How pioneering brands are slowing down fast fashion

The fashion industry is considered to be one of the most polluting in the world. Its material-intensive business model relies heavily on our addiction to overconsumption and feeds the destruction of the planet.

There is one way to solve the problem: slowing down fashion. We need a model that doesn’t compromise on ethical, social and environmental values and involves customers, rather than encouraging them to binge buy ever-changing trends.

At Milan Fashion Week this year, Greenpeace Italy decided to give the podium to the pioneers of sustainable fashion, who are changing the way we wear our clothes. These are the companies behind some of the examples from the Greenpeace Germany report “Fashion at the Crossroads”.

We chose to highlight the three most important ways to create clothes that don’t harm the planet: Make it last, Make it right, Make it different.

Make it last

Hilke Patzwall from Vaude

 ”One of our key problems is too much consumption. It’s important to inform consumers about all the consequences of fast fashion, but it is even more important that the industry takes on their responsibility. As a brand, we need to make products with a physical and emotional durability, and provide the infrastructure so that consumers can live up to slowing the loop.”

Eliina Brinkberg and Hilke Patzwall at the event in Milan 

Eliina Brinkberg from Nudie Jeans 

“At Nudie Jeans, we encourage our customers to wear their jeans longer by offering free repairs. We’re so happy to be brought up as an example of being on the right track and we share Greenpeace’s belief that prolonging the life of our clothes is one of the most important ways of slowing down the flow of materials in the fashion industry.”

“By appreciating true craftsmanship, learning to love and care for our clothes and by buying less and wearing longer, we can create a more sustainable textile industry.”

Make it right 

Andrea Cavicchi, part of the Italian Detox Consortium 

“In the Prato area of Tuscany, we’ve been making sustainable fabric since the 12th century. We use production techniques where wool fibres are reused to produce new fabrics, allowing the recovery of fibres and textile waste materials. Used clothes that would normally be thrown away are reintroduced into the production cycle as raw materials. The first manufacturing companies to sign up to Greenpeace’s Detox Commitment were in the Prato textile district.”  

“Now the Italian Detox Consortium is applying the Detox approach to the virtuous process of recycling textile fibres by promoting an investigation of the chemical contamination of regenerated articles and finding out what we can do to solve it. We ensure the traceability of the recycled textile material with their certification and by working with an international authority.”

Enrica Arena from Orange Fiber

“We believe that a sustainable and ethical business model – one which considers the environmental and human costs of manufacture to be as crucial as profit – together with a circular approach to material sourcing and design, are the keys to closing the loop in the fashion industry and taking our world beyond the next season.”

“We’re faithful to our motto, “the future is not a place we’re going to, but a place we create”, and continue to research new raw materials and develop ways to improve our manufacturing process. People who wear a dress made out of our fabrics are not just consumers, but contributors to a more sustainable future. This is the contemporary way to construct an ethical and sustainable lifestyle; one that looks further than status and considers the future of our world.” 

Make it different 

Pola Fendel from Kleiderei 

“Society is definitely shifting. Consumers are starting to question more. The amount of people who want to buy less and choose quality over quantity is growing. The projects and companies represented on Greenpeace’s Fashion at the Crossroads panel all feed into this change in society whilst shaping and broadening it. We are increasing attention to this topic and providing much needed alternatives to fast fashion and over-consumption.”

Arielle Lévy from L’Herbe Rouge

“Sustainability is a state of mind. The stakes are high for fashion.  I believe that we have to inspire the economy by showing the success of new business models, especially post carbon initiatives. This is the only way our highly polluting industry can protect people, consumers and the planet.”

“As far as the L’Herbe Rouge business model is concerned, our four pillars have proved that une autre mode est possible (another fashion is possible):

• Coherence of chain of value: eco design, eco production, eco distribution.

• Eco frugality: minimise resources and maximise added value (product and service).

• Innovation: in order to find new answers and create local jobs and autonomy for companies.

• Affordable quality: fair and accessible prices, direct selling, no intermediary, democratisation through slow wear.

Shifting mindsets

How do we thank the marvellous people working so tirelessly to change fashion for the better? We chose to give the final word to a Greenpeace ally:

Orsola de Castro from the Fashion Revolution

“Before technology and the advancement of the Circular Economy will save us, we have to slow down mass production and accelerated consumption.”

“Now that consumers are asking questions, and an increasing number of brands are beginning to understand that tomorrow’s loyalty will demand sustainable innovation, we need to encourage a culture where people are encouraged to challenge brands to be more ethical.”

“If we increase the visibility of smaller slow-fashion brands we can make the fashion industry much more biodiverse. Small really is beautiful!”

Our next challenge is changing people’s minds.

Gabriele Salari is the Communications Specialist for the Detox My Fashion campaign in Greenpeace Italy