abhishek agrawal

FS Reads: Is Sustainable Fashion on the rise?

FS Reads: Is Sustainable Fashion on the rise?

Dior 2020 spring collection.

In recent times, fashion brands have adopted eco-friendly ways to produce their products. Sustainability has become a Buzzword in the fashion industry. From luxury fashion brands to well-known sneaker labels, the whole fashion industry is on the rise to promote sustainability. The reason behind it is fairly simple. Let us break it down for you. 

Globally the fashion industry produces 13 million tons of waste each year. In fact it is one of the most polluting industries in the world.  In addition, approximately 15 billion pairs of sneakers are produced world-wide, which includes tons of leather, glue and plastic. There is no doubt that the waste production is enormous and there is a dire need to lower the number. Fashion industry is known for creating trends keeping in mind consumers preference. For the past few years people have been more concerned about the environment than ever. Increasingly, customers are demanding eco-friendly products or something which has a positive impact on the environment. This has caused many fashion and sneaker labels to shift to a sustainable method of producing their products. Here are a few companies who are leading the way in sustainable fashion. 

Adidas Yeezy

It is not surprising that Kanye is using sustainable ways to produce the Yeezy product line. Being a part of Adidas it was no doubt that the rapper was influenced to turn his shoe line a little more sustainable. Adidas has been into eco-friendly sneakers for the past few years. Back in 2016, they made a sneaker out of ocean plastic. Since then the brand has been promoting sustainable fashion with a promise to use 100% recycled polyester in their products by 2024. 

In November 2019, Ye revealed the new ‘Yeezy Foam Runner’. These shoes are partially made from algae. As surprising as it sounds, the main component of the shoes is algae based-foam eliminating the excessive use of petroleum based chemicals. During the 2019 reveal, Ye mentioned that this is just the beginning of the future he has envisioned for Yeezy being eco-friendly.

(PS: They look beautiful on one's feet. Check out our website or DM us on Instagram to get a pair.)

Nike

Nike has continuously pushed its boundaries in footwear innovation. From iconic sneaker lines to world-wide popular silhouettes, Nike is the kingpin of the sneaker industry. Being on such a high level with massive production units, it is important to keep in mind the waste generation and health of the environment. In the past few years, Nike has heavily incorporated sustainability into its marketing strategy. The brand has dropped projects such as Nike Flyknit, Nike Flyleather, Nike Space Hippie collection and Cosmic Unity basketball shoe. All these projects used recycled polyester, plastic or material made from recycled trash. In 2018, it was recognized for transforming whooping 6.4 billion plastic water bottles into recycled footwear and apparel. 

LVMH ( Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton )

Some of you might not know it but LVMH, is a French multinational corporation which specializes in luxury goods. It owns 75 brands in total with some of them being  Christian Dior, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Celine, Fenty, and Bulgari. From luxury fashion to fine liquor brands such as Moët & Chandon and Hennessy, LVMH is the largest luxury group. LVMH has taken some serious steps towards sustainable fashion after observing the actions of their rival group ‘Kering’ which owns luxury brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta.

Being a massive corporation, the contribution of LVMH to protect biodiversity and ecosystem is enormous. Since the formal rollout of its environmental policy in 1992, LVMH has continually expanded and strengthened initiatives to reduce the impact of its activities. It has also contributed to the fight against climate change by reducing the CO2 emissions from energy consumption by its stores and production sites. Last year, the Group surpassed the LIFE 2020 target of reducing its carbon emissions by 25%.Lastly,  In Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2021 men’s collection Virgil Abloh transformed the LV High-Top Trainers from the SS 2019 collection into an upcycled low model.

Do you think these measures are enough to curb the effect this industry has on the environment? Let us know your thoughts on it.