An Inside Look at Eco-Conscious Fashion

• Eco fashion makes up 1% of fashion industry, and is growing quickly
• Food for thought: hundreds of hands have worked to produce the clothes you wear
• Sustainability is an interconnectedness of issues: organic fibers, fair trade labor, low carbon footprint, responsible consumer consumption
• Agriculture is at the center of sustainability, including eco fashion
• The US fashion industry is far behind the EU in embracing, mandating and regulating sustainability

1. Measured understanding of what the environmental impact is - relatable, metrics
2. Considering logistics of supply chain - garment's chain of custody
3. Understanding of life cycle of product
4. Transparency - saying where there's room for improvement
5. Simplicity - simplifying supply chain
6. Education, within industry and for consumers

• Many steps in the production of a garment must be considered to ensure it's truly sustainable - no point in using organic textiles if shipping cross-continent multiple times during production
• Consumers' willingness to pay for sustainable fashion has seen to be around 20%, must also have design and story merit, though
• For retail success, the sustainable aspect has to be an added bonus - the main asset of a garment/collection needs to be its design, 'Fashion First'
• Consumers seeking eco fashion products represent a growing base, but consumers are not driving the eco fashion movement, companies are
• Consumer sensitivity to cost - spending more carefully now, but also more conscious of quality and design
• The best method to communicate with consumers is trickle down - educate buyer who educates store manager who educates sales people
  
• Rather than amassing cheap things, consumers need to invest in pieces they love and will keep for the long run - may be only advantage of economic crisis
• Predicting a change towards trans-seasonal dressing and styles

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