‘Make things, shop second-hand, visit my vintage pop-up!’

Consumption is still rolling; capitalism is still on the rise. Yes, consumer consciousness has improved by a lot.

However, when a ripped shirt at the local charity shop is priced at £7 amongst a global economic crisis, I do not think sustainability is at the forefront in fashion enough: money is. 

My fear is that sustainability is being hijacked by consumerism.

Thrifting (or charity shopping to us Brits) has benefited from a huge increase in the last few years.

Yet unfortunately, just as it does in fast fashion, cheap clothes equals over-shopping.

We do not need to have endless amounts of clothes to be stylish, but this mainstream idea is being perpetuated.

However, nothing is a perfect science, and it is super important that we are moving in the right direction towards more ethical consumerism.  

What I also notice is that ironically maximalist styles seem to be more eco-conscious. The beauty of layering is that it offers even more combinations.

Everything becomes inventive by thinking ‘how I can wear this and make it look different?’

However, there is hope yet. Scarlett Yang, a London based designer, has been making dresses out of algae. She is not alone in this experimental, earth-focused, fashion endeavour.

Roman Poret, a French designer, has been making tote bags out of dried out vegetables. The fashion world has a new wave of designers who are asking more than just how to cut down wasting clothes; they are asking how to make clothes out of the waste.

These completely natural substances are not quite fit yet for general public wear due to their fragility, but they sure are proof we are moving into new avenues. 

The real judge of fashion sustainability is looking at influencers, so many of whom are now realising their viewers care about what they wear for more than just links. Second-hand fashion is synonymous with conscious care for your environment. 

Verona Farrell, a columnist for Vogue Scandinavia, also runs a wonderful Instagram page called ‘@secondhandhuns’, in which she shows expertly how you can be chic and help our planet.

Looks like fast fashion’s time is nearly up. The cool kids are picking sustainability. 

Image credit: Violette Douglas