The Round Up is ZERRIN’s weekly sustainable fashion and beauty news digest. We keep you in-the-know with all the latest updates worldwide. From reporting on the green moves of retail industry giants to uncovering the latest updates from emerging brands, innovations and ideas, we’ll be sharing it all in this dedicated post!
1. BAFTA 2020: The sustainable memo that not everyone received
This year, BAFTA tried their best to make the awards evening a sustainable night. With (mostly) plant-based dishes, encouraging eco-friendly travel arrangements, sending their guests a sustainable fashion style guide and a list of pre-approved brand, resellers and rental services, they pulled out all the stops. Yet, most of the award show-goers still walked down the 100% recycled carpet in the latest runway looks.
If the Duchess of Fashion — oops, I mean Cambridge — can re-wear a gold embroidered Alexander McQueen gown that she had previously donned, what excuse do the rest of the attendees of the BAFTAs have for overlooking gorgeous vintage or racks of rentals? Of course, there were the few who stepped out in gowns made from discarded satin or sustainably sourced fabric as well as some following suit in the outfit-repeating category.
Find out more about the red carpet fashion situation here.
2. Copenhagen Fashion Week Goes Green
Fashion has (finally) started to acknowledge the climate crisis, and Copenhagen has upped its game by becoming the first major fashion week to ensure its brands are taking sustainability seriously. From banning single-use plastics to setting some rigorous sustainability policies, Copenhagen is (allegedly) on track to be zero waste by 2023.
Read more about Scandinavia’s leading fashion week’s ambitious three-year goal.
3. Fashion has a BIG misinformation problem
Now, we all know we should take news we see online with a pinch of salt. Since we’re bombarded with irrelevant information umpteen times a day, we risk being misinformed with ‘fake news’. When it comes to the fashion space, this also rings true. There are just too many facts we can’t yet verify.
When it comes to the sustainable fashion sphere, we’ve been fed stats like:
– 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the fashion industry
– 150 billion garments are produced every year
– Nearly three-fifths of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfill within years of being made
As it turns out, these facts are either partly true or far from true. Unless we demand expertly research technical papers we’ll be floating in a proverbial sea polluted with irrelevant data!
Do you know why there is so much ‘fake news’ surrounding fashion? Learn more here.
4. Will fast-fashion ever change?
If we were in the 1950s, we would either be making our own clothes or purchasing ready-made clothes for 72 dollars in today’s currency. So how did fashion go from making unique tailor-made clothing to fast fashion companies launching almost a thousand new styles a week? When the majority of shoppers prioritise price over sustainability, the thought of whether fast fashion can ever change looms over.
It’s not just the fashion system we’re talking about either, it’s about a disposable society we’ve created. We see luxury trends translated into fast and easy products, at the fraction of the cost. This makes it impossible to shift consumers away from fast fashion. While the industry is in a state of flux and ethical brands are making their mark, it’s time to change sustainability from trend to default — for consumers and brands.
Here’s why we need to talk about the issue of fast-fashion
5. H&M has been accused of greenwashing (again…)
We all saw Hasan Minaj’s episode dedicated to fast fashion (if you haven’t, watch it here), so this news doesn’t come as a shock. However, the fast-fashion giant is massively hit with criticism on their decision to use Circulose, a sustainable fabric produced by Swedish company Re:newcell. Given the fact that the recent Norwegian Consumer Association’s investigation into H&M uncovered their “misleading” green marketing, it’s becoming harder for the retailer to convince us they’ve turned over a new leaf.
Making sustainable alternatives more accessible is a worthy goal, but is it attainable using the fast fashion model of (over) production and consumption? Probably not. Circulose is an all-rounder — made with waste and non-toxic, durable, vegan-friendly and biodegradable. Yet, the sustainable partnership is privy to doubt, mainly because its business still relies on fast-fashion production.
Here’s what we mean by greenwashing.
6. Vogue makes sustainability moves
Vogue Italia featured this year’s January edition with illustrations instead of its usual high-fashion photographs. Primarily done with the purpose to reduce the environmental impact of photoshoots. Emmanuele Farneti, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia explained how much man-power, electricity, fuel consumption and waste the September 2019 issue generated. According to Condé Nast, this edition is the first time Vogue has featured illustrated covers since “the introduction of photography in its pages in the early 20th century”.
Read more about Vogue’s plans to go green.
7. New clean & green makeup brand on the block
If you like your skincare to be like your relationships (read: non-toxic), Solos is just right for you! The label creates cruelty-free, clean and green cosmetics, that are great for your skin as well as your wallet! We chatted with co-founder Devonne Niam to talk about how their products are sustainable, ethical, high-quality and affordable.
You can shop this incredible conscious makeup brand here!
8. Here’s how to give your wardrobe a good cull
If you’re looking to purge your closet of all those unworn impulse buys, old party dresses from your university days or decode your spending patterns, we’ve written about how you can clean up your life by detoxing your wardrobe. With some easy steps, some pals on hand and a dose of determination, you can find a better home or make some extra cash from some of your forgotten gems, as well as avoid carrying forward any bad habits.
