NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 18: General atmosphere at WeWork x Rent The Runway Partnership Launch Event on October 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for WeWork)
Sustainability
This is one of those trends that should be trendier. Pinterest reports that “sustainable fashion” searches have increased 34 percent. That’s rather small in comparison to other trends that are on this list, but at least it’s positive, so we’re hopefully heading in the right direction.
A big announcement made recently was that of Versace no longer using real fur. Other designers have pledged this, including Calvin Klein, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, and Stella McCartney – to name a few.
Speaking of Stella McCartney, she has been one of the designers at the forefront of sustainable fashion. While her 2019 collection looks luxurious, the materials were sustainable – like viscose made from wood pulp, and “organic cotton sourced from a women’s farm collective in Egypt.” The company even has a director of sustainability. McCartney recently collaborated (hey, that trend!) with Adidas and used vegan leather and recycled plastic create a pair of Stan Smiths. And, and, and… she has a nonprofit called Stella McCartney Cares Pink (for breast cancer awareness), that she’s expanded. It’s called Stella McCartney Cares Green to help in her sustainability efforts.
Patagonia announced last month that they’ll be donating the $10 million they received in tax cuts, to help fight the climate crisis. And that’s rad. But fashion designers and retail companies alone are not going to take care of this planet.
It’s up to all of us to be more mindful of our consumption, which is fashion-heavy. Some quick and easy ways to start living a more fashionably sustainable life are to shop second-hand, repair and repurpose damaged pieces instead of throwing them away, rent (you know I live that Rent the Runway life), swap and give hand-me-downs, and generally try not to contribute to fast-fashion. You’ll most likely be emotionally more healthy if you own less and spend less as well! If you want more pointers, Ashlee Piper’s book Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet. is a great place to start. Knowledge is power.
Let’s set a goal to make sustainability more popular than bike shorts next year!
What style trends are you most looking forward to in 2019? Tell us in the comments section below.