We would like to answer with a categorical no, to affirm that mentalities have definitely changed, that new entrepreneurs like today's consumers are concerned by sustainable development above all...
Is fashion virtuous?
For several years, the brands that have taken off in France are those that have adopted sustainable values : Le Slip Français, Sézane, Veja… Especially in the jeans and sneakers sectors, young shoots are bearers of ethical values , looking for Made In France, short circuits, with organic or recycled raw materials. And it works!
They have managed to attract new consumers, particularly Millennials, no doubt through their disruptive values, but perhaps above all – let's not kid ourselves – through their trendy products, their offbeat discourse and communication, and inspiring storytelling, very much in tune with the times.
Would these brands have achieved such success by simply asserting their sustainable development values? Undoubtedly not. To judge this, one only has to look at the fate reserved for a few organic textile brands without further discourse. Finally, it is important to emphasize one essential point: these brands are aimed at populations who have – or are giving themselves – the means to buy items whose average price is much higher than the average.
On the other hand, faced with the growing demand <44% of people aged 17 to 26 say they want increased use of eco-friendly fabrics in fashion >, more and more major brands are launching into the marketing of certified organic or ethical products. According to a study by the IFM (French Fashion Institute), these brands, often from large groups, are adopting the eco trend to improve their image (83%) or increase their turnover (65%). More virtuous, certainly, but also out of opportunism. And what can we say when we know that the same study reveals that only 8% of textile brands consider sustainable development as a priority.
It must be accessible to all budgets
2020 was a dark year for the clothing sector. While online sales outperformed (+42%), overall turnover is said to have fallen by 55%. Added to this cyclical crisis is a worrying structural figure: the household budget allocated to clothing consumption fell by ten points between 1990 and 2020.
The purchase of clothes – considered a non-priority – is heavily dependent on household budgets. And when the budget is tight, the first thing we look at is the price.
Indeed, according to the IFM, 58% of total sales made on the web are on products with crossed-out prices. In 2020, the big winners in clothing purchases were Vinted, Vestiaire Collective, Veepee and Showroomprivé, second-hand or clearance sites, sites also popular with Millennials. As for the younger generation, with an even tighter budget, they do not hesitate to buy on sites like Shein or to buy from Fast Fashion. For the majority of them, sustainability and ethics remain very secondary issues.
However, most ethical brands have included among their values the refusal of incessant promotions such as Black Friday, private sales and others.
Opportunistic entrepreneurs
Result: alongside brands with ethical values, many mini labels are appearing that work on a just-in-time basis by "customizing" pre-designed clothes purchased at low prices from the same suppliers as those in Fast Fashion. This is also one of the models recommended to young entrepreneurs who would like to launch their fashion brand.
And this is all the more so since one of the markets that has performed best recently is that of streetwear, which is not the most ethical there is. Many sites or shops offer t-shirts or sweatshirts made in Asia or the Maghreb, customized on demand on site.
It is therefore much easier and more profitable to launch a label that uses the resources of Fast fashion, but the communication of trendy labels: small productions, in a tight flow or on demand, at very affordable prices. Even if it only lasts for a while, and changes the concept according to trends.
Long live Metamode!
Solving the problem of overconsumption, exploitation of natural and human resources, while supporting creation and still selling clothes - for the moment expensive - is a done deal with virtual . It may seem surreal, and yet, 2020 saw the explosion of virtual fashion. And the announcement of the creation of Metaverses by Jerry Zuckerberg (ex Facebook became Meta), but also other players of the web of the future, as is already the case on the game Fortnite, promises a bright future for digital fashion.
In our pajamas at home, we will be able to create avatars who will wear clothes chosen, or even co-created and purchased online.
The Fabricant, a pioneer of virtual fashion, created Iridescence in 2019, the first virtual dress, which sold for $9,500 at auction. And collaborates with many names in fashion, such as Under Armour and Puma, to create screenwear . Here, no seasons or surplus, but creative, even crazy clothes, where Fashion takes back its values.
And as The Fabricant's creator says: "Digital fashion production generates less than 10% of the carbon emissions in its life cycle (0.7g CO2) compared to a physical garment (8g CO2). Digital fashion will never end up in landfills, never generate plastic waste, and never contribute to water pollution."
It therefore seems difficult to create only ethical and sustainable fashion brands. Because these require a certain purchasing power from buyers that the vast majority – especially the youngest, who are the biggest consumers of clothing – do not have.
On the other hand, with the advent of digital fashion, should we expect a future where we would only wear ecological, sober and utilitarian physical clothing and where creativity and eccentricity would take place in digital universes? Utopia or dystopia, it's up to you.
