From Looms to Runways
Fashion sustainability is everywhere. But is it enough?
Among the bamboo houses with woven palm roofs, the air, filled with the mix of rhythmic sounds of traditional looms and distant chatter, carries the earthy and botanical aroma of natural dyes. Here in this weaving village in Indonesia, women are the vanguard of the alchemy of transforming natural dye plants into vibrant fabric designs on hand-spun cotton. With leathery, sun-kissed skin and wicker backpacks adorned with machetes, these weaving women descend from the mountain peaks every day, carrying plants that would later be turned into natural dyes. Then, with the rhythmic thumping of fabric against the wood, these craftswomen pummel the fibers within burned tree stumps, creating the most incredible patterns and designs.
In this weaving village, Annie Temmink, then a new college graduate with an interest in textiles and recycling materials, embarked on her fashion journey, learning the traditional and sustainable dyeing and weaving processes alongside these women.
“These women were like complete badasses,” said Temmink, now an artist and designer specializing in ecological materials and headwear design. “This whole group of people is dedicating their lives to this craft, and there’s a deep connection and respect for nature.”
From cultivating dye plants to crafting intricate designs, Temmink witnessed firsthand the beauty born from harmony with nature. Indeed, there exists craftsmanship and designs that are not only beautiful and unique but also honor the Earth.
But similar communities might face a different reality. Many craftswomen in Indonesia had turned away from their traditional craft to make clothes for big fashion brands in the U.S and Europe. In the book Worn Out, the author Alyssa Hardy talks about the extremely exploitative situation for these craftswomen in which the reality of modern fashion production unfolds with less regard for sustainability or worker welfare. Fashion brands frequently send toxic chemicals used in dyes directly to their homes. As these women dip their hands into a container of dye, they are completely unaware of the danger — synthetic dyes that break down into carcinogenic compounds which might cause cancer and contaminate the village’s waterways.
While the experience at the weaving village shows connections between traditional practices and sustainable living, the exploited labor working for big fashion brands reveals the nature of the current fashion industry which often places profit over the planet and the people. In Indonesia, where textiles once bloomed with rich cultural heritage and ecological awareness, more and more craftswomen were being influenced by the demands of fashion giants thousands of miles away. The fashion empire is growing at the expense of the environment and the laborers.
Realizing the increasingly urgent problem of the fashion industry, consumers are stirred to take action, particularly in cities like New York where the city itself serves as the runway for fashion lovers. With the resurgence of secondhand shopping and thrifting, consumers move toward a more eco-friendly wardrobe. These stores not only have hidden treasures, but they also represent a more accessible solution for individuals to combat the unethical and unsustainable practices of the fashion industry. Another fashion sustainability initiative is also emerging — Upcycling. Consumers and producers are embracing this approach, creating more sustainable and creative designs with unwanted materials around them. But the quest for sustainable fashion extends beyond individuals. The fashion industry giants are also pressed to take action on the waste issues; however, they act by promoting eco-friendly initiatives that, upon closer examination, fail to actually achieve positive results. What should they do to stop negatively impacting the environment?
Secondhand Shopping and Thrifting
In New York City, secondhand stores and thrift boutiques are scattered throughout the urban landscape. Here, New Yorkers are increasingly turning away from fast fashion to embrace ethical shopping and sustainability. It’s clear that second hand is no longer just a niche market for vintage lovers or budget-conscious individuals. It’s becoming a mainstream choice for customers looking to create an eco-conscious wardrobe and minimize their fashion waste. According to research published by ThredUp, the global resale market expanded fifteen times faster than the traditional retail market in 2023, signaling a significant shift towards more eco-friendly purchasing habits.
On any given day, second-hand stores buzz with activity. Buffalo Exchange, a second-hand resale store in New York City, not only offers chic and trendy clothing but also promotes a circular fashion economy — customers can sell their used clothes at the store’s buy counter and use the credit to purchase other clothing pieces inside the store. This method encourages sustainability within the store by keeping garments in circulation for longer.
