Fashion is more than what we wear. It is a global industry that shapes culture, identity, and even the environment.
Yet, as the world wakes up to the environmental crisis, the fashion industry faces a reckoning.
Fast fashion, with its relentless cycles and disposable designs, is no longer sustainable.
This article examines why fast fashion needs to change, the rise of sustainable fashion, and its implications for consumers, brands, and the planet.
Photo by Joerg Hartmann
The Fast Fashion Problem
Fast fashion refers to the rapid production of cheap, trendy clothing that mimics catwalk styles and celebrity looks.
Brands churn out new collections weekly, encouraging constant consumption. However, this model comes with a heavy price.
The fashion industry produces around 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually.
The UK alone generates over 206,000 tonnes, making it the fourth-highest producer of textile waste in Europe (AM Custom Clothing, 2024).
Globally, the textile sector is responsible for 10% of annual carbon emissions.
Those accumulated emissions are bigger compared to international flights and maritime shipping combined (AM Custom Clothing, 2024)2.
Fast fashion’s environmental impact extends beyond waste and emissions.
The industry consumes vast amounts of water and energy.
For example, producing a single cotton t-shirt requires about 2,700 litres of water—enough for one person to drink for two and a half years (EcoSkills, 2025).
Chemical dyes and microplastics pollute rivers and oceans, harming ecosystems and communities.
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva
Why Fast Fashion Needs to Change
Environmental Crisis
The world cannot sustain the current rate of clothing production and disposal.
If trends continue, global fibre production could reach 160 million tonnes by 2030, up from 124 million tonnes in 2023 (Textile Exchange, 2024, cited in EcoSkills, 2025).
This growth threatens climate targets and puts pressure on natural resources.
Social Responsibility
Fast fashion often relies on cheap labour in developing countries.
Workers face poor conditions, low wages, and little protection.
Recent regulations, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, now require brands to address human rights and environmental impacts across their supply chains (EcoSkills, 2025).
Consumer Awareness
Consumers are demanding more from brands.
Around 80% of shoppers are willing to pay more for sustainable products (EcoSkills, 2025)3.
Gen Z and millennials, in particular, prioritise quality, durability, and ethics over fleeting trends.
A Deloitte survey found that 64% of Gen Z and 63% of millennials are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable, longer-lasting products or services (Deloitte, 2024).
Photo by Cottonbro Studio
The Rise of Sustainable Fashion
Sustainable fashion is not just a trend—it is a movement.
Brands, consumers, and governments are driving change.
In 2025, several key trends are shaping the future of fashion (TEXTINEL, 2025):
Circular fashion
Designing clothes for reuse, repair, resale, and recycling.
Biodegradable and eco-friendly materials:
Using organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and recycled fibres.
Transparency
Brands must disclose their sourcing, manufacturing, and environmental impact.
Rental and secondhand fashion
Extending the life of garments through sharing and resale.
Tech integration
Using AI and blockchain for better production, supply chain transparency, and waste reduction.
Inclusivity and durability
Creating clothes that last and fit diverse bodies.
Circular Fashion: Closing the Loop
Circular fashion aims to keep clothing in use for as long as possible.
Rather than a linear model—make, use, dispose—circular fashion encourages repair, resale, and recycling.
This approach reduces waste, conserves resources, and lowers emissions.
Brands are investing in circular solutions.
For instance, the Circular Fashion Innovation Network is developing new recycling technologies that recover cotton and polyester fibres for reuse (EcoSkills, 2025).
Regional recycling hubs and AI-powered systems are helping scale these efforts.
Material Innovation
Sustainable materials are central to fashion’s future.
The global organic cotton market was valued at $10 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6-8% through 2025 (AM Custom Clothing, 2024).
Brands are also exploring plant-based leathers, biodegradable textiles, and low-impact dyes.
These innovations reduce the environmental footprint of clothing.
For example, biodegradable fabrics break down naturally, avoiding landfill buildup.
Plant-based leathers use less water and energy than animal hides.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
Manufacturing and Packaging
Sustainable fashion requires a shift in manufacturing.
Brands must design products that use less energy and generate less waste.
While initial costs may be higher, long-term savings come from reduced energy use and material efficiency (AM Custom Clothing, 2024).
Packaging is also evolving.
Companies are adopting reusable garment bags, dissolvable shipping labels, and digital QR codes to minimise paper waste (AM Custom Clothing, 2024).
