The world is becoming more eco-conscious and the focus on sustainable fashion has been slowly building over the past decade and awareness is building here in Qatar also about sustainable fashion.
In a positive move, several upcoming designers in the country are taking the path towards sustainable style and slow fashion, adopting ethical production and transparency in the supply chain, said Sonali Raman (pictured), Faculty at Department of Fashion and Merchandising, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar).
“This means that the path to change has already begun,” she told The Peninsula speaking about the move towards sustainable fashion.
The Fashion Industry is the second largest polluter in the world. Seasonal styles, fast fashion brands, influencers and advertising contribute to ever-growing consumerism. Cheap labour and toxic materials add to the negative impact the industry has. To combat the ills of the industry, many fashion brands, designers and thought leaders have moved towards sustainable fashion. Eco-friendly practices in the fashion industry reference the approach of designing, producing and consuming clothes that respect the planet by causing little to no damage and therefore sustaining the environment.
“Not only does it cover the entire gamut of supply chain and transparency regarding compliance and where the products are made, but also refers to the practice of recycling and reusing the product to extend its life. It is important to define sustainable fashion also as the industry’s practice of sustaining the healthy lives of the people who make our clothes through living wages, safe work conditions, and maker well-being,” said Raman.
She said that worldwide many brands and consumers are doing their best to make positive changes, there is much regarding sustainability in fashion which remains unknown and confusing, while things are also ever-changing.
However, the move towards circular fashion is slowly happening. “In the last two years, we have seen a rise in resale platforms and rental sites. New legislation from the EU is going to force the fashion industry to take circularity seriously. Next-generation materials are animal-free alternatives that are being created to replace the likes of leather, silk, fur, wool and exotic skins like crocodiles and snakeskin. Many brands are already using these new alternative sustainable materials,” Raman said.
While in Qatar there are a lot of talks and discussions being held locally to create awareness. Organisations like M7 are promoting sustainable fashion through their Fashion Incubator / Accelerator.
“VCUarts Qatar’s fashion department has a course on Fashion and Sustainability. The students of this course recently held a public panel discussion on sustainable fashion in Qatar where they focused on navigating the challenge of balancing people’s need for style while ensuring sustainability within the context of the modern fashion industry in Qatar. This was a huge success and very well received,”
she said.
“While change is happening slowly, a lot more needs to be done for Qatar to be on this journey towards more sustainable and slow fashion and to reduce its negative impact on the planet,” she added.
Raman also emphasized that the onus should not be only on the brands and designers, the consumer has a huge role to play as well in sustainable fashion.
“The fast fashion model thrives on the idea of more for less, but the age-old adage [less in more] must be adopted by consumers,” she said.
“Consumers can become more conscious by choosing apparel and accessories made from natural and environmentally friendly materials, by not just asking who made the clothes, but also by asking where it was made and under what conditions; consumers also can reuse what they have in their closet, by choosing quality over quantity, by choosing classic over short-term trends. Consumers can be more conscious about consumption and waste and embrace the ethos of buying less, buying better; embracing individual style rather than chasing trends,” Raman said.
