Let's Talk About Sustainable Fashion

There’s More to Shopping Ethically Than Saying ‘no’ to  Fur. The Fashion Landscape Is Changing and Big Brands  Are on Board

- Lynette Botha

When global super brands like H&M and ASOS go ‘green’, you know that ecoconscious fashion has become mainstream. H&M, besides having a limited-edition Conscious Exclusive collection that comes out annually, also stocks H&M Conscious items in all its stores, 365 days a year. Denoted by green tags, these items are all made from 50–100% sustainable fabrics. Furthermore, the rest of H&M’s ranges use at least 20% sustainable fabrics too. ‘The aim is to use 100% recycled and sustainable materials by 2030,’ says Amelia-May Woudstra, H&M’s head of PR in South Africa.

A long-time supporter of ethical fashion, and the head of one of the increasing number of luxury brands to play in this space, Stella McCartney is vocal about her beliefs regarding eco-consciousness. ‘It’s really the job of fashion designers now to turn things on their head, and not just try to turn a dress on its head every season. [You need to] ask questions about how you make that dress, where you make that dress, what materials you’re using,’ she says. Over the past three years, the company’s environmental impact has been reduced by 35% per kilogram of material used. ‘Fashion is an industry that makes a significant impact on the planet. It’s not just cool clothes and trends,’ Stella told Fashion United.

Vivienne Westwood, the doyenne of sustainable fashion, feels that the fashion industry and the public at large all need to play their part in switching to more sustainable and ‘green’ practices. ‘We must all demand a fast transition to clean energy. We require a Green Economy for human life to remain sustainable and flourish,’ she says.