Today, I’d like to address a topic of great importance: the concept of Circular Fashion.
What does it mean exactly? Circular Fashion refers to the movement or circulation of trends, styles, and garments within the fashion industry and society at large. This term encompasses the flow of information, ideas, and products related to fashion through various channels such as fashion shows, magazines, social media platforms, stores, and personal recommendations.
On January 18th, a debate on this topic took place at the World Economic Forum, where influential figures from the fashion industry expressed their opinions on the matter. Among the participants were Margaret Zhang, Editor-in-Chief of VOGUE China; Patrice Louvet, President and CEO of Ralph Lauren; Suchitra Lohia, CEO of Indorama Venture, a leading global petrochemical company; Li Xin, Vice President of Caixin Media; and Leslie Johnston, Strategic Philanthropy expert.
Circular Fashion goes beyond simply recycling used garments; it’s about redefining the entire fashion industry.
It involves creating a closed-loop system where garments are designed to be reused, repaired, and repurposed, thereby reducing waste and prolonging their lifespan. Additionally, it entails appreciating the aesthetics of vintage fashion and giving new life to forgotten garments.
Addressing two main aspects is crucial: firstly, the need to reduce the excess of clothing that accumulates and pollutes our rivers. The fashion industry generates 20% of the world’s wastewater. Secondly, it’s essential to change consumer behavior, as we currently buy four times more clothing than in the 1990s and discard a significant amount each year.
The debate at the World Economic Forum underscored the urgency of finding solutions to these alarming statistics. Are we still in time to reverse this situation? Stricter regulations on sustainability are driving significant changes in companies, but it’s also crucial to educate consumers about the importance of making conscious and sustainable choices.
In the next post, we’ll explore concrete actions that each of us can take in our daily lives to contribute to this movement towards Circular Fashion. Join me in this important reflection.
Watch the whole debate at the following link.