Fashion Technology Foundations: Sustainability  ​

Sustainability is now a focal point in fashion, but true progress will only come from large-scale, foundational changes achieved through collaboration and supported by the right technology. This report examines why, and how, everyone within the fashion ecosystem must converge to take collective environmental and ethical action, as well as how brands, retailers, suppliers and manufacturers can all benefit from the results.

Part One: An Evolving Sustainability Landscape, The Modern Consumer, and Supply Chain Imperatives

The textile industry is, by most metrics, one of the least sustainable sectors - characterized by high resource consumption, dramatic quantities of pre- and post-consumer waste, and significant impact on both planet and people through land use, raw material harvesting, and offshore labor.; all of which are compounded by scale. Coinciding with the rise of fast fashion, the years between 2000 and 2015 saw global textile production double, and projections indicate that clothing and footwear consumption will double again by 2030.

To counter this, the EU, US, and other territories are now advancing regulations mandating oversight of supply chains, combating greenwashing (claims to sustainability credentials that are not backed up by data), improving compensation and working conditions for garment workers, and promoting design-to-impact and circularity. With these legislative bricks falling into place, the message is clear: sustainability is paramount, to be treated as an integral part of fashion’s business model, and not something siloed or optional...