Clothes that do not meet the store’s criteria for resale, or that have lingered unsold for an extended period, are not simply discarded or sent to landfills; instead, Buffalo Exchange donates these garments to an organization in Texas.
“All of [donated clothes] go to an organization in Texas that either clothes the homeless or recycles these clothing items into insulation for housing,” said Kaylee Rademacher, the fashion buyer at Buffalo Exchange.
Besides these efforts, employees at Buffalo Exchange strive to uphold ethical standards by prioritizing sustainable and ethical considerations when deciding which brands to work with.
“Everyone I know refuses Shein at the counter every time,” Rademacher added. “We work for a company that is pretty morally and ethically defensible, and we really try to stick to those ideals ourselves too.”
New York’s vintage lovers also shop at these curated thrift boutiques that focus on meticulously selected, often vintage, clothing pieces. These boutiques prioritize the uniqueness and quality of garments over quantity, offering shoppers “one-of-a-kind” finds that can’t be replicated. Among these, Loveday 31 in Astoria stands out. With almost 20 years of operation, Loveday 31 distinguishes itself from other secondhand stores by upholding sustainability without sacrificing quality or style.
“For me it’s always really important for the quality to be at a very high level,” said Ivona Bilicic, the owner of Loveday 31 and a fashion buyer for 30 years. “The store really became part of the neighborhood and it’s kind of like an Astoria OG.”
Comparing the city’s thrift boutiques to its resale stores, there are notable differences. Thrift boutiques tend to curate their collections with high-quality clothes or designer brands, and they don’t usually take fast fashion brands like Forever 21 or Zara. But the resale stores will accept fast fashion brands that a vintage store might not want.
“I think what they do is good for the environment,” Bilicic said. “But I think places like Beacons and Buffalo rely on quantity, which feeds into the whole fast fashion machine.”
The complex ethical landscape of secondhand shopping is currently under intense scrutiny. Consumers often treat shopping second hand as if it absolves all ethical improprieties in terms of fashion. However, secondhand shopping and thrifting have their own problems, advocates say.
“It tends to abstract labor even more so than buying firsthand,” says Becca Solomon, the retail buyer at Buffalo Exchange. “It just hides the labor to a degree more than firsthand shopping because you only think of the previous owner, not of the creator of the garment.”
There’s also a paradox existing in the secondhand market: the reliance of secondhand markets on the overconsumption from customers.
“Our access to current, trendy, and interesting styles is reliant on others over consumption because they have to be willing to donate or sell it while it’s still trendy,” Solomon explained. As a fashion lover who buys exclusively second hand, she candidly talks about this dilemma that if society were to reduce its consumption, she will lose her chic and ethical wardrobe.
Luxury fashion is also under scrutiny in discussions about fashion sustainability. Many assume that because luxury brands use higher quality, more biodegradable materials, they are inherently more sustainable. However, as Kenneth Pucker, professor at Tufts University specializing in sustainability and ESG, points out, this assumption is not necessarily accurate.
“Growth that is inconsistent with planetary boundaries is, by definition, unsustainable,” Pucker argues. “While it is true that luxury brands are able to access ‘better’ materials that are typically longer lasting, that does not make it sustainable.”
Sustainability must consider the planet’s environmental limits which is the threshold that once crossed might disturb the Earth’s climate. Even if luxury brands use materials that are “better,” if their production exceeds the limit that the Earth can take, it’s not sustainable. So the challenge is to align growth within the Earth’s capacity to regenerate.
Luxury fashion, too, has found a second life through consignment shops like The RealReal, which buys in and offers authenticated, pre-owned designer goods at a discounted price.
“I’m looking for quality and affordability in my purchases,” Yeebin Kim said while selling her designer bags at TheRealReal buy-in counter. “Secondhand luxury can provide that without the scary price tag.”
Fast fashion brands, like Shein, are facing increasing backlash due to their poor quality, overproduction, and unsustainable practices. A dress on Shein may sell for only $10, and a shirt can retail for as low as $3. But many individuals turn to brands like Shein for those cheap prices, as sustainable shopping is not always financially feasible for everyone.
