Giant Fashion Brands Acting Responsibly

Times have changed. Everyone including the big names in fashion industry such as H&M, Stella McCartney, and Balenciaga are taking steps towards making their collections trendy yet sustainable.

It’s been quite some time that the Swedish fashion giant H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) has been on sustainability kick using recycled materials, have emission reduction goals, and use artificial intelligence for making sustainable decisions. Most recently they have launched an initiative called Treadler, through which the rival brands will be able to get expertise and access to their global supply chain.

According to United Nations estimates, the fashion industry is responsible for the ten percent of world’s carbon emission and big investors are asking fashion houses to monitor their supply chain to fix such problems. Supply chain fragmentation makes it difficult and expensive for the small brands to produce products which are environment friendly. This initiative will help these small brands to get benefits such as expertise and partnership with H&M’s supply chain and produce socially responsible garments. Treadler’s spokesperson said “As fashion and apparel will continue to be produced, our goal is to do that in a more sustainable way. The fashion industry cannot continue to operate as it already has in the past… We believe that the best way forward is through partnerships, knowledge sharing and transparency.”

This Paris Fashion Week 2020 gave a deadly and  serious feeling due to the ongoing threat of Corona virus and the sustainability conversation that fashion industry has recently joined in, was left aside but Stella McCartney’s runway show brought it into the limelight. Attendees were greeted by mascots of a bunny rabbit, a dog, and a black and white cow along with that some of the guests were presented with baby trees about which people were told to plant them in order to help offset the carbon dioxide produced by the designer’s show. The tree root balls were wrapped with the paper bags on which it was stamped “We should all be carbon neutral now.” The finale lap comprised of models which gave the visual reminder that the latest collection is trendy yet animal-free and people can feel good while smiling and laughing. The prints and embroideries showed the designer’s passion for animals and emphasized on ease. She recently posted on Instagram that her brand has been leather, fur and feather free since 2001 but her recent show highlighted the fact that it is very important for every industry to take step towards sustainable future.

Another fashion giant which highlighted climate change while showcasing their collection at Paris Fashion Week 2020 was Balenciaga. CNN described the show as “There was no stopping Demna Gvasalia’s apocalyptic vision for Balenciaga.” During the show the stage and first three rows were flooded with water which indicated the message of rising sea levels, the models walked through that and, the screens across the ceiling showed the red skies turned high seas and torrents of flames. The creative director using perfect imagery gave the powerful message that everyone needs to take every necessary step to make this world a better place to be left for the next generations and if neglected there would be no future.

It feels amazing to see such big names taking these steps which will encourage the small businesses as well to take necessary measures towards the sustainability making world a better place to live in.