How YOU can Become a More Sustainable Fashion Brand

Part 1: Actionable steps to make your fashion brand more sustainable

Before we get into what you can do, let’s reiterate the importance of what not to do. Many fashion brands have faced the consequences over greenwashing, ASOS, Boohoo, and ASDA’s own brand George, are under investigation over misleading customers by overstating their environmental credentials. They are not the first, both H&M and Nike faced lawsuits over misleading and deceiving their customers, exploiting them through their interest in sustainability. Ouch! Here is our solution to being green, enjoy.

It is fair to say there is a lot of information out there so we’re here to break it down for you. Here it is, your go to guide on fashion sustainability, part one: actionable steps to make your fashion brand more sustainable.

The definition of sustainability, as quoted by the United Nations, follows: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs.”

Designing for a circular system

A perfect place to start implementing sustainable practices into your business is in the design process. Sustainable clothes need to have both physical and emotional durability. Physical durability comes from the tangible quality of the product, the fabrics used, if the garment is made well, and if it can be washed more than once. Emotional durability is reachable through designing a garment that consumers will never tire from, a timeless piece. Certain features like attachable sleeves on coats to be made into gilets, or dresses with simple silhouettes that can be worn day or night, the possibilities are endless, let your creative juices flow.

Consider the afterlife of your products

Using fabrics that are bio-derived or that can be recycled, or have even already been recycled before, means that when the customer no longer has a need for the product it will not harm the environment. Realistically we would love to have a resell market big enough to no longer need landfills, but realistically this does not always happen. Making sure the clothes are not harming the earth in their afterlife is just as important as no harm in the making.

Manufacture with care

Speaking of, picking the right manufacture for your business can be very hard but is very important. Here are a few things to consider when looking for a manufacture: how is it powered? Does the manufacture adhere to local environment regulations? Are they willing to implement more eco-friendly initiatives, for example microplastic capture? Do they use non-toxic dyes and detergents? Is the manufacture fully transparent about their sustainability practices? If you are not sure where to start there are several guides that can help you, they are available on SupplyCompass.co.uk

Everything starts with a good plan

Planning will be your best friend when it comes to sustainable practices in your fashion business. It may be harder, more expensive, and need a larger team to create a sustainable brand, so planning beforehand is vital. Making these practices more attainable is always the end goal so working backwards and making sure that there are no surprise issues will help, plan for every outcome, and then work towards the best one! Abandoning a sustainable project will not only be disheartening but unsustainable, as all that work and effort will be going to waste and not contributing to your future success.

Some other key points to remember when building a sustainable brand:

Minimise waste with pattern cutting and use off cuts in your design process
Make sure you understand your customer and make decision with their best interest
Offer repairs for your garments so they can be re worn for years to come
Only produce what you need (goes back to planning and understanding the consumer!)
Use eco-friendly packaging
Educate your customers, be transparent!

So, there you have it, actionable steps to make your brand more sustainable. Remember, this is a journey, and we are all continuously improving. If doing all these steps is too much at once then just pick one! It is a marathon, not a sprint (sorry to be cliché), there is always time to implement more when you are able to.

Following on from part one, parts two and three will cover ways to spot a sustainable fashion brand and will the fashion industry ever be sustainable. Be sure to stay tuned on our social platforms to find out when they’re live!

Peace and Love,