Written by Nnenna Hemeson, with quotes from Monica Awe-Etuk
The unsustainability of fashion
We all agree that the current state of fashion is unsustainable, due to its take-make-waste culture, driven by overconsumption perpetuated by the industry. This has led to a high negative environmental impact rivalling the airline industry, thanks to its excessive use of natural resources, water pollution and carbon emitted from production, transportation, and disposal. The fashion runways that once guided the season’s trends, is now taken over by microtrends, reigning over fashion social media, increasing the rate at which clothes end up as waste. The ‘clothing unboxing’, ‘DIY Fashion’, and ‘season must haves’, create FOMO, which result in followers clicking ‘add to cart’ before it sells out. ‘Tik-Tok made me buy it’ makes fashion brands rush to meet demand, leading to overproduction where up to 50% of items bought are returned and end up as waste. Where do influencers come in here?
The role of influencers
Influencers play a significant role in shaping trends and microtrends, in-turn consumer purchase behaviour, especially in the fashion industry. Compared to other consumer engagement channels, influencers hold more sway with 49% of consumers depending on them to decide on what to buy. In fact, the younger generation is dubbed ‘under the influence’ with 7 out of 10 trusting the recommendation of influencers as much as their friends. According to Forbes, this stat is increasing, thanks to a digital age, where influencers portray a lifestyle that’s aspirational, setting the tone for what’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out’. They created the creator economy, you have to give them kudos for that, afterall studies show creator content drives more ROI than traditional advertising. Nevertheless, those powers can be used for good. Let’s go into more details on this subject, with Monica Awe-Etuk, one of my favourite fashion influencers.
“I do believe that Influencers are definitely driving more sales than we’ve seen in traditional marketing, however, the brands have the responsibility of regulating and making sure that their products are created sustainably. More and more brands are beginning to do that which is good, but we can all agree it’s not enough”.
The global shopping platform LTK provided data in their recent report, that 75% of Gen Z actively shop through influencers, driving up to $4.1 billion dollars in sales. According to this report, these content creators help Gen Z cut down the rate of returns which is great when you think of waste. And the paradox emerges – the role of influencers, both detracting and driving sustainable consumer behaviours in fashion. The Sustainable Fashion Forum describes this ability these content creators have as the ‘psychology of influence’. They break down the apparent ‘attitude-behaviour gap’ in consumers, where even though they value sustainability, they continue to overconsume. As the fashion industry grapples with the growing concerns over its environmental impact and ethical footprint, it has never been more vital to assess the role of influencers in the sustainability of fashion. These social media luminaries wield their influence for brands who pay their bills and maintain their lifestyles, unburdened by the impact it could have on the environment; we gotta live our best life right?.
Naomi Campbell’s recent collaboration with Pretty Little Thing, follows a slew of celebrity and influencer partnerships with fast fashion, not to mention celebrity fashion labels amounting to a billion dollar empire. The renowned supermodel probably wants her own piece of that billion dollar pie, who can blame her and who can tell her she cannot. Then there is the other aspect, where brands take advantage of their status, by getting influencers to tell a sustainability story that is not representative of the real picture, perpetuating a facade worthy of greenwashing.
The role of brands
The SHEIN influencer scandal is a very public example of this, using content creators to parade PR worthy narrative on their sustainability initiatives or lack thereof. These controversies demonstrate the immense power that influencers, celebrities, and fashion icons have in shaping consumer behaviour and brand perception, whether for good or bad. They add relevance to the questions raised here about the responsibility that comes with such influence and the need for some control. Should these culture personalities be held accountable for some of the unsustainable choices consumers make? Or does this collaboration risk sending a mixed message about fashion brands not being liable for their unsustainable practices?
“I don’t think it’s fair to say that influencers are responsible for this as our job really is to break down products and share honest feedback, it is still the choice of the consumer whether they’re going to make the purchase or not. A lot of content creators such as myself do encourage our followers to shop whenever they see things that are missing in their wardrobes and at the same time, I also encourage my followers to shop their closets, try to pick up pieces that are a little bit more sustainable. With that in mind, not everyone will have the extra income to buy things that cost a little bit more and will last a little longer and that’s where space is made for some of the brands that are considered “fast fashion”.
So how about luxury fashion brands, it used to be said that they are more sustainable because they produce less clothes and their negative impact only came from their exploitation of labour and natural resources. But is that still the case? They fly influencers and celebrities from all over the world to attend their numerous collections, in the name of Fashion Week, the carbon footprint of that alone should put them in the unsustainable category. Monica had something interesting to say on this one.
“In my opinion even some luxury brands are considered fast fashion at the rate in which they pump out garments. Needless to say that I think the onus is really on the part of everyone but it starts with the brands first and how they make their products. I think more and more brands need to adopt sustainable practices. They need to cut down on using things that are harming the environment and figure out ways in which their products can get to the consumer in a more efficient and sustainable way for the planet”.
It is amazing how brands who claim to have circular practices in place like take-back schemes or even repair services but never pay their influencers to talk about it, instead focus on their new collections encouraging consumers to buy more. Green legislations are on the rise, with the intention of driving businesses to become more sustainable and deter them from making claims when they are not, all with the aim of helping society make more sustainable choices. If that’s the case, should we not regulate the individuals with the most substantial sway of all?
The change in influence we hope to see
“I do think more influencers are reiterating and reinforcing the idea of trying to be a bit more sustainable and trying to shop your closet ’cause it’s necessary, I am beginning to see more and more of that. So yes I think it’s something that we all have to chip in on. Shopping is a choice but at the same time I think, or at least I would say my job really in a sense to cut down on just buying everything you see or everything you might like but actually picking the right things that actually work for your closet. To reduce buying and returning but instead to buy things that actually work for your wardrobe that you can either pass on to someone else being that friend family goodwill”.
One thing we both align on is, ‘in a world where capitalism is king’, everyone has to do their part; legislators, brands, advertising agencies and influencers, all have a role to play in the sustainability of fashion.
- Legislators demanding minimum wages and working environment for cloth makers, the sustainable sourcing of raw materials with stringent penalties if not adhered to, as well as favourable outcomes for those who do.
- Brands to swap their marketing strategies that drive FOMO in consumers with sustainable behaviours instead, like encouraging them to bring in their old clothes and even pay influencers to talk about it.
- Influencers could make more effort in driving quality over quantity, creating a basis for consumers to shop their closet and normalising wearing clothes for longer as well as resale and rental.
Together, by aligning their efforts and leveraging each respective platforms and spheres of influence, they can collectively propel the fashion industry towards a more sustainable and equitable future.
