The last few years have seen a number of circular startups emerge in the fashion sector, with dreams of providing enduring solutions to some of the industry’s most daunting sustainability challenges. 

However, the scaling of sustainable fashion has proved much easier said than done for many participants. A number of powerful forces continue to work against efforts to bolster the sustainability of UK and global fashion. 

With the last few years having seen a backdrop of high inflation, climbing interest rates, and economic uncertainty, prospective investors in sustainable fashion practices have sometimes been cautious. In such circumstances, it can be easy to favour proven business models over experimentation-led approaches. 

It is equally clear, however, that such experimentation can and must continue, particularly as the urgency of the climate crisis intensifies. 

Well-placed speakers had much to say on the future of fashion sustainability 

With such factors in mind, a range of people operating in the fashion space gathered at London’s Somerset House on Wednesday 4^th December, for the latest Fashion Futures event of Vogue Business. 

Around 200 attendees were present at the event for a series of panel discussions and keynote sessions. Another attraction was the innovation showcase, which put forward a selection of startups and growth-stage companies engaged in activities across circularity, next-gen materials, and supply chain transparency. 

So, what were some of the fundamental “takeaways” from the speakers on the day? As a digital marketing agency for luxury brands and fashion players at Skywire London, we’ve picked out a few of those you might be inclined to consider for your own brand. 

• Desirability is still crucial for sustainably made products 

A fireside chat with Vanessa Barboni Hallik – founder of New York-based womenswear brand Another Tomorrow – got the event off to an especially insightful start. 

Her brand has managed to thrive through a time when many of its peers have been subject to turbulence. The business’s success in this regard owes much to its approach of prioritising desirability alongside sustainability and the resilience of its supply chains. 

Barboni Hallik commented: “Before we even had a designer or a brand name, I looked at why things fail to scale in the consumer landscape. 

“A lot of it was a prioritisation of sustainability, but without a deep understanding of why the consumer buys products. So, product integrity and design were absolutely central to us and we really invested in that.” 

• Price is of critical importance when it comes to next-generation materials 

The company Circulose – named after its hero product Circulose, a pulp consisting of 100% textile waste that can replace high-impact raw materials such as cotton and viscose – has quite the instructive story. 

In its former incarnation as Renewcell, the business filed for bankruptcy in February, in what appeared to be a major blow for sustainable fashion. 

Now, however, the company has effectively risen from the ashes, with private equity firm Altor its latest backer. A new top team has also been brought on board, including one-time CEO at H&M Group, Helena Helmersson. 

Fashion Futures presented Helmersson with an opportunity to share the vital lessons learned from the demise and acquisition of Renewcell. 

She commented at the event: “When looking at feedback from brands – and of course, I have my own experiences from my time with H&M Group – the biggest point has been that it was very expensive”. 

One way Circulose plans to address this is by coordinating more closely with businesses at various stages of the supply chain, Helmersson said. She added that bringing on board large brands would also be crucial for achieving efficiencies of scale. 

• There is a need for a long-term view 

Participating in a panel discussion at the event was Amy Tsang, head of Europe at The Mills Fabrica, which invests in and accelerates startups that are bringing forward planet-positive change. 

On the subject of the vital criteria the company looks for, Tsang cited innovation to address a market need, as well as scalability and – most importantly – impact. 

She emphasised that a long-term perspective was required: “I think sometimes, as an investor, it’s easy to forget the kind of mammoth challenge that some of these startups, especially the ones developing the B2B solutions, are looking to tackle.” 

She continued: “It takes time to try, test, fail, learn, improve, and perfect. So, while we do want to see the path to profitability, it doesn’t have to be immediate.” 

Such insights as those explained above are very much ones we can enthusiastically back here at Skywire London. For a discussion of how our digital marketing agency for luxury brands may be well-placed to help coordinate success for your business in this sector, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our creative, digital, and strategic experts. 

Photo by WARION Taipei on Unsplash