It is not often that I see the words fashion and sustainable in the same sentence, and when I do, they are usually referred to as opposite ideas. It is hard for some people to understand the concept of incorporating both words together, however I cannot entirely blame them. With the fast fashion industry increasing at an exponential rate, contributing to the world’s total waste by producing much more than we can even consume, it is easy to relate modern fashion to negative Green effects on the planet.
This idea, however, can be completely reversed.
I am a big fan of Stella McCartney. I’ve always liked her clothes and accessories, but most of all I’ve always admired her passion, values and hard work. I’ve known for a while that she is an environmentally conscious designer but it was until recently that I found out she is an active sustainability participant. She is part of the Natural Resource Defense Council NRDC Clean by Design Programme, which focuses on improving process efficiency to reduce waste and emission and protect the environment. . She is the first company of luxury goods to contribute to such sustainable initiatives and is not stopping anytime soon.
“I design clothes that are meant to last. I believe in creating pieces that are not going to get burnt, that are not going to landfills and that are not going to damage the environment. For every piece in every collection, I am always asking what have we done to make this garment more sustainable and what else can we do. It is a constant effort to improve…” –Stella McCartney
All the Stella McCartney stores, studios and offices in England are powered by wind energy and the rest of their facilities outside of the UK are powered with renewable energy. More than 45% of their operations run on 100% green renewable energy.
Additionally, Stella McCartney takes a big part in the recycling process. In 2012, the company diverted 34.4 metric tons of waste from the landfills and reused it or recycled it. The fashion collections use as much organic cotton as possible and they continue to do research on new materials and ecological processes.
Here is an example of one of many Stella McCartney eco-friendly and sustainable products:
Stella McCartney Sustainable Leopard Printed Eco Sunglasses.
These sunglasses are part of a sustainable eyewear collection made from more than 50% natural and renewable resources. The collection uses raw materials taken from natural origins such as castor-oil seeds and all glasses are biodegradable as they are made from a bioplastic called APINAT.
When reading about eco-friendly designers like Stella McCartney. I can’t help but increase my hopes for a more sustainable future. All industries (even fashion) can take part in sustainable practices without having to compromise profit. Even more, there are various ways to increase business profit through the implementation of sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives. As Stella McCartney continues to increase its green initiatives, its profit has been largely growing along with them. It is never to late to start.
http://www.thefashionglobe.com/stella-mccartney-sustainable
Hi Maria Jose, it sounds like Stella McCartney is doing some great things. I think it makes a lot of sense to market some fashion labels as ‘timeless’ and ‘never going out of style’ as a way to appeal to both people’s fashion sense as well as waste reduction. You could also position this thinking as long-term cost savings – I’ve heard the saying that “a $180 pair of shoes will last twice as long as a $90 pair of shoes, but a $360 pair of shoes will last a lifetime” – while most people are probably shocked at the idea of spending $360 on shoes, the idea that you will actually SAVE money over the long term when you don’t have to replace your $90 shoes each year might be a good strategy for both profits and the environment 🙂
I love the fact that Stella McCartney is making the green attributes of her products an added value as supposed to her main selling point. The eco-friendly glasses are equally as stylish (or even more so) to the “brown” alternatives; therefore consumers don’t need to make any compromise when choosing green.
I commend this label for being a leader, however in order for eco-fashion to resonate with the masses, other big label designers need to jump on board. No, in this case I don’t think consumers are the big game-changers. Fashion knows how to SELL aspiration and trends. If they can make chunky heels go from hot to a fashion-faux pas then they can also make bamboo skirts fashionable. As well, government intervention could be another key player setting standards and helping with the green momentum in the fashion industry. Check out this article for a related discussion on sustainability and fashion ☺
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sustainable-model-for-fashion