Page one of the CFDA’s new sustainability report asks a broad, burning question: “What is sustainability?” The answer tends to change depending on whom you ask. For some of us, sustainable fashion has to do with a brand’s environmental impact; others think social justice is more important; others are focused on preserving artisanal crafts and supporting developing economies; and still more are concerned with animal rights. Truthfully, sustainability is an umbrella term that encompasses all of the above, and then some. That’s why the CFDA guide is coming at such a good time: Sustainability is a complex, multifaceted issue, and understanding it requires serious research and energy—plus even more research and energy to put it all into practice. Many designers simply don’t have time to dig into it, but this guide will provide them with the resources, strategies, and contacts they need.
It’s no coincidence the CFDA released this report just three weeks before New York Fashion Week, either. As sustainability becomes one of 2019’s biggest talking points, designers are going to get a lot more questions about how they’re prioritizing it in their businesses going forward. Below, we’ve outlined four ways the report could change Fashion Week (or at least Fashion Week conversations!) going forward—and how it will spark new ideas for 2020.
1. Sustainable design starts from the ground up: with the actual designs and fabrications.
From the outset, the CFDA report insists that improving your manufacturing and social impact doesn’t mean sacrificing fashion. “Sustainability is great design,” it says. “It is based on a deep understanding that all things are interconnected in this world. Sustainability provides the ability to design and produce indefinitely. This requires that the design, development, production, and use of fashion products meet today’s needs—without preventing those needs from being met by future generations.”
That might sound like an insurmountable challenge for designers, particularly young and emerging ones. Fortunately, there’s an entire section of the CFDA guide dedicated to designing with sustainability in mind. What many designers (and editors, buyers, and other industry types) might not realize is that you can’t work backwards; sustainability has to be stitched into the garment from the very beginning. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition estimates that designers and developers control upwards of 80 percent of a product’s environmental impact; it’s those first steps that are the most important. Choosing the right fabrics is one: Natural, sustainably made, or deadstock fabrics are drastically better than synthetics like polyester and acrylic (which are basically plastic, FYI). What’s more, designers have to consider the life cycle of those fabrics: What will happen when the garment is worn out? Can the fibers be recycled or upcycled? Are they biodegradable? If the answer is no, any other steps you take towards sustainability after that won’t be as meaningful.
2. Be a team player! Sharing your resources and information is key to making a change across the industry.
The CFDA points out a string of conferences, summits, and tools for designers who want to learn more about sustainability and connect with like-minded peers: There’s the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the largest global gathering around sustainable fashion; the CEO Agenda, a guide for executives who want to “future-proof” their companies; the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production, and its HIGG Index, which helps companies measure their sustainability performance; the Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report (published by the Boston Consulting Group), which reveals the business opportunities that lie in embracing sustainability; and the list goes on. No designer can attend every summit, read every report, or visit every sustainable factory or manufacturer—so the CFDA is encouraging collaboration and having a “common agenda.” (Consider Maggie Marilyn, for instance: She recently changed her packaging to a biodegradable plastic alternative, and happily shared her supplier’s information with other designers who asked.)
3. Speaking of teams . . . consider your company’s culture.
Reimagining your business or changing your supply chain isn’t a one-man or -woman task. It requires an all-hands-on-deck approach—but even the best ideas fail if a team isn’t inspired or given the means to succeed. Fashion has always been an industry supported by behind-the-scenes workers—seamstresses, patternmakers, assistants, et al.—and they’re instrumental in making these changes happen. The CFDA referenced a January 2017 report by Bain & Company, which found that 98 percent of sustainability initiatives fail because they “do not have senior leadership support to ensure that the project has adequate resources, that employees are engaged and supportive, that other priorities don’t get in the way, and that there are clear metrics for success.” (Oh, and we have a feeling it’s hard to get inspired about sustainable fashion when your office doesn’t recycle or uses excessive amounts of plastic. Consider the actual office environment and lifestyle, too.)
4. Don’t get hung up on “efficiency.”
As humans, we’re naturally inclined to make things easier and more efficient for ourselves; it’s a basic principle of evolution. However, in the fashion industry—and in many other industries—efficiency is often confused with the “best” way of doing things. When it comes to natural resources, efficiency is obviously important: “Efficiency with material inputs like water and energy is not only good, but vital,” the CFDA writes. “We want to use and waste as little of these precious natural resources as possible.” But efficiency can be detrimental if you’re hiring low-wage workers because they work quickly, for example, or eliminating jobs and crafts because a computer or machine can knit a sweater faster and cheaper. In the guide, the CFDA pulled an excerpt from Kate Fletcher that compares sustainable fashion to the Slow Food movement: “Fashion is not time-based but quality-based (which has some time components). Slow is not the opposite of fast—there is no dualism—but a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers, and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities, and ecosystems. The concept of slow fashion borrows heavily from the Slow Food movement. Founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986, Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility. It defends biodiversity in our food supply by opposing the standardization of taste, defends the need for consumer information, and protects cultural identities tied to food.” No one wants standardized food or fashion; easier isn’t always better.
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