How luxury fashion can support emerging designers with sustainability

Sustainability has become a universal topic across all industries, including luxury fashion. At the forefront of most trends, luxury fashion houses can use their influence and resources to help accelerate the industry’s wider shift to adopting more sustainable practices, which includes making sustainable materials more accessible.

At first glance, the luxury sector is ideally positioned to shift easily into sustainability as it’s built on the concept of artisan craftsmanship, longevity and exclusivity through limited quantities. However, they have come under scrutiny in recent years. It continually feeds consumers' desire for newness, with some going so far as to destroy excess products to retain the concept of exclusivity. For luxury fashion to become more sustainable and drive positive change, high-end brands must adopt circular business models. This includes investing in sourcing more sustainable materials, supporting pre-owned and rental markets, and forgoing the use of animal furs and exotic skins.

The challenge lies in ensuring the premium aspects of its products and reputation are not tainted. While brands such as Stella McCartney and Eileen Fisher have built their legacy on using ethical materials, recycled textiles and no fur, others have yet to move into this space. Partly because one of the main challenges some luxury brands grapple with is sourcing sustainable materials. Emerging couture brands and designers, in particular, have issues with this due to the pricing and quantities associated with luxury, eco-conscious textiles. Until demand for sustainable materials increases, prices and accessibility remain difficult.

In recent years, there has been a push for innovative materials and textiles that are both luxurious and durable. Brands have begun approaching mills and manufacturers for eco-conscious alternatives to materials such as silk, leather and fur and have been presented with a range of sustainable options. For example, fibre manufacturer Lenzing seeks to bridge the gap between sustainability, luxury fashion brands and emerging designers through its TENCEL™ brand. Having a dedicated segment catering to the high-end and premium market, the TENCEL™ LUXE label produces a biodegradable filament yarn that is a botanical alternative to silk.

Along with growing demands for sustainable alternatives in haute couture, many high-end designers are looking for diverse solutions to protect the integrity of their designs whilst ensuring they can be sustainable. As a result, the flagship TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibers and filaments are beginning to appear more in high-fashion garments. Originated from certified and controlled wood sources, TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers and filaments are fully biodegradable and compostable. Moreover, TENCEL™ and TENCEL™ LUXE partner with RCGD Global to highlight sustainable couture at the Academy Awards and host a Global Design Contest to champion rising designers. The partnership underscores fabric and technological advances in material production for the luxury scene, seeking to bring these solutions to a global, culturally diverse luxury market.

“Sustainability is a significant issue for emerging designers because it is an issue that affects everyone,” says New York-based Jasmine Kelly Rutherford, winner of the 2020 suit design. “As designers, we have a huge responsibility to change the previous effects of our fast-fashion lifestyle and unethical labour practices.”

“It is difficult for young designers to understand the difference between sustainable solutions. For example, the close-loop system, organic cotton and fair trade,” comments Singapore designer Benjamin Koh, winner of the 2021 suit design. “While information is accessible, it can be overwhelming at times for young designers.”

Many feel it is essential to teach designers to think of sustainability as a key parameter of good design. "In doing so, we are developing active participating assets that can then shape a new circular economy model," adds India-based designer Sanah Sharma, winner of the 2020 gown design. While the winning designers of the 2020 and 2021 Global Design Contest agree that sustainability is vital for the future of luxury fashion, they feel that accessibility to sustainable materials is difficult for young designers. “I believe access to sustainable materials is becoming increasingly available these days,” says Rutherford. “But, for a young designer, gaining access to sustainable materials can be quite expensive if they do not have the financial backing to afford it.” Sourcing local or second-hand materials can be a solution in the short term, but in the longer term, access to sustainable and eco-conscious materials is vital.

Designers also feel that while many luxury brands practice slow fashion, there remains a gap in transparency when it comes to how and where their products are made. "I think luxury brands have the financial strength to incorporate LCA (LifeCycle Assessment) for their products to measure their impact," says Sharma, which is another step towards producing more sustainable products. Working with LCA may also help deter luxury fashion houses from burning and destroying unsold and unused inventories, which negatively impacts the environment. "Instead, they can repurpose, deconstruct, reuse and collaborate them into the new designs," adds UK-based designer Yuriko Fukuda, winner of the 2021’s womenswear. "The luxury fashion industry can play a larger role in this area by collaborating with high street retailers to develop more affordable diffusion lines with excess products and reach a larger market segment."

In the long run, there are several areas the luxury fashion industry can explore to help young designers and thereby make the industry more sustainable without fear of negatively impacting their business.