It is evident with the rising climate crisis that we are slowly and inevitably turning to sustainability and greener practices. Businesses are certainly aware of this, but when it comes to the fashion industry, (one of the largest polluters in the world), there is a growing demand for environmental protection and conservation, a movement that has now reached a fever pitch.
Basically, it is no longer enough for fashion designers to just make beautiful outfits. With the increasing number of conscious consumers around the world, the industry is grappling with questions about sustainability. This has enabled sustainable fashion brands to finally get the exposure they deserve and also led other brands to start practicing sustainability (those that are not still greenwashing us, of course). Basically, new green career opportunities are now on the rise within the fashion industry, providing us the opportunity to make actual impacts while focusing on our careers in fashion.
Fernanda Lopes Lima, Ethical Fashion Designer at TUAessence says, “Aiming for a Sustainable Fashion is the only way to make Fashion today if we want to think of a future. Therefore, the possibilities are endless. Those brands not focusing on social and environmental matters are doomed to fail very quickly, I believe.”
So what does it take to start a career in Sustainable Fashion? Let’s get started:
1. Identify your sector:
Start with identifying what you want to do. Knowing exactly which areas you want to work with will surely make your journey easier because then you can just focus on the knowledge, academic degrees, and skillset required for your preferred role.
Not sure what’s in store?
When it comes to sustainable and ethical jobs, there are a plethora of options available, some of which are linked to the fabric materials and design, others to supply chain management and ethical sourcing, and others are connected to the corporate social responsibility aspect of these businesses. Here are some examples for you (only some because there is so much more!).
As I mentioned before, these are just a very few examples. There are so many more exciting roles that the sustainable fashion industry can offer. By the end of this article, you will have plenty of resources to help you find out more about roles within the industry and relevant opportunities.
2. Educate Yourself:
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
To be able to thrive in the sustainable fashion industry, you will need to take out some time to educate yourself on topics like climate change, sustainability, renewable energy, circular economy, climate justice, sustainable fashion, worker health and safety, gender equity, etc.
For those wanting to start now, my advice is: EDUCATION! Be curious, wonder, ask questions, study, dig deeper and learn from brands who are truly committed to doing a Conscious Fashion.
Fernanda Lopes Lima, Ethical Fashion Designer at TUAessence
Now, of course, for each field of work, you will need a specific set of skills along with theoretical and practical knowledge. Note that if you already have a degree but you don’t think it is relevant to the sustainable fashion sector, you might be wrong. The industry offers all sorts of roles and your degree in Business, Computer science, Engineering, Arts, Development, or even Social Sciences can still help. Yes, your degree is not wasted – well, unless you don’t intend to work within the field anymore.
So basically, if you already have a degree that you want to utilize, you only have to make the effort to educate yourself and sharpen your knowledge around the sustainable fashion industry, climate change, sustainability in general, renewable energy, circular economy, climate justice, worker health and safety, gender equity, etc (if your degree did not already cover these sectors). For this, you don’t necessarily need to spend a fortune. There are plenty of free resources out there for you.
FutureLearn provides amazing courses on pretty much everything from Sustainable Fashion to the SDGs to help you get a solid concept idea. Apart from being super flexible, their courses are delivered by experts in these fields from world-class universities and organizations. You can access these certified courses on FutureLearn:
If you’re looking to invest in a degree instead, there are a plethora of options out there for you. As for specific degrees or courses to take to pursue a career in sustainable fashion, there’s no “one size fits all” formula. Academic institutions around the world offer various programs that can help you not only get your knowledge and skills sharpened but also enable you to create a strong network of people within your area of passion.
3. Get Involved:
Photo by Anna Shvets
Get yourself out there, talk about your passion, meet like-minded people, and make friends who share similar beliefs with you – all while carving your way into a smooth career in sustainability. Here’s what I mean by getting involved:
Join local or online events: You can also join relevant workshops, seminars, and other relevant events happening around you or online. There are gazillions of these happening right now, so why not join one? Not only it’s an easy way to learn more about your sector from experts but also an incredible networking opportunity. Who knows? Maybe you will find a mentor or might even make some really cool friends who share your passion. You can follow these useful platforms that regularly organize workshops, campaigns, and relevant events that you can participate in :
Volunteer your time: Get involved in sustainable activities around you. You can start by looking for volunteer opportunities in the sustainability sector within and outside your community. These can include activities like plogging, planting trees, marine conservation, beach cleanups, community gardening, wildlife rescue and so much more!
Here are some useful links where you can find out more about volunteering opportunities locally and abroad:
Idealist.org is a non-profit organization with plenty of volunteer opportunities to choose from based on your location and interests.
Volunteer World is one of the most trusted platforms for people around the world looking for opportunities to volunteer abroad.
Volunteer FDIP is another great volunteer abroad organization program that offers volunteer opportunities in over 16 countries around the world.
Fuze Ecoteer also offers to connect you with various kinds of sustainable volunteer opportunities around the world.
Habitat for Humanity offers many green building-related projects in various countries around the world.
Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a wonderful space for you if you want to trade your time and work for rooms and boards in one of many countries around the world under the WWOOF network.
The Student Conservation Association is a great platform if you live in the United States and are looking for local volunteering opportunities, an internship, or even a seasonal job in a national park around you.
Friends of the Urban Forest is also based in the United States in San Fransico and they seek local volunteers to help with tree plantation projects.
Get some field experience: Many of these platforms above also offer wonderful internship programs around sustainability that might interest you.Byjoining an internship program relevant to your sector, you get some actual field experience before you apply for your dream job. Subscribe to our green opportunities newsletter to get updates on relevant internship opportunities in the sustainable fashion industry. You can also follow Green Jobs Board founded by Brown Girl Green as she and her team share green opportunities regularly. LinkedIn is also a great and easy way to find opportunities like these.
