Given Forefronts: Boohoo, Fast Fashion & A Much-Needed Shift in Focus
A recent interview with?Boohoo?Group's CEO John Lyttle made headlines not too long ago, and I'm not really surprised. Whenever a leader of a business such as?Boohoo?comes out with anything to say on sustainability the response will usually?follow a similar pattern. While there is much to comment on, the very fact that they are talking about sustainability at all I hope marks the beginning of a much-needed shift in a segment of the fashion industry who collectively are not doing nearly enough to move towards a business model that stays within planetary boundaries and upholds ethical standards in the supply chain.?
"Whenever a leader of a business such as?Boohoo?comes out with anything to say on sustainability the response will usually?follow a similar pattern."
Boohoo?Group have made that first step, and while not perfect, what we need at this juncture is progress. The headlines are never the full picture and?Boohoo?Group should be recognised for having committed itself to a whole range of sustainability based targets, including science-based climate goals and the establishment of circular design principles across their ranges.
Boohoo?Group's influence extends far beyond just those who shop with them, and I can only hope that there are many a CEO of other fast fashion laggards who this week will see his words as a subtle call to action to begin to step up their game within their?own businesses.
So while all of this makes me pause before I condemn, there is of course much more to be done. Perhaps most simply, I continue to be disheartened that brands continue to push a greenwashing agenda by claiming that their garments or materials will be sustainable. At best they can claim 'more sustainable', and only against a set of very narrow definitions. Much better would be to educate consumers on the true environmental and social costs of garment production. and then, and only then claim, that something is made with less environmental impact or in some way make a positive contribution to the lives of those who make the clothes that we wear. All brands have a choice to make in how they market sustainability and many just need to do better!
"In the end, though, we need to stop questioning whether fast fashion can be sustainable or not, and shift the conversation towards how we concretely build a model that it actually fit for the future we are all heading into."
In the end, though, we need to stop questioning whether fast fashion can be sustainable or not, and shift the conversation towards how we concretely build a model that it actually fit for the future we are all heading into. A fashion model that lives or dies on volumes can never be sustainable. Relying on incrementally more sales and squeezing costs out of the value chain to meet profit margins will always be an uneasy fit with sustainability, and an acknowledgement of that needs to happen now. Fashion sustainability must mean a long hard look at how we create the right relationship between business growth and the sustainability needs of our planet and communities.
Businesses, such as?Boohoo?Group, have many unique capabilities, and hundreds of talented individuals who can be deployed to achieve anything that they set their mind to; their business acumen is a testament to that. What needs to happen now is that they turn that acumen to solving an even bigger question than how do we maintain financial success!?
- Hannah Nascimento is Consultancy Director at Given Agency. Hannah's experience and expertise lie in achieving sustainable innovation and change whilst building a successful brand and business.