Vol. 1 Núm. 1 (2020)

Edited in: Madrid, Spain.

Author:

Laura Thommen

She studied International Hospitality Management in Lausanne, Switzerland.

After several experiences in the tourism and events sector, she worked for a year and a half in the luxury industry as a public relations coordinator. The company she worked for operates in the fashion, watches/jewelry, and beauty products industry. Part of her job was to stay informed about the latest innovations in fashion and that's when she started wanting to learn more about sustainable fashion and the environmental impact of this important industry.

Contact: laura.thommen@ehl.ch

Abstract

Fashion is an industry that has a significant impact on the three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental, and economic. This master’s thesis investigates the environmental aspect in particular because the sector negatively influences the healthy state of our waters, land, atmosphere, and biodiversity, and too little is done to change that. Firstly, the facts on how the fashion industry affects the environment are presented. Then, the data of a survey conducted amongst consumers is analyzed. Next, the best practice section describes how five fashion brands (Ecoalf, Gayaskin, MUD Jeans, People Tree, and Stella McCartney) tackle the problem and minimize their environmental footprint. Finally, both research topics are discussed and cross-analyzed to highlight the keys for a fashion brand to be operational, respect the environment, and meet consumer’s expectations at the same time. They all confirm the hypothesis of this thesis which claims that, in order to tackle its impact on the environment, the fashion industry should carefully choose the materials used, take a more circular approach, and better communicate to aim for radical transparency.

Keywords: Sustainable fashion, environmental impact, sustainable material mix, circularity, consumer’s expectations, transparency, environmental tools, communication.