sustainability

2022: A Year In Fashion

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Looking back at the moments that defined fashion this year


Looking back at 2022, it seems that this year in fashion went by without any tangible sign of change. Indeed, retracing the events and analysing how brands run their businesses, everyone went happily back to normal.

Fashion advertising


Advertising released catchy stories creating a bubble that depicted a universe disconnected from reality. Over the 80s and 90s, the context promoted superstars, but now that ostentation is pointless and not appealing.
As regards the filed of marketing, forget sustainability, it’s all about greenwashing.

2022 in fashion design


From a design perspective, less but better was supposed to be the guiding principle to help the industry move forward. A clean and more focused fresh restart after the pandemic. But it seems that message has not been taken seriously by fashion brands. Perhaps it was something nice to say during a tiring moment, a way to move with the flow. Indeed, we witnessed a setback during the last fashion shows.

Furthermore, now that celebrations and parties are back, sequins and cheap fabrics are everywhere, again. Just looking at the pictures on social media or advertising on tv, the poor quality of the materials is the first thing you notice.

There’s no escape! The imperative of cheap clothing, accessible products that give the illusion of richness, is still very strong.

Fashion industry in 2022


Likewise, fashion companies have set up no measures to reduce the impact on the environment. Also, considering working conditions, we are far from giving workers decent wages.

From luxury brands to fast fashion, the rules are almost the same. And the difference between one or the other segment is just a matter of spending power. By the way, fashion is in the hands of finance, big groups pursuing perpetual growth. Therefore, overproduction which in turn fosters overconsumption. And, this toxic practice is always at the heart of the fashion business.
The industry is immersed in a consumerist culture exploiting people and the planet without no understanding of the scale of destruction it carries around. And no will to change.

2022, has been another tough year in fashion. In fact, throughout the year, we wrote a lot about the need for a different way of operating the fashion business, but perhaps it was naive to expect it for real.

Nevertheless, we’ll continue working in fashion, focusing on quality, good design and uniqueness—prioritising what truly matters, and always in limited quantities.

#formodernhumans

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Sustainable Christmas, The News Says!

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Festive season: greenwashing is on


While people hunt for cheap gifts, TV is awash with stories about sustainable Christmas. And the narrative is getting awkward. You must have heard the news describing millions of led lights that decorate towns or giant Christmas trees. Recyclable but enormous. Of course, everything happens in the spirit of a sustainable Christmas.

Millions. Giant. Any doubts? Are you ok with this version of the story?

Sustainable Christmas?


“Millions” and “sustainable” in the same sentence don’t make sense. But also, giant and sustainable sounds weird. However, in the middle of an energy crisis, with people invited to save electricity consumption, we expected something different than lights everywhere! Even the idea: “Look, we change decorations every year, but we are sustainable!” is meaningless.

Greenwashing news is the practice of reporting nonsense to manipulate people. In the end, they talk about trillions of eco-friendly decorations to promote overconsumption and disposable gifts.

Overconsumption and cheap gifts


As the Christmas season approaches, disposable product supply grows enormously. Indeed, people want more, and retailers satisfy the request, triggering a vicious cycle that leaves no hope. During the festive season, all the resolutions about mindful consumption disappear. Christmas is about finding cheap gifts, little presents that will end up soon in the trash bin. Unfortunately, our waste will not disappear.

Low-impact Christmas


This Christmas, purchase your gifts with a purpose: buy only items that will not end up in the landfill. Check materials: are they made to last? Don’t go for fast fashion or disposable items, but choose quality. For instance, a book is always a great gift.

Also, limit the packaging. Since metallic paper isn’t recyclable, use magazines, brown paper or newspapers to make your creative wrappings. And reuse your Christmas decorations, no one will be offended! Most importantly, don’t waste food.

Sustainable Christmas does not exist unless we are ready to change our habits completely. Choose meaningful gifts and inspire the others around you to see things differently.

Change the narrative and your actions to make Christmas sustainable for real!

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Consumption Habits & Sustainability: Are We Missing The Point?

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Between consumerism and lifestyle choices


The conversation about having responsible consumption habits seems to get wider attention. Of course, not the central role it should have, becoming the heart of every serious discussion. But, at least, there is a growing interest in this matter.

The impact of consumerism  


More people acknowledge that our actions have an impact on the planet. Specifically, our mindless consumerist culture is causing irreversible climate and ecological breakdown. And irreversibility is a fact we cannot ignore.

However, what leaves us quite perplexed is the idea of splitting consumption habits into multiple areas. In fact, we see sustainable fashion, sustainable tourism, organic food, and so on. On the one hand, segmenting helps to tackle the issue field by field. But on the other hand, it brings along a certain inconsistency.

Sustainable consumption habits: are we missing the point?


First, communication tells us that green-labelled products consumption will solve the issue. Second, you can consume sustainable products in your favourite segment and get away with it. For instance, you can purchase sustainable fashion garments but care less about wasting food. There’s no logic in that!

Shifting our behaviour towards healthier consumption habits is a lifestyle choice. So, it regards every product we purchase and any experience.

