Textile exodus

Sustainability is here to stay. In fashion too. The fashion and luxury sector has put the focus on sustainable development, whether in terms of production, supply chain, investment, communication or even regulation.

But everything suggests there is more talk than proven action. Lots of good intentions, good practices, suggestions and projects for show, but little real progress.

The environmental impact of fashion is still crucial. It is the second most polluting industry in the world. All the data suggests that we will keep working ever more firmly to reduce it, but also that textile demand will keep growing.

We need leaders who put sustainability at the heart of the industry, who treat the climate emergency as real and who drastically cut emissions without waiting for a wave of regulation that sweeps everyone away. The sector needs turning around, and it is a great opportunity to increase collaboration with entrepreneurs and researchers who bring new materials, processes and technology to achieve it.

We must also stop focusing exclusively on environmental consequences. These solutions cannot hide the social reality around production. It is vital that suppliers are treated as real partners and that we work with them on the social improvements the industry needs to achieve, agreeing prices, deliveries and production in a respectful and fair way.

We need regenerative fashion companies with a purpose that solve social and environmental problems, whose activity is based on triple sustainability (social, environmental and economic) and whose initiatives not only change their surroundings, but help change people’s mindset with an activist message that champions sustained and respectful consumption.