sustainability

Fashion waste recycling

An urgent issue every fashion designer must confront

March 18th was Global Recycling Day, highlighting the challenge of waste recycling, which is deeply connected to the fashion industry. As a matter of fact, recycling is crucial for a circular economy and circular fashion too.

These international days aim to raise awareness on important matters. Unfortunately, we celebrate something but tend to forget the issue the day after.

Fashion industry & waste

As widely highlighted in our previous posts, the fashion industry is part of the waste problem. According to Earth.org, of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tons end up in landfills. To give a prompt idea, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up in landfill sites every second.

Waste colonialism

Waste is a global issue. In fact, that is the byproduct of our economic system – capitalism. A structure based on overproduction and exploitation. However, the civilised global north found a way to get rid of it. Because we don’t want to see our garbage. Also, in front of problems, we prefer to close our eyes.
So, how does the global north get rid of waste? By dumping the problem in the global south! In case you missed the news, please, read what happens in the Atacama desert in Chile. Or in Ghana, Africa.
As we can see, Northern countries, the rich and civilised ones, are still perpetuating colonialism. Specifically, waste colonialism.

Recycling waste

“Global Recycling Foundation” promotes the idea of considering waste as an opportunity:

“Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and at some point, in the not too distant future, it will run out.
That’s why we must think again about what we throw away – seeing not waste, but opportunity.”

Waste recycling in fashion industry

First, in order to reduce waste, we need to consume less, much less! But also, we must find solutions for the tons of discarded clothing already shipped to Africa and Chile.

Most importantly, we expect every fashion designer and every company to do their bit and hold themselves accountable. Recycling and upcycling must become part of the plan for the fashion industry. Now!

There’s no time to waste!

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Retail and sustainability

How Italian consumers view sustainability

Today, Fashion Network shared a survey released during the second edition of the “Retail & sustainability” event. A meeting arranged by Mind-Milano Innovation District.

This survey scans Italian consumers and their views towards sustainability.

The survey

According to it, Italian consumers are more conscious towards environmental issues. One out of three (32%) is more careful to waste. Also, 30% believe it is crucial to limit pollution sources. Most importantly, 58,6% think companies are important players, together with citizens and government, in order to reach UN 23 goals.

According to the people interviewed, they say there is a mismatch between the active role companies should have and what they are actually doing. Specifically, 57,8% of consumers think that fashion and clothing companies are “little or not at all committed to the issue.”

In other words, Italian consumers say brands are not doing enough for sustainability.

But on the other hand, sustainability doesn’t have a fundamental role in the purchasing decision. Indeed, 65,9% of the interviewees consider multiple factors or not at all these aspects (14,7%).

However, in general, the price of these products or services is deemed higher compared to less sustainable alternatives.

Our viewpoint retail and sustainability

We see two problems here:
As a matter of fact, brands and retailers are not doing enough. Because it is difficult, it is time-consuming. Most of all, they wouldn’t make money as they did so far. Why should they make this effort? Of course, business and consciousness do not play well in a capitalistic view!
But also, consumers still purchase a lot of fast fashion or poor-quality garments.

Why aren’t consumers consistent with their expectations?

As a retailer, apart from our niche customers, the only request we hear is: “how much is it?” Because people do not care about quality. No one cares about “buy less, buy better.” They only want “cheap and buy more!”
Furthermore, social media are complicit in the ongoing diffusion of misleading practices. For instance, many brands with hordes of followers sell shoes for 50€, passing them off as made in Italy! Or cheap clothing with a price tag too low to be sustainable with eco-friendly tags. Do we believe in fairy tales?

So, we really would love to hear from consumers, from you!
As consumers, Italian, European or wherever you come from – what do you expect from retailers? And you, on your side, what are you willing to do for sustainability?

Drop us an email or comment here below!

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How do we make consistent choices?

FW23 niche fashion buying

As a niche boutique, how do we make consistent choices? Actions in accordance with our values, ideas, and lifestyle for modern humans. So, with the thoughts posted here or shared with our community when we chat with you.

The culture we believe in is not about the perfection of an ideal world. Because it is obvious that we cannot be 100% sustainable, no one can keep that promise! But, with our selection, we are doing something radically different. And consistency is crucial for trust. So, we need to pay attention to what we select.

For a more sustainable approach to fashion buying, our key message is being selective.

Step 1: what is the reason for a fashion brand to exist?

Creativity – expressed in good design and through skilled craftsmanship. These are fundamental elements for a fashion brand. But, many “sustainable” brands – other than picking eco-friendly materials to make their garments aren’t delivering any special designs. Therefore, we don’t need them.
On the other hand, contemporary brands must find the perfect balance between design and sustainability. One is not possible without the other anymore.