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws in places like California and Oregon now require brands to manage the lifecycle of their packaging (EcoSkills, 2025)3.
Photo by Skylar Kang
Regulation and Accountability
Governments around the globe are pushing the fashion industry toward sustainability.
The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, effective since July 2024, aims to double the circularity rate of material use and meet energy efficiency targets by 2030 (EcoSkills, 2025).
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires brands to report on their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.
In the US, states like New York and California have banned PFAS chemicals in apparel, addressing health and environmental risks (EcoSkills, 2025).
Such regulations hold brands accountable and drive industry-wide change.
Technology and Transparency
Technology is revolutionising sustainable fashion.
Artificial intelligence helps brands optimise production, reduce overstock, and predict trends, minimising waste (EcoSkills, 2025)3.
Virtual try-on technology reduces returns, saving resources and cutting emissions.
Blockchain technology is enhancing supply chain transparency.
By creating secure, decentralised records, brands can verify material sourcing, ensure ethical labour, and authenticate products.
This combats counterfeiting and empowers consumers to make informed choices (EcoSkills, 2025)3.
Consumer Behaviour: The Power of Choice
Consumers have more power than ever.
By choosing sustainable brands, buying less, and caring for clothes, shoppers drive industry change.
Research shows that when consumers value durability and ethics, brands must respond (Wennberg, 2025).
Secondhand and vintage fashion are booming.
In 2025, shoppers are buying fewer items, but those they buy are higher quality and longer-lasting (McKinsey, 2025).
This shift not only reduces waste but also challenges the fast fashion model.
Challenges and Contradictions
Sustainable fashion is not without challenges.
Fashion relies on novelty and change.
Even eco-friendly garments become waste if they go out of style or are not worn (Wennberg, 2025)
Clothing brands must balance creativity with responsibility.
Moreover, sustainable materials and processes can be more expensive.
This raises questions about accessibility and equity.
Brands must make sustainable fashion affordable and inclusive.
Photo by cottonbro studio
Is there a Future for the Fast Fashion Industry!
The future of fashion is circular, transparent, and accountable.
Brands that fail to adapt risk losing relevance and market share.
Those who embrace sustainability and switch to vintage clothing will thrive.
By 2030, the fashion industry could look very different.
Circular models, innovative materials, and digital solutions will be the norm.
Consumers will demand transparency and ethics at every stage.
What Can You Do?
Minimise Consumption
Buy less, choose well, and make it last.
Promote Sustainable Alternatives
Support brands that prioritise sustainability and transparency.
Practice Sustainable Fashion
Embrace vintage and secondhand clothing.
Preserve Your Wardrobe
Care for your clothes to extend their life.
Confront Unethical Players
Demand accountability from brands and policymakers.
Conclusion
Fast fashion’s time is up.
The environmental, social, and ethical costs are too high.
Sustainable fashion offers a path forward—one that values people, planet, and creativity.
By making conscious choices, we can all help shape a better future for fashion.
Reference List
AM Custom Clothing (2024) ‘Sustainable Clothing Brand Trends: A Prediction for 2025’. Available at: https://www.amcustomclothing.co.uk/2024/12/16/sustainable-clothing-brand-trends-a-prediction-for-2025/ [Accessed 3 June 2025].
Deloitte. (2024). Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey | Deloitte Global. [online] Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/about/press-room/deloitte-2024-gen-z-and-millennial-survey.html [Accessed 3 Jun. 2025].
EcoSkills (2025) ‘4 Key Drivers of Sustainable Fashion in 2025’. Available at: https://ecoskills.academy/4-key-drivers-of-sustainable-fashion-in-2025/ [Accessed 3 June 2025].
McKinsey & Company (2025). The State of Fashion 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/retail/our%20insights/state%20of%20fashion/2025/the-state-of-fashion-2025-v2.pdf.
Wennberg, M. (2025) ‘Can we dress well without harming the planet? SU researcher unpacks sustainable fashion’. Stockholm University. Available at: https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/dress-well-without-harming-the-planet-su-researcher-unpacks-sustainable-fashion [Accessed 3 June 2025].
TEXTINTEL. (2024). TEXINTEL. [online] TEXINTEL. Available at: https://www.texintel.com/blog/texintel-11-24-the-fashion-evolution-ke-trends-shaping-the-future-of-fashion-in-the-year-ahead [Accessed 3 Jun. 2025].
Textile Exchange (2024) ‘Materials Market Report’. Cited in EcoSkills (2025).