why relove?
Once upon a time, there were two fashion seasons: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter. Fast forward to the present day, and the fashion industry is churning out 52 “micro-seasons” per year. With new trends released every week, the goal of fast fashion is to compel consumers to buy as many garments as possible, as quickly as possible. We now have enough clothes on the planet to clothe the next six generations of people. Due to this overconsumption and unsustainable resource use, the fashion industry is one of the most environmentally degrading industries on the planet, accounting for a significant amount of carbon emissions, water usage, pollution, as well as multiple social and workers rights issues.
Changes are needed in the way that clothes are designed, produced, bought, worn, and disposed of. Circular design practices such as using more sustainable fibres, designing for durability and repairability, and using keeping value in materials for as long as possible are all ways in which the issues in the industry can be mitigated. In order to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, it is essential to promote sustainable fashion practices and educate young people so that they can develop as innovative and conscious decision-makers.
By providing young people with an opportunity to learn about where their clothes are from, and showcase their creativity while promoting sustainable fashion practices, the competition encourages a shift towards a more circular and sustainable society.
the true cost of fast fashion
Fast fashion is a term used to describe a highly profitable business model based on the swift and mass production of clothes at low cost, where consumers are compelled to purchase clothes to fit in with rapidly changing trends. This business model treats clothes as disposable, and encourages incredibly high consumption.
Forbes
Fast fashion garments, which we wear less than 5 times and keep for 35 days, produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item per year than garments worn 50 times and kept for a full year
Clean Clothes Campaign, 2019
Three out of five fast fashion items end up in landfill
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Global clothing production has doubled in the past 15 years, with garments on average being worn much less and discarded quicker than ever before
Better Cotton Initiative
A single t-shirt takes 2,700 litres of water to make. The same amount of water an average person drinks over the course of 900 days
Forbes
Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fibre, which is now the most commonly used fibre in our clothing. But it takes more than 200 years to decompose
McKinsey, 2020