6 Themes That Will Shape the Future of Sustainable Fashion in 2022
We’re calling it! As we usher in the new year, these are the standout themes that will shape sustainability in fashion in the coming year.
Over the last year, the dialogue around sustainability has transitioned from niche to mainstream, reflecting a global shift in awareness and prioritization of environmental concerns as individuals, corporations, and governments increasingly recognize the urgency of addressing climate change and environmental degradation.
The world’s largest fashion companies have responded to this global awakening by releasing sustainability reports setting ambitious goals for environmental improvement. This marks a significant step in acknowledging and addressing the industry’s substantial contribution to the climate crisis. Alongside environmental initiatives, these companies are also amplifying their efforts in social responsibility. They're actively expanding diversity and inclusion programs, vocally addressing societal issues, and dedicating substantial funds to combat racial inequities, showcasing a holistic approach to corporate responsibility."
To be sure, mindsets are changing, and the fashion industry is (finally) moving in the right direction. However, despite some companies’ increased efforts over the past year, an unwavering commitment is needed to achieve tangible progress in 2022 and beyond.
What will the sustainability conversation look like in the new year? What will the industry prioritize, and how will the industry adapt under the ongoing pressure of Covid-19-related turbulence? As 2021 comes to an end, these are the standout opportunities and challenges that will define sustainability in the year to come.
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Circular Thinking
Interest in the circular economy has seen a significant increase over the past few years and will continue to gain momentum in 2022.
At its core, a circular economy offers an alternative approach to value creation and aims to replace the current “take–make–waste” linear economic system with a regenerative one. In a circular system, fashion could overcome some of the most pressing issues facing the global apparel industry, including climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, while simultaneously creating opportunities for responsible growth.
Achieving an industry-wide circular business model is a lofty ambition that will take significant funding, large-scale innovation, transparency, and traceability. Investments in innovative business models and circular design are needed to decouple the industry from virgin material use and increase reuse rates.
If fashion could adopt a closed-loop system, materials would be endlessly reused and recycled, thus eliminating waste and pollution by limiting the extractive production of virgin raw materials, regenerating natural systems, and decreasing textile waste.
From groundbreaking shifts in textile recycling to digital ‘product passports’ and game-changing materials, in 2022, we’re likely to see circular solutions in fashion continue to scale if leaders in the industry remain determined to align a robust sustainability strategy with circular principles.
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Next-Gen Materials
Both nature-based and fossil fuel-based fibers are incredibly resource-depleting when produced and processed from raw materials. The current mainstream processes for sourcing materials have a monumental negative impact on climate change, public health, biodiversity, and environmental degradation.
While there’s no perfect material, designers are showing increasing interest in next-gen materials that yield ‘more sustainable,’ lower-impact alternatives to existing conventional materials.
From spider silks to mycelium-grown leather, fashion has seen its fair share of new materials that aim to reduce carbon and improve biodegradability or recyclability. However, many of these innovative fibers are still in the pilot phase and will need more time and funding before becoming commercially available.
In 2022, we’re likely to see the development and adoption of next-gen materials accelerate as continued investments and major partnerships set the tone for these technologies to scale and compete with existing materials in terms of performance price, and aesthetics.
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Biodiversity
With so many raw materials coming directly from nature, the apparel industry’s supply chain is directly linked to soil degradation, water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and other disruptions that lead to habitat loss.
As biodiversity continues to decline faster than ever before in human history, in 2021, the industry began to take a closer look at its complicity in this issue, realizing that climate change and biodiversity loss are interdependent — one accelerating the other and vice versa.
According to the Textile Exchange Biodiversity Insights Report, over half of the 157 fashion and textile companies included in the report (including Hermès, H&M, Kering, and Ralph Lauren) recognize biodiversity loss as a priority risk. Over half of the companies have already made public commitments to address biodiversity loss, and 38% of companies are beginning to implement restorative/regenerative measures in support of biodiversity.
However, with only 14% of companies able to track the countries where their primary raw materials are grown or extracted, greater transparency is needed to identify and manage the risk associated with their sourcing practices.
In 2022, we expect to see more companies demonstrate bold leadership to protect and restore our natural ecosystems by integrating biodiversity into their business model, setting targets, investing in solutions that transform larger systems, and working closely with suppliers to enact widespread change.
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Equitable and Transparent Supply Chains
Following the historic renewal of the Bangladesh Accord, for many, the passage of the Garment Worker Protection Act (SB62) in September marked the beginning of a new era for the global fashion industry and a level of accountability never seen before. With its passage, the Landmark bill made California the first state to prohibit the “piece rate” (a system where garment workers workers are paid according to how many units they complete in a certain amount of time, often resulting in less than $5 per hour). Instead, it will require hourly wages for garment workers and penalize manufacturers and brands for wage theft and illegal pay practices.
If these victories indicate that fashion is moving toward a more equitable future. Increased public concern for the treatment of garment workers will likely result in added pressure on brands to disclose information about their suppliers and what measures they’re taking to ensure ethical working conditions and fair wages.
Gone are the days where brand’s people-centric sustainability initiatives focus exclusively on employees at the facilities they directly manage while ignoring the conditions at the factories that produce their clothing.
In 2022 we’ll likely see brands put greater focus on obtaining full traceability of their supply chains to understand the environmental and social impact of their business practices and products, allowing brands to identify risks and challenges and build better relationships with suppliers and customers.
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Honest Marketing
As customer interest in sustainability increases, so has greenwashing resulting in consumers eroding trust in sustainability-focused marketing messages.
Whether intentional or unintentional, greenwashing is a marketing tactic where companies use misleading messaging to “appear” more sustainable than they really are. This could include making false claims about their sustainability practices and/or being vague with the facts and information they share.
Whether you call it radical transparency or brutal honesty, in an effort to reclaim consumer trust in 2021, we saw a wave of brands calling themselves out for the shortcomings they’ve made on their sustainability journey and the steps they’re taking to improve.
Between increased regulations, greenwashing crackdowns, and heightened consumer skepticism, in 2022, we’re predicting we’ll see more brands take the “honest not perfect” route to marketing and communicating their limitations and challenges in tandem with genuine work on the sustainability front. Rather than relying on vague buzzwords, narrowly focused cherry-picked goals, and green claims without any credible data, brands will invest in greater education and upskilling for communicators at every industry level to better understand and drive the fashion-forward.
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Degrowth Mindset
As we look to rebuild a more equitable and sustainable industry, one thing is clear — old ways won't open new doors. Intertwined with fashion's overarching sustainability issues is overproduction and overconsumption.
Decoupling profitability from exponential economic growth is an urgent need that is often overlooked. In order to build on the commitments made in 2021 and take action in 2022, fashion must adopt alternative business models, make smarter production decisions, and embrace a degrowth mindset to rein in its impact on people and the planet.
What do you think the sustainability conversation will look like in 2022? Join the conversation. Comment below or join the convo happening on Instagram.
