Change Of Pace

Many designers, like Marine Serre, are rethinking fast fashion and what it means to be a sustainable brand. (photos courtesy Marina Serre)

We’ve all had to slow down a lot this year. People across the world took a break, while nature took a breath. I took a styling pause and delved into the issue of sustainable fashion.

There are many facets to the movement. Terms like “fast fashion,” “ethical,” “conscious” and “eco-friendly” swirl around. But when we’re talking about sustainable fashion, we’re really discussing the effects that producing a garment has on the world. And those effects are worthy of our attention. Clothing manufacturing is one of the highest-polluting industries in the world.

In recent years, the industry has started to change its practices. Even the largest companies, like H&M and Levi’s, have been looking at sustainability.

One could surmise that couture, the pinnacle of luxury fashion, is the very embodiment of sustainability, given its slow-fashion practices. Couture houses adhere to stringent ethical rules, with each atelier required to create at least 25 unique designs each season and employ a minimum number of skilled, well-paid staff. In terms of process, couture fashion harks back to a time when each garment was made-to-order and created to last. But the fabrics and materials are not necessarily eco-friendly and, for the vast majority of us, the exuberant cost of an end-to-end couture wardrobe is simply unattainable.

Still, there are luxury designers for which sustainability is key to the brand’s identity. Last year, more than 150 designers and companies signed onto French president Emmanuel Macron’s Fashion Pact, an initiative to tackle the environmental crisis within the industry. Burberry was among the first brands to commit. For spring 2020, it launched ReBurberry Edit, a collection of 26 pieces—including its iconic raincoat—made from natural fibers and recycled materials.

Another Fashion Pact member is Stella McCartney. The designer has shown the industry that it is possible to create a compelling brand without the use of leather, fur, feathers or animal skins. This season, 75% of the materials used to create her signature urban sportswear and sharp tailoring were eco-friendly.

Sustainability is also at the core of Gabriella Hearst’s eponymous brand. The latest collection, made in her home country of Uruguay, comprises 30% dead stock (materials that would have ended up in landfill). Extreme care is taken in knowing the provenance of all materials used, never wavering from an emphasis on timeless craftsmanship. The same can be said of new-wave designer Marine Serre, whose upcycling has generated some wonderful designs, including dresses made from scrapped neoprene. This season, half of her collection is made from upcycled materials, including plastic raincoats and belts made from recycled metal.

Each of us can make a choice to prioritize sustainability, and the pandemic has disrupted my lust for fast fashion. I’m on a new path, convinced that a slower, more soulful approach to clothing is the way forward. It has to be. The alternative is simply not viable for our planet.

Kim Smith has been a professional wardrobe stylist in Honolulu since 2004. Born a true Londoner, Smith had a successful career in public relations in the fashion industry in London for more than eight years before moving to Hawai‘i in 2002. Smith’s work spans a vast array of magazines, retailers and television as well as working with individual clients on their specific style needs. See her work at kimsmithstyle.com.