PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE PROFESSIONS (fashion marketing) - Essay Example

Introduction Fashion has always been the heart of the matter for most individuals and does not have an age barrier to contain its creativity. Fashion is enjoyed by the young and the old alike, but how far this industry is able to sustain itself is a matter of concern among fashion gurus within fashion markets. Sustainable fashion has the backdrop of a developing design philosophy and tries its best to cater to people according to changing times, tastes and trends in relation to its sustainability.

In our contemporary society, fashion has taken on a whole new meaning in relation to the bigger picture involving sustainable designs. The environment is the fulcrum around which sustainable fashion revolves and it seems to have impacted upon the fashion industry in a big way by initiating the production of clothing made from plants such as bamboo, flax, corn and wood pulp. This is because people have become more conscious of their environment and what it has to offer them in terms of “eco- friendly products” that are not very cost effective but quite safe to use.

This research attempts to investigate how the environment impacts upon the fashion industry and helps in sustaining it. . Sustainable fashion in simple words is environmental friendly clothing and is part of the larger picture of “ethical fashion”. According to Vogue of 2008, ethical fashion is not ‘a short term trend, but one that could last for many seasons.’ (Vogue, 2008) Many fashion designers have adopted the concept of sustainability and are making use of more environmentally friendly materials and methods in their clothing production.

However, the cost of sustainable fashion clothing in comparison to the traditional manufacture of clothing, is much higher for the simple reason that much greater care has to be taken for the maintenance, manufacture and transport of these products. In terms of cost, a sustainable designer has to spend 30% more on organic material than when making use of regular cotton. This is the reason why many sustainable fashion designers are not in the position to manufacture their eco- friendly clothing using100% of organic material.

Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Stella McCartney, Selma Hayek, and Bono have exhibited a social responsibility and solidarity by drawing people’s attention to environmentally – friendly fashion and creating an awareness among them. In support of sustainable fashion, many fashion magazines encourage small photo spreads to be featured in their magazines. Fashion magazine ‘Elle’ was the first to initiate a complete issue on ‘green fashion’ that was printed on paper that was recycled.

Another good example of social responsibility is that of Wal-Mart that has become the largest buyer in the world of organic cotton. In addition to this, Wal-Mart is reducing the use of