22 October 2024
Black Friday: Mindful shopping with a digital wardrobe app
- Lifestyle
- Reduce
Mother Earth sends a clear message: the fashion industry’s current growth trajectory is unsustainable. This isn’t just an environmental crisis; it’s a societal one too. The pursuit of ‘trendy’ fashion is leading to widespread exploitation of individuals. There is an urgent need to prioritise positive impact over economic expansion. Thankfully, many sustainable entrepreneurs are already blazing a trail towards change. However, achieving a complete transformation demands collective support and resilience.
What is Degrowth?
The concept of “economic growth” is often perceived positively, a perception deeply rooted in our cultural understanding. However, to keep operating within the planetary boundaries and maintaining the Earth’s ecological balance might require us to rethink this notion and embrace “Degrowth.” This movement advocates for reducing overproduction and overconsumption, embodying the principle of “less and better.” As highlighted in the Earth Logic Plan by Fletcher and Tham (2019), the transition to sustainable textile fibres, while important, is not the primary focus. Instead, the plan emphasises the need to “outgrow growth,” advocating for a significant cultural shift towards sustainable practices. This approach redefines progress, placing ecological and social well-being at the forefront.
To accomplish Earth Logic’s plan, 6 holistic starting points have been identified for the progressive transformation of the fashion sector in which “less” has a core focus. Among other things, Degrowth is a counter-reaction to the reduced availability of energy resources, the climate crisis, and its social consequences. Moreover, it questions capitalist values and behaviour.
Iana Nesterova, in the Journal of Cleaner Production, proposes a framework with three elements to establish a degrowth economy and society: environment, people and a departure from the imperative of profit maximisation.
How Will We Implement Degrowth in the Fashion Sector?
For fashion to “degrow” simply requires less production and less consumerism. The transition from fast fashion to slow fashion is crucial to achieve this. You will read more about this soon in a new COSH! article.
Brands need a slow business model to move from growth logic to earth logic. Uninterrupted economic growth has been a top priority for fashion companies for too long. It is no longer beneficial to produce huge volumes yearly and sell them at too low a price.
"There is no business on a dying planet." David R. Bower
Therefore, we must move to a mindset where continuous business (circular) is worth more than growing a take-make-waste business (linear).
Extending the Lifecycle
One remedy for the degrowth of fashion is to improve quality, so that consumers can use clothes for longer and prolong their lifespan. In theory, this would mean they would need to buy less clothing, and the brand would need to produce less.
"By reusing clothes or putting them back on the sales circuit, several people and companies can make money without having to produce anything from scratch." Niki de Schryver, CEO of COSH!
Other ways to slow down the fast fashion world include implementing warranty periods including repairs, returning products to re-market and swapping, reselling or renting products. Numerous initiatives are emerging to extend the lifespan of clothes.
Economic System
That said, degrowth refers to the entire economic system and redefining success against overconsumption and economic profit or revenue growth. This is a challenge. The Earth Logic Plan (Fletcher, K. and Tham, M. (2019). Earth Logic Fashion Action Research Plan. London: The JJ Charitable Trust, p.14) notes that:
“The scale and speed of the changes required mean that systemic efforts are needed. In the fashion context, this means looking not only at the environmental impact of a fashion product and its production processes. We also need to look at the psychology behind fashion use, our economic, financial and trading systems, how we shape local and global infrastructures around clothing, and how we build meaningful lives and livelihoods. Looking at fashion beyond the logic of economic growth shifts power from multinationals to organisations, communities and citizens.”
As more and more clothes are sold, more are also produced, and more raw materials are needed, which are ultimately wasted when the clothes are discarded. In the future, fewer and fewer resources will be available due to climate change and conflicts. This will partly force degrowth.
How to Degrow Your Fashion Business
Though still a theoretical concept in economics, degrowth represents a vital perspective shift for safeguarding our planet. Emphasising planetary well-being over industrial growth necessitates a comprehensive overhaul of the fashion industry. This transformation encompasses every stage from design and production to sales and even extends to managing and taking responsibility for the end-of-life phase of products. Such a change indicates a profound reimagining of the business model, one that prioritises ecological integrity and sustainability over traditional measures of success.
1. Go slow and timeless
At COSH! we know that it is not easy for (sustainable) entrepreneurs to reduce sales intentionally. Sustainable retailers are already committed to slow fashion and quality collections.
2. Resale: sell timeless pieces second-hand
They can, therefore, set an important example for other fashion businesses by also offering resale. This means that their own customers can offer goods purchased in the shop back to the shop for resale.
3. Cherish repairs
It is important to focus on the whole life cycle of clothes, to communicate the story to customers and to ensure that garments are cherished.
To contribute to degrowth, a first step could be, for example, to partner up with tailors.
4. Have a dialogue with customers on cost per wear
Last, but not least, advise customers to make a worthwhile purchase and avoid mispurchases. Sometimes that even means advising them not to buy the product if the client feels unsure of it because they don’t know if it, for example, fits their style. If you engage in dialogue on the cost per wear, you can guide them to investment pieces that they’ll wear over and over again, decreasing the cost per wear.
Is the World Ready for Degrowth?
The momentum behind the degrowth model is growing as more individuals initiate projects that align with its principles. This surge in grassroots support is heartening, especially considering the reluctance of many industries to embrace degrowth voluntarily. The call for this shift isn’t just a societal whim; it’s a response to the urgent pleas of our planet. Termed “post-growth” for its vision beyond traditional growth metrics, degrowth aspires to set a new standard. It promises to shape a sustainable future for both the Earth and upcoming generations, potentially becoming the ‘new normal’ in our economic and environmental stewardship approach.
"We have argued that nobody wins the human race. We have sought to explain that what mainstream economists call progress is what ecologists call planetary ruin. We have contended that infinite growth on a finite planet is a recipe for catastrophe." George Monbiot in The Guardian
Another pressing concern is the effect of degrowth on the people who make our clothes, Ecocult argues. “84% of Bangladesh’s exports come from garment production in the country. This degrowth would certainly lead to job losses and disruption for millions of garment workers.”
This Ecocult article mentions Susan Paulson, professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida and co-author of The Case for Degrowth. Paulson argues that a degrowth economy could actually put power back in the hands of countries dependent on the international fashion industry, allowing them to sustain their economies in a way that benefits their citizens.
Niki de Schryver, founder of the platform COSH!, wants to focus on influencing people to purchase more sustainable and quality clothing “so that people continue to spend the same budget but on fewer clothes that they will wear for longer. If these clothes are made fairly locally or in countries like Bangladesh, new fair jobs will occur, and fast fashion jobs where people are exploited will fade.”
As you may notice, the concept of degrowth is still evolving and generates debate. According to Lucy Siegle in the foreword of Earth Logic, this change can generate loss, difficulty, friction, conflict and dilemmas. However, the important thing is to face these challenges and work towards a solution.
