Conscious Consumer.

Purchase trends are shifting. The consumer’s trust on the product, its origin and production process are becoming a powerful force that dictates how companies must operate if they want to remain relevant. Therefore, market’s needs must be met with responsible sourcing and sustainable production.

Sustainable fashion with conscious actions.

Not long ago, celebrities shared their concern regarding the plight of animals. Shortly afterwards, using their skin as clothing became nothing short of a capital sin. Nowadays, a shift has occurred from animals to the environment of materials from sustainable sources that preserve the delicate balance between man and nature.

Sustainable fashion is on track to become an important trend within the sector and while doing so, it is slowly but steadily surfacing at stores from the most popular brands in the world. This is not about being “more fashionable”. Rather, it is about being sustainable without sacrificing style. It means finding the perfect combination, the right balance between looking good and feeling good about what you purchase and what you wear.

“Conscious” collections from different brands reveal the use of new materials from sustainable sources, recycled fabrics and raw materials for accessories such as recycled glass and rhinestones. These surprisingly effective collections based on reuse and recycling have also spread the use of organic fibers, such as certified organic cotton. “Conscious tags”, which emerged from these facts and situations, indicate a brand is sustainable and responsible. Through these tags, textile companies seek to position their brands as world leaders in the race for sustainability.

Responsible brands, ustainable sourcing.

Most world fashion brands and large distribution chains have a team dedicated exclusively to sustainable and responsible manufacturing. Their management has enormous influence to lead the brand in order to reposition itself as a leader in sustainability instead of being only a large provider of fashionable clothes.

Considering the increase in consumer awareness of ethical practices and sustainable sourcing, this is a proven strategy for each of these brands to achieve the “responsible and sustainable” label around the world.

Commitment to the client and to the origin.

In today’s globalized world, where sourcing comes from emerging markets, it is a hallmark for a company to be willing and committed to being a disruptively positive force in local communities. These large companies can make a difference and use their influence to promote better working conditions, reduce the environmental impact and respect throughout along the entire value chain.

Through the introduction of global agreements with trade unions, brands are working to generate improvements for workers and their families, including trade union rights, collective negotiation and fair wages.

Ensuring decent wages has become a key element in corporate policy within the textile industry in the last few years. To establish examples of good practices, the application of the fair wages method has been extended to strategic suppliers’ factories and companies have started to publish their list of suppliers. In this sense, and to further expand transparency, supplies and raw materials factories have been included.

Consumers see more than just clothes when they go into a store and head to the shelves where garments are. It is the proof and guarantee of what these fashion businesses have done to become a positive force for local communities what contributes to their success. In order to get beyond that value chain, those companies’ foundations are investing in the people and the communities where they manufacture their products. Through different collaboration projects between the foundations and these communities, we are witnessing a shift in the win-win corporate policy that is focused on improving people’s lives on a global scale.

Bottom line.

We are living in dynamic times. Access to technology and information are unprecedented and as a result, people are increasingly aware of our impact on the planet, both negative and positive. Resources are not infinite and recycling, for example, is no longer a question of prestige, but of extreme necessity.

The acceptance of diversity and inclusion has become the cornerstones of how companies do business abroad and promote an environment of safe, social-conscious practices.

A sustainable, responsible supply chain leads fashion companies to their own success and the planet’s.

It is our responsibility to make it happen!

This Article is also published in my Opinion Piece in America Retail