Many consumers see the great divide between luxury and fast fashion as black and white, good and bad. Surely that expensive coat must be environmentally sound if it has such a high price tag?
Not necessarily. Just as the carbon footprint of a flight doesn’t discriminate between first-class and economy, high fashion has a history of being just as damaging to the environment.
But now, both luxury conglomerates and smaller designers are increasingly considering their environmental impact and taking steps to create more sustainable products. New York-based Maria Cornejo, for example, showed a collection for SS17 under her Zero + Maria Cornejo label that was defined by architectural drapes and contemporary lines. What made it particularly strong, however, was its use of a unique white fabric manufactured from wood pulp and sourced from sustainable forests in Domsjo, Sweden.