Microtrend ‘cores’ boost the resale economy but can still feed the fast-fashion beast, says Charity Swales of Connective3. Brands must be careful to avoid charges of greenwashing.
With a 275% increase in brand-owned resale platforms in the past few years – from companies including Nike, Levi’s, and Gucci – resale has become the fast-fashion equivalent of businesses planting trees.
On the surface, as part of a company’s sustainability strategy, these actions can be a positive step towards reducing environmental impact. But, when a company doesn’t take other necessary steps, consumers can perceive it as greenwashing.
Considering the fashion industry produces around 100 billion new garments per year, a whole lot of reselling would have to be done to offset the environmental damage caused by production. The question is, might fast-fashion brands launching these platforms to further draw attention to their corporate sustainability reports do them more harm than good?
Something old, something new
Fast fashion taps into …