THE NEW FASHION: COULD COVID-19 BE THE ANSWER TO SUSTAINABILITY?

COVID-19 has presented the fashion industry with a significant challenge. It is predicted that disposable incomes will not recover to pre-crisis levels until 2024 and retail consumption is rapidly shrinking: this is a trend expected to last. During the past months, shoppers have looked increasingly to e-commerce, and any notions of sustainability have been dramatically polarised. Most notably, there has been a greater emphasis on health and hygiene rather than the fashion market as consumers prioritise their wellbeing.

For all the chaos and disruption caused by the pandemic, however, research suggests that COVID-19 has triggered a long-overdue wake-up call for consumers and an opportunity for the fashion industry to act responsibly whilst changing their companies for the better.

Fuelled by the shift in perspectives and behaviours the crisis has created, sustainability is at the fore-front of many consumers’ minds and both lifestyles and mindsets have already begun to change. There has been a rise in younger consumers purchasing second-hand items during the crisis and whilst an emphasis on health and hygiene has in some cases reversed sustainability efforts, evidenced by the increase in single-use plastic, there has been a general shift in the consciousness to environmental impact. In Europe, in particular, there is a desire for the fashion industry to consider its environmental impacts: two thirds of those surveyed by McKinsey stated that it has become more important to limit the impact of consumerism on climate change, and 67% recognised the importance of sustainable materials.

Lockdown and the accompanying isolation and economic uncertainty has had a profound effect on the way in which people live. The new normal has yet to be cemented and companies are consequently able to shape the future of the fashion industry, harnessing this new environmental focus to fit the expectations of newly sustainability-focused buyers.

A drive for sustainability and a recognition of the effects of climate change is of paramount importance for the fashion industry. In 2018, global apparel produced more greenhouse gases than France, Germany and the UK combined, totalling 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions. A transition to renewable energy could reduce emissions by over billion tonnes by 2030 and a move to sustainable packaging and transport would result in a further 308 million tonne reduction. Whilst it would require considerable investment from brands, this shift is likely to benefit the industry economically in the long-term.

There is a question whether the end of lockdown restrictions will reverse new sustainable values, but it is now the responsibility of the fashion industry to treat the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity for positive change and satisfy the demands of consumers who value sustainability.