by Do you enjoy shopping for clothes but despise the impact the fast fashion industry has on the planet’s environment and the community? If that’s the case, you could be ready to start your own sustainable and responsible fashion company.
Last Wednesday, a student in Virginia shared a now-viral Jimmy John Shark photo on Twitter of a Jimmy John’s sandwich that appeared to have a shark poking out of it. Do you think it should get so much popularity?
There are many elements to consider before launching your entrepreneurial adventure, from knowing about industry trends to developing a recruitment strategy for your clothing line and deciding on its legal form.
This guide as to how to establish a sustainable and responsible fashion brand will teach you all that you need to know about getting your business off the ground, including how to build a compelling business plan that will attract investors.
What Is Sustainable Fashion?
Whereas “fast fashion” refers to clothes and shoes that are made cheaply and clearly meant for short-term usage, “sustainable” (or “ethical”) fashion is the polar opposite, and can also be referred to as “slow fashion.” It considers the entire process of product development — from the design, procurement, and manufacturing techniques — and takes into account everyone and everything affected by it, from the climate to the workers and the general public where it is made to the consumers who buy it.
At the end of this article, you may learn more about the major difficulties confronting the fashion industry, as well as tips for purchasing responsibly.
Sustainability Training is the first piece of advice for making a brand more sustainable. Many organizations claim that their business is sustainable and responsible, but when asked if they have received any sustainability training, the answer is a loud no.
To begin, the Director and management, as well as the majority, if not all, staff, should take some classes on social responsibility and sustainable fashion. Many courses are available in this area, and many are even free. After completing this course, explore sustainable aspects of industries that may not be directly related to your business but has a huge impact on the industry you are in.
Sustainability & Sustainable Fashion training is crucial because it allows you to view the broad picture and understand what it takes to become sustainable and where you should focus your efforts. Developing your brand to be more responsible requires sustainable fashion training.
There has been no scarcity of novel bio-based products to hit the market in recent years, from flower petals silk to plant leather. What’s the next test? Scaling up these technologies so they can be used to replace the more environmentally harmful fabrics they’re meant to replace.
We’re already seeing more investment in this area from sustainable fashion brands. Startups are using things like food waste to manufacture clothes. Some use these as a base material as a base for clothing, while others use food wastes as natural dyes for fabric processing. This minimizes the harmful chemicals used to manufacture coloured materials.
It’s vital to use low-impact materials in anything you manufacture as a brand, whether it’s shoes or gowns. This is an excellent technique to create a brand more long-term. All textiles and fibres have advantages and disadvantages, so examine all of the textiles and other materials you’re considering.
In relation to water usage and pollutants, polyester processing has lesser ecological consequences than natural fibre production. Polyester production, however, is a high-impact process leading up to the energy required and the greenhouse gas generated. The polyester used in garments created 282 billion kg of CO2 in 2015, approximately three times higher than the previous year.
It is a truth that natural materials and textiles require less energy to manufacture than synthetics. Oil and natural gas are also used to make synthetic materials like polyester and acrylics. As a result, natural fabrics require less energy and emit fewer CO2 gases into the environment.
Make sure that you get in touch with an ethical clothing or beauty distributor in Toronto for high-quality low-impact materials.
By utilizing technology in your daily business processes, you’re lessening the economic impact your business has on the environment. Although paper products are considered biodegradable, this does not take away the fact that paper products still contribute to waste.
Additionally, by using technology for your business processes, you increase efficiency and the effectiveness of your business. By limiting waste, you save more on unnecessary costs and generate higher revenue.
A popular technology that is on the rise within the fashion industry is artificial intelligence (AI). By utilizing AI, customers and the fashion industry can accurately measure clothes that fit perfectly. This allows for precise measurements of fabrics thereby minimizing wastage. This also ensures that the logistics of acquiring materials is less since companies tend to throw less and save up more.
Digital marketing is also a sustainable strategy if you’re wondering where to promote your business online.
Social media is a powerful tool. On average, people around the world spend at least 2 hours daily on social networking sites. Having a social media presence gives your company much-needed exposure to your target audience and a sustainable and affordable platform where to promote your business online.
Further, social media is a great platform to conduct your digital marketing strategy. Since most users tend to use social media platforms as a search engine to try and find relevant companies that can cater to their needs, having a presence on social media is a sustainable way of promoting your business. It costs less, and with the proper strategy, can be more effective compared to traditional marketing strategies.
E-commerce is on the rise, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It allows companies to continue their business and for consumers to avail of their products and services, without having to physically be in contact with each other.
In fact, some businesses have established an e-commerce platform without opening a physical store at all. While this setup may not be applicable to your business, an e-commerce platform allows you to reduce the size of your physical store, consequently saving more on costs to operate a physical store and reducing your economic footprint.
Start your sustainable fashion business on a strong note and take these tips into consideration.
