Processes and Threads

The garment industry is already beset by ethical issues, as fast fashion exploits a workforce with minimal human rights. New developments in AI and automation may be about to wipe out that workforce, leaving a new set of moral dilemmas in its place.

Words: David Styles
Illustration: Blok Magnaye

The fashion industry has reached a landmark moment. 2018 was the first year in which less than half of global apparel and footwear sales originated in the traditionally wealthy nations of Europe and North America. This means that countries with expanding middle classes, in regions such as Latin America and Asia, are increasingly adopting western habits of spending big on clothes.

A recent McKinsey & Co study estimates the global fashion industry to be worth $2.4tn per annum. While that makes fashion one of the most lucrative businesses around, an Ellen MacArthur Foundation report ranked it higher than aviation and international shipping combined for greenhouse gas emissions. A new UN Charter has now been commissioned, solely to steer fashion towards a greener future, and the British government is conducting a parliamentary inquiry into the sustainability of the sector. Something clearly has to change.

Fully automated manufacturing is now a commercially viable option and is viewed by many in the industry as the…