Is ‘Black Friday’ still relevant?

Black Friday has finally arrived, but I’ve already had enough. Since last week, I've been inundated with newsletters full of offers, and while clearing out my inbox, I've wondered whether in a time of climate crisis, with the EU aiming for a circular economy by 2050 and enacting new laws to further enforce sustainability, a bargain fest that encourages consumption is still relevant.

How relevant is Black Friday?

Policymakers, brands, and organisations are increasingly calling for more conscious and reduced consumption. Dutch sustainability platform Milieu Centraal has published a practical guide to buying less new clothing and reducing the impact of fast fashion. Last week, not coincidentally in the run-up to Black Friday, Netflix released the documentary ‘Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy’ about the downsides of mass consumption. In other words: awareness is high.

We want consumers to buy clothing from inspiring suppliers and brands that they value for their unique product offering, perception, personal experience, and reflection of their values such as sustainability, environmental awareness, and transparency. They should invest in high-quality, responsibly produced garments, as well as second-hand fashion, to build a long-lasting, sustainable wardrobe that is cherished and cared for.

Therefore, a question of conscience for fashion companies and marketing professionals: What is your role? Do your marketing and discount campaigns contribute to raising awareness and promoting change in the transition to a more sustainable future? What message are you conveying, and what behaviour are you encouraging?

Fortunately, it can also be observed that resistance to Black Friday is gaining ground every year. There are recurring initiatives such as "Green Friday" by Dille & Kamille, the Netherlands-based homeware retailer that closes its shops and webshop for a day in "green" protest, and new international events.

This Black Friday, a pop-up shop featuring slow fashion and sustainable lifestyle gifts will open on Amsterdam's Kalverstraat shopping street. The initiative, launched by fashion expert Nanette Hogervorst, owner of SF/Collective and the Sustainable Fashion Gift Card, offers a platform for smaller sustainable brands such as Noacustom and Pink Orange, as well as the rental company Rentlam. Visitors can have clothing repaired on the opening day, participate in "plant-based dyeing" and "upcycling" workshops, and listen to panel discussions with sustainable fashion experts such as Sara Dubbeldam and Marieke Eyskoot.

A call to action

Black Friday feels like a relic from a consumerist era. But times are changing. Now we are moving towards a circular system where the preservation of resources and our planet is paramount. We – consumers, fashion companies, and marketing experts – have the opportunity and the responsibility to go down this path.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL. It was translated to English using an AI tool called Genesis and edited by Rachel Douglass..

FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@fashionunited.com