Shaping the Future of Fashion and Sustainability

Making truly sustainable fashion requires action as much as awareness. Sustainable Jungle refers to this fashion evolution as “a more ethical approach to style that shifts the focus from constant consumption to thoughtful purchases that last.” Simply put: consumers are willing to put their money where their ethics are, even if that means foregoing fast fashion and the ability to constantly hop on new trends.

As for brands, we’re seeing a ton of new ideas, new processes, and new technologies that are forging the way for fashion’s more sustainable future. Among them:

• Better fabric dyeing processes –

  Every year, 1.3 trillion gallons of water are used just for dyeing fabrics. Enter digital fabric-coloring technologies that greatly reduce water waste, as well as the use of toxic chemicals, in the fabric dyeing process.

• Man-made fabrics –

  What if we could make leather in a lab instead of by harming animals? Man-made fabrics, including lab-made “leather” and 3D printed “fur” are on the rise, offering a cruelty-free alternative that also reduces carbon emissions.

• Eco-conscious textiles

  Cotton, nylon, and other common textiles aren’t biodegradable and take up a lot of real estate in landfills. A better choice: textiles made from sustainable materials like algae, apples, and oranges, which are compostable, biodegradable, and durable enough for clothing production.

The market for sustainable fashion is growing quickly, with experts predicting it will jump from a $6.35 billion industry in 2019 to a $15.17 billion industry in 2035. Join this new forefront with a fashion management master degree or by taking one or more of our short courses. Fashion design, styling, and management are all switching gears to sustainability—and at Istituto Marangoni, we can help you become part of the solution.