EU Directive Were to Say No New Clothes Are To Be Manufactured/Imported for A Year
Imagine.
A sort of lockdown for the clothing industry. What do you see? Does the world end? Does the economy collapse? Is this idea making you feel uneasy or do you feel 'meh'? How does that year look like for you and your daily life?
Let's have a quick look at the current state of things first:
This is what I think would likely happen If the EU or some other directive were to demand that no new clothes were produced in a year to tallow the industry to self correct:
Most would freak out without really thinking about why. Brexiters will have #itoldyouso trending. #deathtofashion would be another trending tag. This would probably go on for about two weeks and finally the calmer and more logic opinions will start to come through as the shock will have worn off and we will be ready to adjust to the new reality. We will look for the calmer voices for direction on whether we are in an actual catastrophe or not
2. Supply chain Havoc
Factories would shut down and thousands of people will lose their jobs. Fashion companies in the west would close the majority of their buying functions. Fashion weeks would cease. Decisions would be immediate and feel very painful in the moment.
There might be uprise and protests to reverse the law and this would probably happen BUT if it didn't
3. The industry would start to self correct
We would realise that we already have more than enough clothes in the system to last at least 4 years. The average person would utilise the other 50% of their closet they never actually wear. Fashion brands would cease burning unsold items and put them into circulation.
Secondhand platforms would blow up and with all the resources now directed at the used items , the user experience of these platforms would get so much better allowing customers to search and shop seamlessly.
4. Trends wouldn't stop, Designers would simply adopt alterations.
Fashion trends do not need new garments to be made, just imagination. Alterations would become a huge thing and designers and big fashion companies would leverage this. A year would not be long enough to set up new services so the current ones would just see crazy growth and buyout offers.
5. Wardrobe Apps Would Become Style Bibles
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As customers are forced to re-imagine what they already have, they will turn to wardrobe apps for help. The likes of Save Your Wardrobe, Whering & Caldwell would see exponential growth. Companies like Zalando would probably try to acquire them.
6. AI Wardrobe Consultants would become a hit
Myself and my team would spend nights trying to handle the requests coming through to Kl?m since her services are the price of a cup of coffee vs human stylists. We would need to train her faster and perhaps be overwhelmed by the amount of data coming through. We would get offers to sell but never would because this new shift in customer behaviour would support a lot of the bets on where Kl?m wants to be in the future.
7. We would all learn to sew
Sewing workshops would see a massive boom as we would all try to learn how to mend our own clothes and give them a longer life. Sewing content would trend on Tiktok and so would clothing hacks.
8. Our relationship with clothes would heal
Throw away culture has created a dynamic of disrespect between us and our clothes. Considering the amount of hands a single item of clothing goes through before it finds a home on a body, it always makes me so sad to see how we rudely discard clothes. If we had to save every last garment we have, we would be able to recognise and appreciate the work and effort that goes into making them.
9. Special sizes would feel the pinch
Plus size customers would be the first to feel the pinch as there would be less plus size clothes circulating the market especially well made clothes. A huge reason why this customer tends to shop fast fashion.
10. The environment would heal
Remember that 'nature is healing' image of Venice after a year of lockdown? A version of this would happen for places where clothing factories are as well as those where fast fashion is dumped. Cleaner air to start for sure.
Conclusion
This scenario of course would never ever happen but if it did, I really think we would be better for it. Would love to know what you think though.
Credits
Infographs by me via Kl?m
daa Director of Communications | ex-Vodafone, Netflix and Prosus | Sustainability expertise | PRII National Council
2 年Really interesting idea. What do you think of Penny’s sustainability goals? I was in there yesterday and the sustainability branding/information on materials is centre stage which seems encouraging. To your point about accessibility, if penny’s can make more sustainable clothing affordable for the masses, does it improve things or is it still fast fashion? Would love your view.
Sustainability (Reporting) Expert engaging for a more responsible & inclusive (fashion) world / Circularity / CSRD
2 年????
An 'eternal solutionist' passionate about circularity and sustainability, with over 15 years experience working in sustainable business, driven to deliver positive change through human connection.
2 年I think this is super interesting and something I think about all the time! - could the 160 billion garments produced each year be consumed via circular fashion business models instead of new? One thing that is interesting is that it is in some cases it is currently more expensive to repair something than buy it again, so incentivised pricing and regulation to make new more expensive vs repair/reuse/resale would certainly help (as legislating against new production entirely may be unlikely as you suggest) Perhaps minimum pricing or taxation, as per alcohol or sugar tax? One thing that interests me most and is barely ever covered, is the impact on the garment workers of stopping or reducing new production. How could the industry or broader global community support new industries implement a shared value circular economy at a local level to replace linear supplier model? More questions than answers as always....
Founder/ Director IMME Sustainables Ltd t/a Offset Fashions, a Sustainable, Circular and Ethical Fashion company start-up, aspiring to discourage the throw away culture of fast fashion.
2 年Wouldn’t that be amazing! Even more so if OffSet Fashion was included in the list.