by Lucielle Salomon

On Earth Day, Portland’s sustainable fashion event Sustainable Fashion Forum (SFF), hosted its seventh annual conference in a hybrid format, gathering fashion brands, retailers, activists, academics and consumers alike to discuss and explore the nuanced layers at the intersection of fashion and sustainability. From circularity to legislation panels, here are our favorite takeaways.

Circularity 360: Business Models, Material Innovation, Consumer Behavior, and Technology

It is no news that circular economy is a hot topic in the sustainable fashion industry, as it challenges the current linear take, make and waste process highly visible in the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon. During this panel, Tricia Langman, partner at Hecho Por Nosotros, said circularity is about thinking long-term, considering what will happen to a product at the end of its lifecycle. But these innovative efforts are much easier said than done. Langman also mentions in order for circularity to work, government intervention and consumer education need to be prevalent. Brands with a take-back program can only do so much. “Nothing is going to happen unless there are regulations and partnerships in place,” says Langman. Right now, businesses have media pressure to be sustainable.

“People need structure and support to be circular,” she continues. Unfortunately, consumers are not necessarily driving brands' sustainable efforts which is why she highlights that industry partners should continue educating people about where their clothes are from and what they are made of in order to change consumer behavior and hopefully drive business change. Nicole Bassett, Circularity Lead at Bleckmann, mentions customers need to know they are part of the system. However, as Monday Creative’s CEO and Co-founder Amanda Smith shares the challenge of how do we make circular economy appealing to people to help them internalize it?

The Psychology of Fast Fashion: What Sustainable Fashion Brands Are Getting Wrong About Building a Compelling Brand Identity That Resonates With Customers

As you may know, fashion is incredibly personal. It allows you to reinvent yourself and aspire to be like others, becoming an advantage of fast fashion, as it enables that self-expression to happen much quicker and cheaper. Have you considered what makes people gravitate toward fast fashion and what sustainable fashion leaders can learn from it?

This question took the main stage during this panel. As Scout Lab’s Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder Willow Hill puts it, we must grab a chapter from fast fashion’s playbook. It is no surprise that the topic of sustainability can be an overwhelming one. Which is why Brittany Sierra, moderator and SFF founder, says it is about making the heavy conversation fun and accessible in order to move the needle. Hill agrees and highlights the importance of storytelling. “Brands need to craft a message that doesn't fully rely on sustainability,” she says. “If you remove the sustainability message, will your message still work?” Hill notes the key might be having consumers feel and be part of the culture.

Fashion writer Rayouf Alhumedhi chimed in, noting sustainable fashion brands need to cultivate a place of community. Dr. Dion Terrelonge, psychologist and style and well-being consultant, reminded us that fast fashion is heavily reinforced by people and things around us, enabling the addicting habit. Therefore, the messaging around sustainability must be prevalent throughout multiple communication channels to help sink in the message and hopefully become the status quo.

Standardizing Sustainability: Navigating the Landscape of Consumer-Facing Impact Attributes

A problematic aspect of sustainability is that it is very subjective, meaning something different to everybody, so industry alignment is a huge challenge and needed. Panelist Frank Zambrelli, executive director of the Responsible Business Coalition and managing director at Accenture, points out that getting the industry to align prompts businesses to let go of certain ways they do business, which is no easy feat. Retailer Neiman Marcus is making strides in this space, coming up with its criteria for sustainability, and curating a shopping edit that makes it easy for shoppers to shop sustainably.

The retailer’s Sustainability and ESG Reporting Manager, Maggie Finder, shared the five criteria that would deem a brand as conscious and sustainable, noting brands must meet at least one of them in order to be part of the edit:

• contains at least 40% of sustainable materials, circular or vegan materials;

• made in factories run by those who go above and beyond to protect their employees and our planet;

• gives back;

• made by BIPOC or LGTBQ-owned brands; and

• transparent, increasing customer’s visibility into their complex supply chain.

In addition, Neiman Marcus understands education is needed in this category. Therefore, it is educating its associates, as they have intimate contact with shoppers and can convert customers that wouldn’t necessarily shop that way. Finder points out that although its edit has a lower shopping rate, it does have a nice conversion rate. The retailer has also launched a program in which it helps brand partners with resources and classes towards sustainability, including the subsidizing of certain certifications.

Designing for Sustainability: Balancing Creativity and Responsibility

Manufacturing is an important element in sustainability, as factories can negatively impact the environment through water contamination, air pollutant emissions and toxic waste. But unfortunately, it is a segment that is barely part of the sustainability conversation. “It’s a voice that is missing,” says Sustainable Fashion Storyteller, Ruby Meridiano.

“If manufacturers are not supported, there’s a discrepancy in the process,” she adds. If you check most clothes’ fabric composition, you will notice the heavy prevalence of polyester, mainly due to manufacturing moving over to Asia in the 90s, says Cirq’s Chief Scientific Officer Julie Willough.“If together we can make the manufacturers more sustainable, we can help decarbonize the industry as we all buy from the same suppliers,” Adidas’s Senior Sustainability Manager Kara Brody adds. It is going to take a collective effort to make a change in the industry. All the blame and responsibility should not be placed on the consumer, especially since, in the U.S., we do not understand composting, and most items are not made out of single materials.

The Business of Sustainability: A Profit-Driven Approach

Balancing financial goals with social and environmental responsibility is both complex and challenging. This is where opportunities for innovation and leaning into personal values come into play. It is of course a tricky balance for brands considering they need to push out new products to keep the lights on. But they also must be mindful of how they grow their company responsibly and that is where circular economy comes in, providing that element of innovation that can lead brands to new revenue streams.

Trove’s Head of Business Development, Nina Ahuja, emphasized that every item a brand makes is an asset. “How much will it cost to get your item back and make money?” she points out. Known Supply’s Co-founder Kohl Crecelius mentions that for his company, their vision is to grow as fast as its customers will allow them. In the end, the challenge is how brands can extend these ecosystems without customers feeling a difference in their shopping journey.