SHOPPERS in the UK are addicted to cheap clothing and need to break the habit to help make fashion more sustainable, according to industry experts.
Consumers should invest in clothing that is built to last and ditch fast fashion for good to protect the planet, a sustainable fashion panel hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University heard.
Addressing Sustainable Goals in the Fashion Industry through Education and Employability, organised by the EU-funded Sustainability Fashion Employability Skills (SFES) project, outlined the challenges facing designers, manufacturers, supply chains, retailers and consumers.
Figures show that more than 100 billion garments are sold worldwide every year but less than one per cent will be recycled into new clothing.
Mark Hogarth, Creative Director at Harris Tweed Hebrides and an honorary graduate of GCU, said: “As a society here in the UK, and in other parts of Europe, we have become addicted to cheap clothing.
“When it comes to consumer behaviour, I’m a firm believer that you make a decision when you come to buy a product – do I want it or do I need it?
“For too long the answer’s been I want it, without much thought about whether we needed it or not.
“A well-made garment will last you. It doesn’t have to be made as a sustainable garment or branded as a sustainable garment.”
Dr Lindsey Drylie Carey, principal investigator of the SFES project, said: “Education is at the base of any change in society. Fashion education needs to embed sustainability in as many areas as it can.
“This is a road we’re on. Fashion brands are approaching sustainability one step at a time.”
The SFES project aims to foster sustainable fashion skills and develop new business models as retailers and manufacturers adapt to the changing demands of shoppers.
The £300,000 initiative, which involves universities in France, Portugal, and Spain, has the support of Harris Tweed Hebrides and Tendam, one of Europe’s largest retail groups.
The panel discussion featured contributions from Ignacio Sierra, of Tendam Global Fashion Retail, Dr Nuria Llobregat-Gomez, of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Jill Farrell, Director of Customer Engagement and Communications at Zero Waste Scotland, GCU PhD student Greg Paton, and Richard Dictus, President of amfori.