“There are some people who can literally only afford their clothes from Shein,” Rademacher, the fashion buyer at Buffalo Exchange, said. “ We can’t beat down the people who are not yet able to shop as sustainably as we are so the best we can do is share what we can, encourage people to do the same, and think about our purchases before making them.”
Beyond Recycling and Work in Reverse
Upcycling is the creative reuse of unwanted, wasted, and useless materials. It’s a method of recycling these materials into something that is higher in value than the original item. Often, people begin with everyday objects around them, whether it’s cardboard, leather straps, or plastics, using these accessible materials to create something innovative and useful.
In the realm of sustainable art and upcycling, Annie Temmink has distinguished herself as an artist who embodies the spirit of creativity and environmental responsibility. Her innovative and intricate headwear, sculptures, and installations, crafted from unwanted materials, are manifestations of her ecological consciousness. Having grown up in a small town with limited financial resources, Temmink frequently visited local businesses to see what people were throwing out. She would collect these items and work with them. She loves to work with simple and less processed materials, believing that their life force is diminished the more they are processed.
“I’m just getting to know a material and seeing what it’s really good at and what it’s not,” she explained. “So it’s more like being in a lab and having a conversation with the material.”
Creating a garment from cardboard, spray paint, and construction foam, Temmink used two weeks to complete the garment which managed to capture the attention of an international audience at the World of Wearable Art in New Zealand.
“When I told people this, they were like, oh my God, you made that? And I’m like, yeah, I made it out of trash. You could do it too,” Temmink said.
Upcycling involves recognizing the potential in unwanted materials around us, which doesn’t require sophisticated techniques — a creative and experimental mindset is sufficient. Akilah Stewart, the founder and creative designer of FATRA, embodies this sustainable ethos. For her, upcycling is about working in reverse and emphasizing local resources.
“I look at what waste is available and then I create a design versus okay I have the design and then get the resources needed,” Stewart said. “I want to keep [the design] very local and [the design of] the bags should be based on the local waste available.”
FATRA, a brand that specializes in handbags that are made entirely from recycled materials, derives its name from the Haitian word for “trash.” The name itself shows Stewart’s bold challenge to people’s perception of conventional luxury, especially when all her bags are made with unwanted materials, or in other word, trash. Her journey began in Honolulu, Hawaii, as the zero-waste movement was gaining momentum, though Stewart was initially skeptical of its practicality.
“I didn’t think it was realistic for the simple fact that everything that’s alive creates waste,” Stewart said.
Growing up in Staten Island, Akilah Stewart regularly recycled plastic bottles, a habit she continued after moving to Hawaii. However, she soon discovered an issue: despite saving numerous plastic bottles, she found that the islands did not have facilities to recycle them.
“I was stuck with all of these plastic bottles that I had been saving but there was no recycle,”said Stewart. “They actually ship a lot of their trash off of the island.”
Then she decided to use these plastic bottles as a medium to fulfill her mission of repurposing waste into wearable art, blending environmental consciousness with fashion. “Because fashion is a universal language,” she said.
When it comes to upcycling clothes, the quality is crucial. Research from the University of Wollongong shows that synthetic fibers like polyester can take 20–200 years to decompose. Poor quality garments from brands like Forever 21 may not last long, possibly ending up in landfills again.
If not end up in a landfill, it may find its way to a secondhand market in Africa. Ghana imports around 15 million items of secondhand clothing weekly. While these markets extend the life of fast fashion fabrics, they also reflect the problematic “out of sight, out of mind” attitude prevalent in developed countries regarding clothing waste.
“Just because it’s not here doesn’t mean that it’s not polluting the planet someplace else,” Bilicic, the owner of Loveday 31, said. “People in Ghana also don’t want a double net polyester dress. They’re also looking for quality.”
Walking into the secondhand market in Ghana is like walking into a maze of tiny stalls. The air smells like dust and fabric. The majority of the used items that line the streets are from Europe and the United States, which consumes over 36 billion units of clothing each year and that 85% are discarded, as Alyssa Hardy described it in Worn Out. This influx of Western secondhand clothes not only overwhelmed the waste management system but also drove the local tailors and textile retailers out of business.
