While the pandemic reduced the sheer volume of newness flooding the market at hyper-speed last year, big drops are back in a big way, according to retail intelligence provider EDITED, which said retailers are producing more than ever to capitalise on the revenge dressing phenomenon as people are buying for events to make up for lost time over lockdown.
While fast fashion arrivals are ramping up, products described with sustainable keywords are becoming more commonplace within the industry’s lexicon, in line with shifting priorities and consumer demand. The use of conscious materials is the primary way retailers indicate an item is sustainable, EDITED said in its report called “The Sustainability EDIT 2021’.
The keyword ‘recycled’ makes up the majority of sustainable products available across the US and UK market as it is incorporated across a breadth of products spanning activewear, swimwear, outdoor apparel and denim.
While the pandemic reduced the sheer volume of newness flooding the market at hyper-speed last year, big drops are back in a big way, according to retail intelligence provider EDITED, which said retailers are producing more than ever to capitalise on the revenge dressing phenomenon as people are buying for events to make up for lost time over lockdown.
Yet, EDITED recorded only 34 per cent of products contain 100 per cent recycled materials in the United States and 26 per cent in the United Kingdom, indicating there is still work to be done.
Navigating sustainable pricing is one of the most challenging tasks for retailers to achieve as it is shrouded in negative perceptions on both ends of the scale.
If sustainable goods are marketed as too affordable then customers suspect greenwashing as they are unable to fathom how workers could be paid a fair, living wage in decent conditions to produce such a cheap garment. If sustainable prices are too expensive, retailers can risk alienating lower-income consumers’ opportunity to buy into conscious products, reaffirming the image that sustainable fashion is for elitists.
There are mixed findings on whether consumers are willing to pay more for sustainability too. While American Gen Zers may be more inclined to pay for eco-friendly fashion, they haven’t yet reached a high earning capacity for businesses to profit from.
Drapers also found that while 50 per cent of UK consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable fashion, 76 per cent would purchase it if prices were more affordable.
On average, products with environmental and ethical descriptors are advertised as more expensive across mass market brands in both analysed regions. Sustainable menswear is advertised 12 per cent above the average price in the United States, while womenswear is 4 per cent higher. In the United Kingdom, eco menswear is 21 per cent more expensive and womenswear 9 per cent more.
Across 2021, mushroom leather spread further into the mainstream with adidas, Stella McCartney and Lululemon experimenting with Mylo mycelium-based leather, which is grown in a few weeks, emits fewer greenhouse gases and uses less land than raising livestock.
Repurposing materials from food waste is also becoming more popular. Brands leading the way include: Rens Original, creating sneakers containing 150 grams of coffee waste; Viro´n, making dyes derived from food and flowers; and PANGAIA’s FRUTFIBER and PLNTFIBER collections that’s made with bamboo, Himalayan nettle eucalyptus, seaweed, alongside production waste from banana and pineapple leaves.
Retailers like Crocs are uphauling their original materials to be more carbon-friendly. From early 2022, the footwear brand will modify the materials used in its iconic clog style to introduce a new bio-based Croslite fabric. This will decrease its already low carbon footprint of 3.94 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent per Croc. Given the adverse impact of fashion on the planet, retailers need to be factoring in end-oflife solutions to their materials, the EDITED report said.
Zalando recently invested in circular apparel and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company, with plans to use its patented biodegradable and recyclable Infinna textile for its private label collection, it added.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
