Fashion must slow down. This is what Giorgio Armani, the "king of fashion", said in his open letter to Women's Wear Daily; it is what Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci, argues — having championed a fashion closer to consumers and the environment, capable of responding to the post-pandemic needs of Covid-19 — and it is also what Belgian designer Dries van Noten endorses in the letter calling for radical change in the system.

It was 31 December 1989 when the New York Times used the expression fast fashion for the first time. The occasion was the opening of a store by Spanish fast fashion brand Zara in New York.
The meaning was simple: according to the American newspaper, it took just 15 days to turn a garment from a designer's idea into a product available to buy in store. Fast fashion was already a reality, and it allowed everyone to dress according to the latest trends while spending very little. This was the first turning point in the industry's history: the evolution of shopping into a form of entertainment, with frenzied rhythms of design, production and distribution to satisfy a growing demand for cheap, ever-new clothes. For the following two decades, recycling and mending went out of fashion. The reduction in costs, the simplification of processes and the increase in consumers' purchasing power, according to consultancy firm McKinsey, led clothing production to double between 2000 and 2014, and the number of garments purchased each year by the average consumer to increase by 60 per cent. Today, clothing sales are approximately 400 per cent higher than twenty years ago.

What is the social impact of the fashion industry
Fashion's ground zero: the Rana Plaza
How consumption habits have changed
How the mindset of fashion houses has changed
The trends: what's "in fashion"
Sustainability enters the core business
Tools and strategies for sustainable innovation
From a linear economy to a circular one

Supply chain: more flexibility and more transparency
Digitalisation: now or never
Same content, new form: the role of packaging
The pros and cons of virtual fashion shows
The role of cities in relation to a more digital fashion
No more advance collections: production goes on demand
Fashion's new timelines
What future awaits us?

The first consequence is the halving of the garment lifecycle compared to the early 2000s: some estimates go as far as suggesting that consumers treat cheaper clothes as though they were "disposable", discarding them after wearing them just seven or eight times. The second is the multiplication of collections: Zara offers 24 a year, but H&M, along with other fashion multinationals, also offers between 12 and 16 with weekly updates. Among all European clothing companies, the average number of collections more than doubled, from two a year in 2000 to around five a year in 2011. And when unsold stock accumulates, the problem of how to dispose of it arises — a subject that will be explored in greater depth in the following chapters: one of the most widespread practices is to burn excess garments to make room for new collections. It is estimated that the equivalent of one rubbish truck full of clothes is burned or sent to landfill every second, for a yearly total corresponding to approximately 85 per cent of all textiles.

It goes without saying that the environmental and social consequences worsen in proportion to the increase in production, which requires the use — and waste — of enormous quantities of water, the use of chemical substances that cause the pollution of water and soil, and the emission of significant quantities of greenhouse gases, among the main drivers of the environmental crisis we are experiencing.

Between 2000 and 2014

clothing production: +50%
number of garments purchased each year by the average consumer: +60%
clothing sales: +400%
garment lifecycle: -50%
clothes discarded after being worn just 7 or 8 times

So much so that the fashion industry, as the World Economic Forum reports, is the second most polluting sector in the world after the oil industry, is responsible each year for 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂), and contributes to the waste of water resources to the tune of 20 per cent of the total — needed for various processes such as dyeing, printing and finishing, but also to maintain cotton plantations.

Fashion industry impact

responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂)
contributes to the waste of water resources to the tune of 20% of the total
releases approximately 500,000 tonnes of microfibres into waterways every year
every year 85% of textiles are discarded

These figures are partly explained when one considers that the sector has a turnover of 225 billion euros, employs more than 300 million people worldwide and contributes significantly to global wealth. It also has an enormous impact on ocean pollution: approximately 60 per cent of clothes are made from polyester which, through washing, releases around 500,000 tonnes of microfibres into waterways every year — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.

According to a United Nations report, the fashion sector is estimated to consume more energy than air and maritime transport combined.

Almost 30 years on from that 1989, which marked the beginning of fast fashion, Forever21, the historic American low-cost brand, fell into crisis, declaring bankruptcy in September 2019, while H&M's profits recorded a decline for the first time in 44 years of history.

