What sustainable fashion really means

The fact that sustainability is trending more today than a few years ago is definitely a blessing. Having said that, trends have the tendency of losing their genuine meaning. When it comes to sustainable fashion, we notice that many retailers and consumers want to support this crucial cause, but don’t fully understand what it entails. To give you and your audience a better sense of the true meaning of eco-friendly retail, the following paragraphs will discuss the idea of sustainable fashion from three different angles. 

The process we build

Fashion is not just the items we wear, but also the journey we go through to make them. Retail procedures consume energy and natural resources. Retailers looking to form a more sustainable process should try to minimize the use of water and electricity. Kornit’s waterless printing process is a great example of that, as it saves both water and overall energy.  

Another important aspect to environmentally friendly fashion procedures has to do the purchasing methods offered by retailers. Retailers that produce large amounts of items in advance are more likely to waste materials and take up space, with many items failing to sell. Transitioning to an on-demand purchasing mechanism can solve this problem completely and minimize waste while saving retailers a lot of money.  

The materials we use

Fashion production not only uses water, it also pollutes them quite often. Using harmful inks for dyeing and printing can absolutely destroy natural resources. The sad truth is that retailers are often unaware of the fabric manufacturing process and may work with raw materials that cause a lot of damage without knowing. A recent collaboration between Google and WWF Sweden should help solve this knowledge gap, providing retailers with in-depth information regarding the source of the most commonly-used materials. By making this type of information accessible to caring retailers, we can influence material manufacturers to form a more sustainable process. 

Employee’s right 

Caring about our environment means looking after the well-being of workers. In some places around the world, the fashion industry unfortunately exploits workers and cannot be considered sustainable in any way. Google’s latest initiative also tells a story about people, by offering retailers information on the conditions and rights of the employees responsible for the materials they use. Retailers can then opt to work only with manufacturers who practice fair trade.  

As you can see, the road towards sustainable fashion includes a few important stops along the way. It may seem complicated, but technology companies like Google and Kornit work hard to simplify it. With your help, we can save the planet, one garment at a time.

Instead of preaching and antagonizing industry leaders, Kornit always chooses to collaborate and join hands in creating better solutions. Kornit Fashion weeks demonstrate the new face of fashion by celebrating sustainable, on-demand creativity. In doing so, we gain the support of powerful industry voices and promote change.
We will practice what we preach during Kornit Fashion Week London and invite you to watch it all happen! Stay tuned for registration information.