Step 2: how do we select brands?

• Avoid juggernauts: big brands aren’t making any change. Some can offer a refined design, but they are still involved in the overproduction pattern, exploiting people and the planet. The world cannot sustain this system anymore!
• Forget brands who cannot understand that the reality has changed, so they must shift how they operate the business. Adapting to evolved needs.
• Auto-proclaimed sustainable labels are not for us: first, there’s no control. Second, we don’t need more marketing and less design! Brands without a soul can avoid overcrowding an already saturated market.

Our consistent choices: less but better

We learned to search for smaller companies whose designer’s touch and vision are tangible in their unique and meaningful garments. Indeed, they focus on design, and sustainability comes along. They have something to say. Even though it’s not a matter of popularity for us. Moreover, these brands are not mass-produced. Skilled artisans make their garments or accessories, so productions are limited.

How do we make consistent choices?

We operate a careful, accurate, and thoughtful selection searching for value expressed in good design, quality and limited pieces. That’s how fashion can match sustainable standards.

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Meagratia brings new inspiration

A focus on unique contemporary fashion for you

Meagratia brings new inspiration for the Spring/ Summer season.

We have just received the new collection from Japan! And we are so much satisfied with the unique designs the clothes show. And the high quality, too.

Unique fashion and sustainability

The Spring/ Summer 23 collection offers special garments that will make you stand out but, at the same time, are wearable too. The image is modern, the lines are new, and the colours and details are beautifully assembled. Also, the quality fabrics and the accurate tailoring combine tradition and innovation. Most importantly, the brand is not mass-produced. And that is what we need for sustainable fashion.

Enjoy the Meagratia Spring/ Summer 2023 collection from Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo!

Meagratia inspiration: our SS23 selection

A belted wide-leg khaki pants reveal a slanted front button fastening. Also, it features a button along the ankle, which allows wearing the trousers in two different ways, changing the silhouette. Then, a splendid knit vest combining three colours – white, green and light blue – with a tassel trimming along the hemline. And a white cotton maxi shirt, or shirt dress, decorated with tassels along the back and wrist. Plus a beige net poncho to enrich your outfits.

One last note: who said genderless fashion is dead? Indeed, we happened to read this comment during the Milano Fashion Week 23. This statement had a raise-eyebrows effect on us. Sadly, it is not uncommon to see people who work in the fashion field, who even write about fashion, having a limited vision of style. C’mon! It is not Alessandro Michele who invented genderless!

Saying genderless fashion is dead means having no idea of what genderless is. Genderless means freedom! Specifically, it’s the freedom to pick the clothes you like from whichever category they belong to.

So, Meagratia brings new inspiration for the Spring/ Summer season #formodernhumans
But we can’t wait to create some stylish (genderless) outfits for you!

Drop us an email or WhatsApp to know more!

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Fall/Winter 23 fashion shows: one striking commonality

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Is it still about hundreds of outfits at each fashion show?

Fall/Winter 23 fashion shows moved from New York, London, Milano, and Paris; now waiting for Tokyo.

All the brands showed their new collections in different towns. But there is something that connects each brand, one striking commonality: hundreds of new outfits at every fashion show. Every single season, the fashion narrative repeats itself. Undeterred.

Fall/Winter 23 trends

Hyper-feminine or androgynous style. Well-defined silhouettes, knit dresses, and maxi coats. Black & white, mixed with vibrant colours: red, yellow, green. And touches of gold, too. Also, precious embroideries enriched the garments.

Above all, designers tried to imbue a sense of timelessness in their clothes. Which, from a sustainable perspective, makes sense. And a distinctive quality as if they needed to reposition in their higher market segment, sweeping up the confusion that made everything look the same.

So, quality and timelessness. But is it enough to trace a significant shift? It seems brands keep on celebrating the power of their corporations-owned businesses. Are they satisfied? Or can they see the big picture?

Always from that same sustainable perspective, since all Maisons have people in charge of sustainable practices, why do brands show so many pieces?

Do we still need hundreds of outfits to understand a collection?

Fashion & sustainability

Given the state of our planet, which is full to the brim of garbage, any kind of it, including tons of fashion waste polluting lands and waters, perhaps it was time to make a real change.

Hundreds of new outfits every season would be sustainable as trillions of new electric cars produced to replace the existing ones. A joke! If we follow this reasoning, the logic of green capitalism, we fail.

Other than just making new clothes, modern fashion design should have an evolved purpose: a commitment towards sustainability. Unsurprisingly, there was no trace of it from the Fall/Winter 23 fashion shows.

In fact, there’s no understanding and no real interest in supporting sustainability.

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