them and wants something new. The clothes that, on the one hand, create jobs and joy in many people’s everyday lives, on the other hand, contribute to an increasingly polluted world. For a long time, it was difficult to see how these seemingly different stories belong together. Today, we know better: They are two sides of the same coin.
We are now facing a critical situation. But the question of how fashion – both in production and consumption – can become more sustainable is far from easy to answer. There is no universal cure. Clothes are both basic goods and luxury consumption, so the solution is neither a ban nor that we stop buying clothes. The goal should rather be to reduce overconsumption, that we use the clothes we already have – more often and for longer periods. Instead of reprimands and bans, we should provide good examples: We should highlight new solutions and alternatives for what a more sustainable fashion can look like, rather than pointing the finger at those who have not come as far.
One way to circle the problem is to think both deeply and broadly. We should ask ourselves which stories about fashion are communicated – how can we share the positive development that is already taking place in Sweden and in the Nordic countries? It is about changing the narrative, to encourage new consumption patterns and ways of understanding fashion. At the same time, it is important to be concrete and study the development at a detailed level, so that knowledge of the technological and digital advances that are made will benefit more people. One of the biggest challenges is the knowledge gap between companies and consumers. How can information about sustainable alternatives be conveyed in a transparent and credible way to consumers, and which communication tools work best in the environments where companies and customers most often meet, such as in department stores, via digital platforms, and on store floors? In addition, from a more general perspective, how can we most effectively create as closed a cycle as possible? Already early in the design process, critical questions should be asked about the possibility of material recycling and, of course, about how the garments are transported from the factory to the wardrobe.
The question of the sustainability of fashion is far from new. On the other hand, it has gained new relevance with the climate changes we are already seeing. For that reason, the entire fashion industry is now facing a common challenge. Business models that were lucrative just a few years ago have today often played their part. The growth of the future must take place in a way that does not harm nature or ourselves. At the same time, it is a fact that no one can do everything themselves, but that everyone can still do something. That is why we now want to go from word to deed, highlight the good examples and pave the way for a more concrete way of making fashion sustainable, for the benefit of all and for our common future.”
– Philip Warkander, chairman of Encouragement for Action’s ethical council
