Eco Fashion World

 
"Individuals are aware of and care about sustainable fashion and the environment, social, and economic impacts of the consumption and production of fashion." -from the NICE Consumer Framework for Achieving Sustainable Fashion Consumption Through Collaboration

The authors of the NICE Consumer Framework assume that many, if not most, consumers would do the right thing. Meaning price and style being equal, they would choose the more ethical and/or eco-friendly item over the item lacking these qualities if they simply had the information. Of course, that information would have to be easily deciphered, preferably graphically displayed, and from a credible source. Sounds reasonable, right? Perhaps.

Assuming, for a moment, this is true. Forget about the best way, what are any of the ways consumers could get this information? No doubt many of you reading this article are already label readers. I can tell you right now, the issue of label transparency has caused many an industry professional to glaze over as they contemplate their painkiller of choice.  How much of which types of information displayed, where, and how on the garment is unwieldy enough, but actually tracking down the information, especially when it comes to material is just too much to contemplate for most manufacturers who have outsourced a majority of the production process.  

Labels already contain a fair amount of information. Truly speaking, the content of the label only becomes significant in the buying process to the extent that there is an interesting story to tell. And some of us are looking for just that. I start with the clothing label to determine production location and fabric content, then I move on to the hang tag.  At this point, I’m looking for a compelling story, “Made with love by a women’s collective in Colorado” SOLD! (That little Maruca bag is what I take onboard my plane flights now).  

Whether or not the shopper is a compulsive label reader, steering a consumer to a more sustainable purchase often rests on the sales staff.  The NICE folks know this and recommend, “Brands and retailers provide sustainability training and professional development opportunities to their employees . . . .”  Sales people should fundamentally know the ethical and sustainable nature of any product on the floor. A knowledgeable sales staff is the most influential point in the fashion consumption process. Investing in the development of the sales team is crucial in the campaign to build awareness in the area of making sustainable fashion choices for not only the sake of the consumer, but also for the retailer and brands. As many savvy businesses know, the sharing of information is one of the best ways to create affinity, trust, and loyalty in the customer, thereby increasing revenue.

As for the consumer, it pays to know what you’re getting for your hard-earned dollars. With the exception of some fair trade items (and this is rapidly changing), eco-friendly merchandise is usually of higher quality given the amount of thought and care that goes into creation of that item. Moreover, timeless classic design is typically built into the garment or accessory so that it will be fashionable as long as it endures, which is likely to be far longer than that item from a fast-fashion retailer. These are the messages that need to get out to the public in whatever ways possible.

From her home-base in northern California, Oceana travels the world to be in the sustainable fashion conversation. She considered it a great privilege to attend the 2012 Copenhagen Fashion Summit for the unveiling of the UN Global Compact Code of Conduct for ethics and sustainability in the fashion industry. You can follow her on her blog at Oceana's Canvas, on Twitter at  OceanasCanvas, Facebook at Oceana's Canvas - Ethical Style.

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