With both sustainability and body and gender inclusivity increasingly gaining attention and popularity in the fashion industry, is there any correlation between the two? Are sustainability and inclusivity both topics that consumers care about? When shopping, to customers actively seek out brands that are both sustainable and inclusive or do customers only look to check one of these boxes? Do brands that focus on sustainability also seem to focus on inclusivity and/or the other way around? An article from Vogue Business, "Sustainability in fashion relies on embracing diversity", examines this correlation. This article concludes that the two concepts are very much intertwined, however, "many brands touting sustainable values fall short on inclusivity". As the concept of sustainability within the fashion industry refers to environmental concerns, it also encompasses being mindful of human-related concerns, which include the level of inclusivity presented by brands.
When thinking of inclusivity within fashion the first brand that comes to my mind is Rihanna’s, Savage X Fenty. With her lingerie collections and runway shows exhibiting all shapes and sizes as well as diversity among gender, ethnicity, and race of models, Savage X Fenty clearly values diversity and inclusivity. However, Good On You, a website devoted to sustainable and ethical fashion brand ratings, gave Savage X Fenty a rating of "We avoid" (https://goodonyou.eco/). Rihanna's inclusivity-conscious brand is not so sustainability-conscious. This affirms the opposite of the aforementioned quote from Vogue Business, by providing an example of an inclusive brand falling short on sustainability.
The spread of popularity of sustainable fashion brands means the same can happen with brands focused on inclusivity. We as consumers have to continue holding these brands accountable and promoting the collaboration of inclusivity within sustainable and ethical fashion.
Find a list of sustainable size-inclusive brands here: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/plus-size-ethical-fashion
Find a list of sustainable gender-neutral and gender-inclusive brands here: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/sustainable-gender-neutral-clothing
See the Vogue Business article here:
https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/sustainability-in-fashion-relies-on-embracing-diversity
See the Savage X Fenty Good On You rating here: https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/savage-x-fenty
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