Therefore, we can promote sustainable fashion, tourism, furniture, and food. Automobiles and technology. But to make our behaviour effective, sustainability must embrace all our individual choices. We need to develop a conscious behaviour towards life. 

The line that separates sustainability and greenwashing is very subtle. Our lifestyle doesn’t become sustainable because we buy more green products. We can make products with eco-friendly materials, but still, we will impact the environment. 

We can only reduce our impact on the planet by consuming less—much less. It’s a matter of lifestyle. Adopting a sustainable approach means stopping what we’ve been doing.

And so, are you ready to change your consumption habits?

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COP 27: The Climate Show Is On!

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Do we really need these summits on climate change?


COP 27 is becoming more of an international show leaving people in doubt about its effectiveness. We hear world leaders urging us to worry about the climate emergency for about ten days. After that, no action follows, and things are only getting worse. So, do we really need it?

With more than 35 thousand people involved, the cost and impact are unbelievable. In the first two days, 40 private jets landed in the Egyptian desert. For a conference on climate change? It sounds like a joke!
However, most of the leaders participating in this summit are the same ones who contributed to creating the problems we face nowadays. And their strong connection with oil and corporations is at the heart of the matter.

So, a simple question arises, which doesn’t require rocket science but the common sense of humble people like us. Can those who caused a disaster help find solutions? It seems unlikely to happen.

Corporations are the face of capitalism. If asked to change, they will shift to green capitalism. But this will not reduce their impact on the planet because they will continue to overproduce goods. So, people and planet exploitation will continue. Just with a different colour–green!

Indeed, believing that corporations will be active in finding solutions to climate change is quite naive. Ethics and business aren’t good friends. Until the very last drop of oil is available, they will persist in exploitation and make money out of it. All the rest, COP 27 included, is just a facade. A kind of big greenwashing machine which has the effect of manipulating people. Or unnerving those who don’t buy it.

Capitalistic growth led to the destruction of the world. Making capitalism green will change its colour. But a new facade will not eradicate the element that caused the disaster: never-ending growth. Which is cancer to humanity and nature.

Our planet cannot bear it anymore. We need to question endless economic growth. If growth is life, overgrowth is death.

And so, we don’t need world leaders discussing the climate disaster for ten days, hand in hand with corporations. COP 27 is pointless. We need people who care 365 days a year!

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Generation Z & Sustainability

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Exploring what young consumers truly know about sustainability


The topic of sustainability has a warped meaning and understanding amongst most consumers today, Generation Z included.

Gen Z is said to be the upcoming generation for a positive environmental shift in our society. This generation has been at the forefront of the sustainability movement. Pushing companies and brands to conduct sustainable practices in an effort to save the planet we are destroying.

What sustainability means to Generation Z

But does this young generation truly know what sustainability means?
Unfortunately, this “green movement” has become misunderstood as greenwashing. With the lack of research and education on environmentalism, brands have been able to blatantly lie to their consumers. By engaging in greenwashing tactics, they conveyed an image of sustainability and ethicality that simply does not exist to them.

It is now the responsibility of the younger generations to wake up, and do their research. And hold these brands accountable for their greenwashing schemes and harmful environmental practices.

The research on Gen Z

I spent some time interviewing college students currently studying abroad in Milano to understand their point of view. What sustainability means to them. And how they practice it in their daily lives. From these conversations I concluded a distorted idea of greenwashing and an unhealthy practice of overconsumption.
All this is due to a lack of transparency between brands and consumers. When discussing the students knowledge of sustainability or familiarity with the term ‘greenwashing’, I received a variety of answers. Many had never heard of greenwashing or how it affected the choices they make daily.

The truth on Gen Z & sustainability

Students told me that sustainability meant being cautious and putting the environment first. Also, an item or lifestyle alleged to be sustainable, can be trusted with no further questioning. Such contradictory answers surprised me. How can one be cautious yet trust that the word ‘sustainable’ is 100% true?

Students attest to practising sustainability by donating clothes, vintage or thrift shopping, and creating capsule wardrobes. But, when asked what brands they typically shop from, the most common response I received was some of the brands guilty of the greatest greenwashing techniques. The brands these students shop from attest to caring for the earth and market themselves as “conscious” or “committed” to sustainability. Yet still participate in mass overproduction.

Although students brought up capsule wardrobes quite often, overconsumption still seems to have a huge hold on this generation due to the hyper-fast fashion movement. Students claimed to go shopping regularly, at least once a month.

An advice I can give to this generation who yearns for a more sustainable lifestyle is to question everything you see. Don’t support brands that shout about sustainability to sharpen their image for the purpose of gaining social acceptance. But a brand that does good because they care. The word ‘sustainable’ is not regulated and, ultimately, does not need to hold any truth. So, when you see that buzzword word on a tag, don’t forget to fact-check that claim.

Generation Z seems to have an interest, and desire for a more sustainable earth. But, unfortunately, lacks the inclination to question the brands they shop from. Hiding behind the term “ignorance is bliss” is not a viable excuse for a dying planet screaming for change.

✍️ A piece written by Leyla Jackson – apparel merchandising student from Washington State University. Currently studying at Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore in Milan and interning for suite123. Passionate about working towards a more sustainable future for not only the fashion industry, but our planet.

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