The current emergency shows that a careful and intelligent slowdown is the only way out"

Giorgio Armani, fashion designer

1. The social impact of the fashion industry

The fashion sector has also had dramatic consequences from a social standpoint: according to the Global Slavery Index 2018, fashion is among the five industries to have exploited a practice as abhorrent as modern slavery. Fifty-eight per cent of people working in such conditions are found in the main cotton- or garment-producing countries — China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan — and among them the proportion of children is extremely high. Many brands, even before the Chinese boom — that is, the explosion of the market that pushed many companies to outsource to the Asian country — moved their production centres to places where labour is cheap, such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka. Here, textile workers are often underpaid, overworked, with no sick pay or any form of social safety net, and in most cases find themselves in dangerous conditions.

2. Fashion's ground zero: Rana Plaza

One of the most dramatic episodes is the one that in 2013 led to the deaths of 1,138 workers when the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed, leaving a further 2,500 injured. This can be considered the second turning point in the world of fashion, giving rise to the Fashion Revolution movement, which aims to raise consumer awareness about purchasing habits and campaigns for a fairer and more ethical fashion industry, and which has contributed enormously to increasing awareness of the environmental impact of throwaway fashion and concerns about worker safety. "After Rana Plaza, there was the Bangladesh Accord — explains Marina Spadafora, coordinator of Fashion Revolution Italy — which helped to make many factories in Bangladesh safer. Unfortunately, however, workers' pay today is still at the minimum, the so-called minimum wage, which is set by governments, but which amounts to one fifth of what is the living wage — that is, a dignified wage. In a family, if the parents do not receive a living wage, they have to send their children out to work as well. This is where child labour comes from."

People will come to realise that the pace at which we have produced up to now has become unsustainable"

Marina Spadafora, coordinator of Fashion Revolution Italy

3. How consumption habits have changed

In recent years consumption habits have changed considerably, and coronavirus has done nothing but accelerate a process already under way, one that places sustainability — environmental, certainly, but also social and economic — at the centre of attention.

Grafico — Percentage of consumers willing to pay more for products with the lowest environmental impact

According to the 6th LifeGate National Observatory on Sustainable Lifestyles,

while in 2016 only 7% of people said they purchased natural or sustainable clothing, by 2018 that figure was 11%. This year it is 16%. Driving this change are younger generations, as demonstrated by the report The State of Fashion, produced by McKinsey and the magazine The Business of Fashion, according to which 31 per cent of consumers born after 1996 — the so-called Generation Z — say they are willing to pay more for products with the lowest environmental impact, followed by 26 per cent of those born between 1982 and 1995, namely millennials, and 17 per cent of Generation X, that is, those born between 1965 and 1981.

Among the children of the great economic boom — the boomers, born between 1946 and 1964 — only 12 per cent say they agree. At a global level, Gen Z, who represent the consumers of tomorrow, proves to be demanding on multiple fronts: climate change first and foremost, as demonstrated by the young people of Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion, but also inequality and LGBTQ+ rights. These are all issues with which today's young people have grown up. And in fashion they have embraced the ideology of buy less, buy better — a major threat to fast fashion.

4. How the mindset of fashion houses has changed

While on one hand supply is driven by demand, on the other businesses are beginning to view sustainability as a competitive advantage. Coronavirus arrived in an atmosphere of ferment in which many fashion brands were already implementing substantial transformations in their brand policies: the Kering group, the French conglomerate that owns, among others, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, is the benchmark for sustainability in the luxury world; British designer Stella McCartney, who was part of François Pinault's group for 17 years before buying back her shares to become independent, has been promoting those values for years; the French group LVMH, which includes Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi and Loro Piana, is pushing LIFE (LVMH Initiatives for the Environment), whose objective is to improve the environmental performance of all its products and reduce CO₂ emissions. In Italy, one example is Ferragamo, the Florentine brand that has long contributed positively to the protection and safeguarding of the environment through the use of sustainable materials and the development of strategies and initiatives aimed at minimising the environmental impacts associated with its business activities.

Valentino, the historic Italian luxury maison, was among the first to join Greenpeace's Detox protocol, the campaign to eliminate harmful chemicals from the fashion industry's production chain by 2020, led by the NGO, known for its direct and non-violent action in defence of the climate, whales, the halt of nuclear testing and the environment in general. Meanwhile, startups focusing on environmental and social aspects continue to multiply, among them Wrad, Tiziano Guardini, Progetto Quid, Cangiari and Le Gallinelle. Numerous battles have been fought, and continue to be fought, by the animal rights organisation Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which alongside citizens has carried forward several campaigns for cruelty-free fashion, in defence of animals traditionally used to produce clothing and accessories, such as mink, ermine, fox, rabbit, crocodile and snake. These campaigns have led brands such as Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Armani and Michael Kors to halt fur production, aided in part by elegant alternatives made possible by technology. Shareholders and investors, too, are asking companies not only for transparency, but also for clear and effective sustainability targets, highlighting the growing collaborative approach on the part of businesses, institutions and stakeholders, all of whom bear equally enormous responsibilities in this game.

