Luxury sustainability: factual or faux?

By Kashika Malhotra 

2020: the year of change, driven primarily by Gen Z. From justice to politics, inclusivity to climate change, there are very few political, social, or environmental issues Gen Z hasn’t chosen to address. And with awareness about the need for environmental building up, it is important to note that fashion, out of all other industries, is the second most polluting industry after oil.

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     With this in mind, many fast fashion, as well as luxury, brands have signed pacts to combat greenhouse gas emissions and prioritise sustainability in the industry. These companies include H&M and Zara, as well as Chanel, Ralph Lauren and Prada. Their pledges epitomise the industry's plans to do its part in saving the planet. Without immediate action, fashion will account for one-fourth of the world’s carbon budget by 2050. As times have changed, consumers have begun to demand transparency about what they’re buying. This has led to a transformation in the way business is conducted. Many businesses have different sections on websites and specially targeted campaigns to suggest and justify their positive actions towards the environment.

    But though luxury brands continue to cater to the wealthy and privileged, the demand for luxury timeless pieces has increased over the past few years. They have a comparative advantage over their fast fashion counterparts in that their goods are purchased for their longevity rather than on the short-term cycles inherent to their inexpensive counterparts.

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    Embracing key luxury pieces is not the only way forwards towards going greener for customers. Secondhand fashion has gained increasing popularity over the past few years, and luxury retailers have responded. This year, Farfetch announced its collaboration with Thrift+, an on-demand donation service for pre-owned clothes. Shoppers can order a Thrift+ x Farfetch donation bag where proceeds go to charity as well as back to the customer as Farfetch credit. TikTok and Instagram, additionally, are filled with people participating in upcycling, from bleaching to a few stitches here and there. Many have also begun to invest in resale trends in order to keep up with hypebeast culture, buying or selling barely worn Air Dior sneakers and Off-White hoodies.

    As luxury brands attempt to produce sustainable and ethical goods, the question of whether this interest is genuine or just an attempt to capitalize on a hot-button topic still remains to be seen.