“You just wouldn’t see an African dress there in the way that you would not in other places,” says Annie Temmink, “because the clothing is so much cheaper from abroad.”
Many African countries once had thriving garment industries with local tailors and artisans making unique clothing pieces, but the secondhand market drove some of these local stores out of business. These imported clothes, with the purpose of sustainability, inadvertently affected the local industries and contributed to the homogenization of fashion.
Green Is the New Black
As the concept of sustainable fashion grows, more and more brands start to advertise their sustainability efforts. But the boundary between genuine environmental effort and marketing, or in other words ‘greenwashing’, is increasingly blurred. Constantly advertising their eco-conscious efforts, these fashion giants usually cannot hold up to their promises when it comes to sustainability.
In 2019, H&M launched their Conscious Collection which is a collection of clothing pieces that were made of sustainable materials. According to their official website, H&M is hoping to achieve their goals of only using 100% recycled materials by 2030 with their conscious collection.But critics argue that H&M’s sustainability initiatives resemble greenwashing more than actual environmental progress since they never reveal the true result to the customers.
The sustainability initiatives in the beauty industry also frequently face accusations of greenwashing. Efforts to embrace sustainability often run opposite with the need to uphold a luxurious brand image. Recyclable packaging, while more environmentally friendly, often does not meet customer expectations for aesthetic appeal. For instance, the luxury skincare brand La Mer uses fancy porcelain for its products. It’s unlikely to switch to a more sustainable but less luxurious-looking material, like recyclable PET, a type of durable plastic, because such materials do not align with the brand’s luxury image.
Another phenomenon has begun to emerge not only in the fashion industry, but also, across the broader consumer sector. Some brands intentionally design their products to project an image of recycling and sustainability and give the items an eco-friendly design. This strategy is used to meet consumer demand for more sustainable and eco-friendly products.
For example, Nike launched its “Space Hippie” shoes in 2020, claiming they are 100% recyclable and made of 90% recycled materials. The design of the shoes visibly screams sustainability. It has a raw and rugged look, and you can clearly see there are rubbers and other manufacturing wastes that are patched together on the shoes.
“Sustainability in the consumer industry is kinda weird these days because It’s not just about being sustainable in reality, It’s also about looking sustainable,” said Alex Hou, the package designer at Estée Lauder. “Nike definitely has the capability to break down all those wastes and make something super stylish out of them. They’ve got the skills for it, but if they are gonna promote sustainability, then the product has to look sustainable.”
Amidst these challenges, some brands are adopting an alternative approach: outsourcing environmental responsibility to professionals through direct funding and partnerships. Recognizing the limitations in achieving sustainability through product formulation and packaging alone, La Mer, known for its ocean-derived ingredients, established the “Blue Heart Oceans Fund” to fund Ocean Protection agencies.
Other brands that find direct sustainability efforts challenging can resort to the “one purchase equals one tree” campaign. The argument goes: if people don’t know how to support sustainability and protect the environment, at least they can plant a tree. These initiatives contribute to environmental efforts in a more transparent manner, offering a more quantifiable result that is easier for consumers to see.
Instead of vague promises that sound like greenwashing, brands in the future can rely on sustainable initiatives that perhaps offer more transparency and straightforward results.
“It’s often more effective for companies to leave such matters to the experts instead of spending money to launch eco-friendly collections one by one,” Hao said. “As people say, leave it to the professionals.
Outsourcing sustainability efforts might work in certain circumstances but we need to remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, as each player in the industry — from customers and individual artisans to large corporations — faces unique situations that require tailored approaches.
So as people navigate the complexity of fashion sustainability, they need the information that not only spreads knowledge on sustainable fashion but also fosters creativity to empower individuals to come up with solutions that resonate with their specific circumstances and resources, equipping individuals with capability to make eco-friendly choices.
“Give people the tools and techniques to know that they, with their own hands and their own creativity, can start to build right at where they are,” said Stewart, the founder of FATRA. “Don’t let the same storylines be told all the time.”