If your business doesn't care about leaving the world in a better shape through your practice, you will make yourself irrelevant"

Emma Hope Allwood, responsabile moda Dazed Digital

5. Trends: what's "in fashion"

Making a sector more sustainable means first of all recognising the importance and urgency of the issue, and secondly putting in place all those processes that allow production to be mindful of the environment, of people, and of profit at the same time. There are certain trends in the fashion sector that see sustainability as the key to recovery. The supply chain must become more transparent and traceable — meaning that brands and consumers alike must be able to know where and how a garment was produced at every stage of its manufacturing process. Innovative materials and processes must be more responsible, as is the case, for example, with the shift from a linear economy — in which a garment is discarded at the end of its life cycle — to a circular one, which instead reuses materials, extending their lifespan over time. This is also a great moment for digitalisation, which brings with it virtual fashion shows but inevitably reshapes the role of cities; and furthermore, purchasing must become more considered while, at the same time, production must readjust to a slower model.

6. Sustainability enters the core business

For a long time, talking about sustainability implied calling into question whether a company's priority should be to maintain long-term profitability. But today sustainability is the very tool needed to guarantee it, underpinning competitiveness and reputation in the eyes of consumers and investors. Brands have understood this; what is striking, according to Simone Colombo, head of sustainability at OVS, is that the consumer has not "yet reached the same level of awareness that companies have developed." Because it is precisely the lack of a culture of sustainability inside and outside the company that represents the main obstacle in the integration process. And sometimes it is also the explanation for short-sighted business decisions focused on the short term. But the direction in which things are heading sees sustainability today as an engine, as an unavoidable premise in determining business strategies, which must take into account social, environmental and economic changes. And, where possible, anticipate them.

Simone Colombo, head of sustainability at OVS

Workers in cotton fields © Guang Niu/Getty Images

There is no single, universally shared formula, but action is taken on multiple levels. "The choice of materials accounts for over 60 per cent of the impacts that occur throughout the life cycle of a clothing product," Colombo explains. "Production processes and the treatments used are also fundamental. We chose to tackle, as our first area of intervention, our primary material — cotton — which makes up 70 per cent of our products. This is somewhat against the market trend, if one considers that global consumption of textile fibres puts cotton at around 30 per cent, which is nonetheless not without impact. For this reason we chose to define sourcing policies that will lead us, by the end of this year, to use 100 per cent more sustainable cotton only — that is, organic cotton or cotton from crops certified by the Better Cotton Initiative," the organisation dedicated to promoting standards for the production of cotton that is more sustainable for the environment and for people.

Textile processing © Carl Court/Getty Images

Another area of intervention is the supply chain, particularly when it is spread across the globe. Making the supply chain transparent "is by no means straightforward, because the number of parties involved is significant. The fundamental thing is to establish a serious, correct and workable policy for the selection and accreditation of suppliers. To have reliable and effective tools for maintaining monitoring, and also to have an immediate response programme in place should there be any deviation from company policies."

But the consumer must also be involved: "We chose to make our supplier list public. For each product reference it is possible to see the name of the supplier who made that garment and also to get an idea of the CO₂ emission impacts, water consumption and recyclability potential of each garment, so that the consumer can make more informed choices." Sustainability also brings several advantages at a business level, according to a study conducted by consulting firm Ernst&Young and DNV GL, an international quality assurance and risk management company: such as greater attractiveness to investors and a reduction in risks, or greater brand loyalty among consumers and differentiation from competitors, with consequent reputational benefits. But sustainability is also the driver of greater worker productivity and job satisfaction, and holds great appeal for new talent.

