Fashion industry going sustainable

African’s fashion industry is using new and traditional methods to achieve more sustainability. Organizers of the shows are reducing the carbon footprint by making the teams behind them smaller as well as downsizing the light and sound systems. Some of the shows and fashion workshops are also available online. The African market is more made-to-order oriented, and the producers are more resourceful and use natural fabrics more often. The fashion on the continent is less seasonal than the Western one, which means less clothing ends up discarded in landfills. After the oil industry, fashion is the world’s worst polluter.

Internet fashion rental companies are on the rise in the UK and the US. Some of this work is done on a peer-to-peer basis with private lenders and renters managing the process on their own. They post or meet up to exchange items, and take care of the cleaning. Another model is to depend on the commission – offering to hold clothes, clean, and post them. In the latter case, the items come either from independent sellers or unsold stock from brands.

A growing number of fashion companies are ceasing to use exotic skins (i.e. Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, and Mulberry). It is at least partially tied to the COVID-19 pandemic as the slaughtering of wild animals for bags and coats creates conditions where pathogens similar to COVID-19 can spill over and infect humans. Other reasons include problems with the supply chains and activity of organizations fighting for animal rights.

The British government is considering introducing a ban on selling furs in the UK after it leaves the EU’s common market, which will take place on January 1st, 2021. It would prohibit importing fur from all species with possible exemptions for, i.e. for the ones used in religious ceremonies.