Published on : 27 February 20193 min reading time
Fashion is looking for a new economic model, more in line with the protection of the environment. We can say that a big part of it is caused by the fear of scandals and reactions of public opinion, but also under the effect of citizen awareness.
The wrath of social networks
This change of attitude is due to several factors. The weight of the scandal, first, that the claws fear. The collapse in 2013 of the Rana Plaza, a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which housed Primark or Mango manufacturing workshops, among others, symbolized the excesses of fast fashion, this low-priced clothing made in deplorable conditions. and delocalized… This year, Chanel was also accused of shooting down poplar oaks and poplars in the Perche to set the scene for a ten-minute parade, while Burberry suffered the wrath of social media for burning some 31 million euros of unsold in one year. The brand has since officially renounced this practice. These are controversies that force an evolution!
79 billion cubic meters of water used in 2015 …
According to data from the Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report, an annual publication of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit and the BCG audit firm, it would be an untruth: agriculture, tourism or transport would be heavier in terms of In 2015, for example, the textile sector emitted 1.715 million tonnes of CO2, used 79 billion cubic meters of water and generated 92 million solid waste. So that each brand can measure its own expenses, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition was founded in 2011. This American organization, to which more than 200 actors adhere (LVMH, Kering, Adidas, Levi’s, Esprit, Asos …), draws the quantified assessment of each one through his index baptized “Higg”. “Before this tool, everyone self-assessed without consultation. Today, we have comparable results, clear, useful to the customer, the claw and intermediaries. Each year, our members reduce their footprint: having a ladder encourages them, “said Jason Kibbey, the CEO of the San Francisco-based entity.
Being transparent to the consumer
Greening also requires more transparency: publication of annual reports and open-access internal research. Free to the customer to inquire. In June, for example, Gucci launched its Equilibrium platform, where it unveils its energy policy and expenditures. “Gucci is not a company where you have to leave your values at the door,” says Marco Bizzarri, the CEO of the Florentine house. We have a 10-year plan to reduce our global footprint by 2025, and Equilibrium is a way to show our fans our positive intentions and energy. “