{"id":9224,"date":"2016-11-03T21:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T01:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-reformation-of-the-fashion-industry\/"},"modified":"2016-11-03T21:00:09","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T01:00:09","slug":"the-reformation-of-the-fashion-industry","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-reformation-of-the-fashion-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"THE REFORMATION OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Clothes and\u2026Climate Change?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who thinks about the impact of their clothes on our climate when they get dressed in the morning? Not many people, it seems. Everyone talks about the impact that the oil, auto, and agriculture industries have on climate change, but the fashion business has managed to keep a low profile – until recently.<\/p>\n

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The garment industry contributes 10% of worldwide carbon emissions, is a top three industrial polluter, and the second largest polluter and user of water [1,2]. The rise of \u201cfast fashion\u201d has exacerbated the problem, producing 4x more carbon emissions than standard fashion [1,2]. The crimes of the business extend throughout the value chain, from raw materials like cotton and synthetic textiles, to manufacturing, shipping, washing and dry cleaning, all the way through the disposal of excess fabric and old clothes.<\/p>\n

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Raw Materials & Textiles<\/em><\/p>\n

Cotton, the largest raw material in clothing, is the largest user of pesticides in the world and making a t-shirt can require nearly 700 gallons of water to produce [2,3]. Synthetic fibers like polyester are worse, emitting volatile organic compounds such as nitrous oxide, which is an exponentially more powerful greenhouse gas than CO2 [2,3].<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Manufacturing, Transportation & Shipping<\/em><\/p>\n

Manufacturing processes and transportation (98% of clothing in the US is imported) emit greenhouse gasses and consume large amounts of water [3].<\/p>\n

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Clothing Care & Disposal<\/em><\/p>\n

A substantial amount of the environmental impact of clothing comes after the purchase, through the use of washing machines, dryers, and the disposal of recyclable garments into landfills [3].<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Victim of Its Own Crimes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The industry isn\u2019t just a contributor to global climate change, but a victim of it. Droughts and unpredictable temperatures caused by climate change have hurt cotton yields, raising prices [4]. Unseasonably warm temperatures have impacted retailers\u2019 ability to predict demand for cold-weather items like outerwear. Similarly, consumers\u2019 willingness to buy clothes months ahead for the next season, as in the traditional fashion model, has waned [4]. Finally, traditional brands face increasing competition for socially-conscious millenials\u2019 share of wallet from eco-friendly brands like Zady, Everlane, and others [4].<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

An Eco-Friendly Model<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Enter the Reformation, a venture-backed, e-commerce focused fashion company for millennial women. Since its launch in 2009, the Reformation has become the \u201cit-girl\u201d brand, worn by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Karlie Kloss, and Lily Aldrige, all the while maintaining a vocal commitment to sustainable and ethical fashion.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Founder Yael Aflalo was inspired to create the brand after a visit to a Chinese manufacturing town left her floored:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201c \u2018The smog was so thick that I couldn\u2019t see beyond one city block…I understood for the first time, in a very real way, the connection between fashion and the environment. The clothes that filled my closet were responsible for this horrible pollution.\u2019\u201d [5]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After some extensive research, she launched the brand with the motto \u201cWe make killer clothes that don\u2019t kill the environment\u201d [1].<\/p>\n

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Reformation\u2019s commitment to sustainability extends to every single part of its business, from material sourcing and supply chain, into every nook and cranny of its offices and stores.<\/p>\n

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Textiles, Manufacturing and Shipping<\/em><\/p>\n

Reformation\u2019s fabrics have a much smaller ecological footprint than their traditional counterparts. They use 40% vintage and deadstock fabrics, substantially reducing carbon emissions. They also use eco-friendly fibers like Tencel which is made from Eucalytpus trees and uses 80% less water than cotton. They source 50% of materials domestically, thus reducing emissions versus importing from Asia. They have even developed a carbon neutral shipping program in the U.S. [3].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Clothing Care and Recycling<\/em><\/p>\n

Reformation focuses on sustainability long after the initial purchase. They recycle all textile scrap when possible, and offer prepaid shipping labels to customers to recycle their old clothes [3].<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Corporate Practices<\/em><\/p>\n

At Reformation HQ and retail locations, they use wind power, LED lighting, Energy-Star rated appliances, reclaimed furniture, and recycleable and biodegradable office supplies [3].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another key part of their revolutionary business model is consumer education. The website is filled with information about the impact of fashion on the environment, how to wash clothes sustainably, and each garment on the website is rated on the \u201cRefScale\u201d, measuring its water use and CO2 emissions [3].<\/p>\n

\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Reformation Website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Reformation Website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Reformation Website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Reformation also leverages its strong social media presence to drive the message home with bite-sized pieces of information on sustainability against an attractive backdrop.<\/p>\n

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\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An Even More Sustainable Future<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reformation has made great strides, but major retailers and brands will need to step up to the plate to make a meaningful impact on carbon emissions. To that end, Reformation should continue focusing on to driving awareness about the ecological impacts of fashion through its use of social media. This will drive more people to purchase Reformation products, but will also cause more consumers to demand eco-friendly fashion from its larger competitors. In this way, practice changes by the mass brands and retailers will ultimately be driven from the bottom up.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

792 Words<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/p>\n

[1] Ana Andjelic, \u201cFashion brands, long focused on excess, are finally waking up to sustainability. Can eco-friendly startups shift industry values?,\u201d AdWeek, May 20, 2016, http:\/\/www.adweek.com\/news\/advertising-branding\/fashion-brands-long-focused-excess-are-finally-waking-sustainability-171609<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n

[2] James Conca, \u201cMaking Climate Change Fashionable \u2013 The Garment Industry Takes on Global Warming,\u201d Forbes, December 3, 2015, http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jamesconca\/2015\/12\/03\/making-climate-change-fashionable-the-garment-industry-takes-on-global-warming\/#331dc4ee778a<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n

[3] The Reformation, \u201cWho We Are\u201d, https:\/\/www.thereformation.com\/whoweare<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n

[4] Arthur Zaczkiewicz, \u201cIs Climate Change Killing the Seasonality of Fashion Apparel Retailing?\u201d WWD, October 18, 2016, http:\/\/wwd.com\/business-news\/business-features\/climate-change-impact-fashion-apparel-10525390\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n

[5] Yael Aflalo, \u201cWhat Happened When I Realized My Cheap Clothes Were a Global Problem,\u201d Motto (Time), March 28, 2016, http:\/\/motto.time.com\/4264392\/sustainable-clothing-reformation\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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