Every year, the big names of the international fashion world gather at each of the ‘big four’ Fashion Weeks: New York, London, Milan and Paris. Last year, between September 9th and October 4th, around 350 designers showcased their creativity and unveiled the new haute-couture trends for 2023. However, behind the bright colors presented by these designers hides a darker reality. Far from contributing to a radical change in terms of production and consumption, fashion shows remain a significant source of pollution and waste.
In February 2020, the “Zero To Market” published by Ordre.com report evaluated the carbon footprint of all travel generated by the fashion weeks at 241,000 tons of CO2e, a staggering figure equivalent to the annual emissions of 51,000 cars or the energy necessary to light the Eiffel Tower for 3,060 years. Beyond carbon emissions, brands’ attempt to put on a spectacular and innovative show fails to take into consideration sustainable practices: sets are rarely reused or recycled, prototypes are neither sold nor given away and extra inventory is destroyed and sometimes even burnt down.
Although the environmental consequences of fast fashion are recognized and discussed more than those of luxury fashion, events like Fashion Week highlight important parallels between the two industries. For instance, most luxury fashion production chains are not fully transparent. In 2011, Greenpeace launched its Detox campaign, listing major textile brands and their level of pollution and use of toxic products. Many brands, including Burberry, Hermes and Louis Vuitton, appear at the bottom of the ranking. Looking beyond the actual shows, luxury houses create trends and influence fast fashion brands who then go on to create new products mimicking Haute Couture styles. While this may grant increased access to expensive styles, its environmental impact should not be overlooked.
Let’s not lose hope. In recent years, general ecological awareness, NGO pressure and brand image concerns have pushed many brands to adopt more sensible practices. In 2019, the Swedish Fashion Council canceled the Stockholm Fashion Week, mainly for ecological reasons. That same year, the first Vegan Fashion Week was organized in Los Angeles. Last year, the first Sustainable Fashion Week took place across the UK.
As the number of responsible consumers is progressively increasing, innovative ideas as stated above provide interesting opportunities for improvement in the luxury industry. However, it is important to remain vigilant of brands who adopt eco-responsible approaches for marketing purposes without rethinking their operational practices. We are still waiting for brands to align with necessary sustainable changes and manage to balance creativity and sustainability. While there's still a long way to go before sustainability takes the center stage (or runway) in Milan or Paris, purchasing from brands who are transparent about their material sourcing and manufacturing is our best bet to enact change in this environmentally-unfashionable industry."
- Olivia Gumbel, Press Associate
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