7. Tools and strategies for sustainable innovation

Historically, innovation has always been associated with the introduction of new technologies and new materials, the opening of new markets, and the birth of original production and distribution processes. Today, the value of an innovation is measured not so much through pure economic returns or the degree of novelty it brings to the market, but through the value and benefits it delivers at a social, environmental and, of course, economic level. Sustainable companies today, according to Francesca Romana Rinaldi, lecturer at Bocconi University and author of Fashion Industry 2030, "are those that manage to integrate ethics and aesthetics into the supply chain and the individual activities of the value chain." With knock-on effects on consumption models, new economies and the world of needs. In the fashion sector, a slowdown in the pace of production has been called for, translating into less quantity and more quality. But brands' priorities go well beyond that: "Investing in responsible innovation," Romana Rinaldi continues, "by introducing artificial intelligence technologies to improve the planning and structure of collections; increasing carry-over pieces, that is, non-seasonal pieces that remain in the collection. But above all, raising consumer awareness towards greater responsibility in purchasing, which also means raising awareness about circularity, starting with extending the life of a garment." But beyond doing, one must also know how to communicate — without the greenwashing effect — both to trigger a change of mindset in consumers and to increase their trust. "Sustainability is a differentiation strategy that allows companies to explain to industry players and consumers what makes that company different. You have to be able to explain the added value that comes from a garment, which can no longer be purely aesthetic." All the more so now that the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted the direct link between the environment and health. The road to 2030 calls for "traceable and transparent value chains, greater centrality and consumer involvement on the part of fashion companies, data collection and analysis, and a gradual shift from product to service." And an excellent communications strategy.

Francesca Romana Rinaldi, lecturer at Bocconi University and author of Fashion industry 2030

8. From a linear economy to a circular one

Clothes are a necessity. For this very reason, sustainable garments must not be seen as exclusive products either. The approach needs to change, starting with the current production model, which is by now obsolete, polluting and responsible for enormous waste. It is the model underpinning the linear economy, whereby goods are produced from newly extracted raw materials, sold, used (often without fully exploiting their potential) and finally discarded as waste. Take-make-dispose. A model that burns — literally — clothes at the end of their ever-shorter life cycle, and money too: an estimated 500 billion dollars are lost every year due to barely worn and rarely recycled garments. But awareness of finite resources has pushed brands towards a rethinking of business models: the potential risks linked to global trends that can no longer be ignored have led the traditional model to be called into question. The future of fashion is circular — that is, based on an economy that regenerates itself by design, in both biological and technological flows, and that reconstitutes itself by optimising the systems that compose it. This translates into a new textile economy in which clothes are designed to last longer and to be reintroduced into the production process after use, never ending up as waste. Reduce-reuse-recycle is the rule that applies across the entire supply chain. Action can be taken on the materiality of the product or on its reconversion, but also on the durability of the life cycle.

Centrifuga Carvico

The fabric centrifuge process © Carvico

centrifuga

The fabric centrifuge process © Carvico

Telaio Carvico

The loom © Carvico

Tessuto Carvico

Some of the fabrics produced by Carvico © Carvico

Colore Carvico

The colour-dosing machine © Carvico

Colori Carvico

The colours used for the fabrics © Carvico

Colore Carvico

The colour is drawn off and then released into a separate vial © Carvico

Tintura Carvico

The dyeing machine © Carvico

Tintura Carvico

The dyeing process © Carvico

Impianto Carvico

The fume-abatement plant © Carvico

R&D

The research and development department © Carvico

Controllo tessuti

The fabric quality-control department © Carvico

Controllo tessuti

The fabric quality-control department © Carvico

Tintoria Carvico

The dyehouse department © Carvico

Of course, "the circular economy, for manufacturers, is more expensive — but it's a price that must be paid," argues Laura Colnaghi Calissoni, president of Carvico Spa, an internationally renowned Italian company operating in the textile sector and in the production of run-resistant fabrics for swimwear, lingerie, sportswear, furnishings and leisurewear. The company, which takes its name from the small town near Bergamo where it is based, has long invested in the circular economy from several angles: materials, recovered from discarded fishing nets or disused carpeting; energy, self-produced through a cogeneration system that covers almost all of the company's needs; and water, which passes through multiple stages of production before being returned to the consortium waterways, where it arrives already fully regenerated. "Investments in technology are very important," Colnaghi Calissoni continues. "Everything being done today to make companies sustainable comes at a high cost. But we cannot keep sawing off the branch we're sitting on." Consumers, too, are called upon to play their part, in a vision of consumption no longer tied to ownership but to sharing.

9. Supply chain: greater flexibility and greater transparency

I made your clothes

One of the Fashion revolution campaigns © Picture organic clothing

I made your fabric

One of the Fashion revolution campaigns. © Fashion revolution

How fashion is changing: a journey into the future