Pro tip: If you’re already involved in a company that does not really practice sustainability, you can take that opportunity to build sustainable initiatives within your company or organization. This really adds as an experience if you can manage your supervisors to get on board. This could be something as simple as organizing and leading a community gardening project or maybe a weekly/monthly plogging or beach clean-up activity with your co-workers.
4. Connect and engage:
Start talking about your passion with like-minded people, remember, the goal is to build relationships, not just connections. Get active on your social media, and share your experiences, learnings, and thoughts about all these volunteer events, workshops, and seminars. Talk about why you care about sustainability in fashion so much and share relevant studies to back yourself up.
Follow and interact: There are so many prominent communities and organizations working hard to bring sustainability in fashion in various ways from advocating for the rights of garment workers around the world to promoting awareness on the environmental impacts of fashion. Follow them on Instagram to learn and interact with them. Many of these platforms like the Slow Fashion Movement and Remake also offer ambassador programs where they encourage inspired individuals who are passionate about sustainability in fashion to become one of them enabling them to actively participate in and organize relevant campaigns and events. Here are some of the best online platforms and communities that you can follow:
Gear up: Now is the time for you to start getting active on LinkedIn. Establish your credibility by updating your experiences, educational background, and relevant courses on your profile, and make an effort to really brush it up to make it professional. Remember, you have got one chance to make a good impression, so you need to make it count by crafting a relevant compelling story about who you are and what you do and incorporating that into your LinkedIn profile. Once that’s done, find relevant peers, industry experts, and professionals to follow. Start connecting and actively engaging with people and communities who can introduce you to opportunities in the industry. Make sure to utilize the networks you have built through all those workshops, seminars, and volunteer programs.
5. Find job opportunities and start applying:
Photo by Marten Newhall
Now that you have the knowledge, experience, and network, you’re ready to apply for your dream job. Start with making a great resume that stands out. Here’s how:
Highlight your skills and experiences, along with your degree of expertise in a visual and easy-to-read style.
Keep it simple and relevant, not too cluttered
Make sure to focus on your extracurricular activities. Yes, these play a huge role.
Ensure that your resume/CV visually stands out, or is nice to look at.
Once that’s ready, you are set to apply for your dream job. You can find ethical companies with relevant opportunities on LinkedIn just by putting your keywords on the job board. As you’re already following your dream platforms on social media and LinkedIn, you will automatically know when there are new opportunities. Apart from that, you can also keep an eye on our green opportunities section to stay updated on current and upcoming relevant opportunities in sustainability.
6. Be patient and persistent:
It might take some time for you to hear back from employers, especially in the current times. Know that it’s completely okay and do not let that discourage you. Feel confident to follow up with the hiring managers with your specific queries like what the timeline is like for the position. Remember to always maintain a humble and positive attitude.
Co-founder of Slow Fashion Movement, Lena Hartog is a woman of many talents. While she’s an organizer, a campaigner, and a trainer with a passion for social movements, deep ecology, and sustainability, she has also co-founded projects like Sail to the COP at the first Dutch UN youth climate conference.
Tell us your backstory. Where did this incredible journey start?
I think it started where it starts for most people, with the question – “What is the purpose of my life?” As a teenager, I used to be happy, but sometimes I was a bit lonely and existential, wondering what this life is about. That’s when I started reading a lot about what makes a purposeful life, and from that, I realized that it really gives my life more happiness if I get to make my life serve something bigger than me – like a higher purpose.
And, in that search, I started reading more about the problems in the world. I studied Sociology and read about social inequalities. That’s when it hit me how all the problems I care about, that are making the world a sh*tty place right now – like, gender inequality, racial inequality, income inequality, and so on – will become so much bigger with the climate crisis. I remember reading This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein after my bachelor’s studies and that was a real turning point in my life; it changed everything. I realized that this is going to be the biggest challenge of our lifetime, I think, as humanity. And living in the privileged part of the world, in the Netherlands, Europe, I saw it as my moral responsibility to dosomething about it.
So, in the first instance, it started as a way to make myself happy, because I think a happy life serves society as a whole, but in the second instance, I think once you’ve seen the facts, it’s really hard to ignore it and to let it go.
So, in my own journey of searching for where I can make an impact not only as an individual, but also collectively, I realized that fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and it’s also one of the ways in which I can change the world a little starting from my own wardrobe. But, if you only change by yourself, it doesn’t really make much of an impact. So, the non-profits I used to work for, called Collaction – they work by taking collective individual actions – just like crowd-funding, they do crowd-acting. They started a campaign called ‘Slow Fashion Season’ years ago. It started just as a small campaign in The Netherlands, and I think over 1,500 people participated for the first time by not buying any new fashion items for that summer. As they realized there is so much fast fashion, and people are really almost addicted to it, so we need to kind of detox ourselves to change our behaviors. And then one time, the campaign exploded as it grew very big on Instagram, and people from all over the world were loving the idea and wanted to participate.
So, when I joined the non-profit, we had already done a few of those Slow Fashion Season campaigns in the summers. So the idea was – three months of not buying any fashion items, with as many people together as possible. At that point, I realized, that with a group of people, we gotta turn this into a more permanent movement. That’s when Slow Fashion Movement was born. So it’s really been a collective effort, from the very start, working together with people from all over the world. And now we’re a year further, and we have a beautiful global team working on it, we have grown our Instagram page a lot, and I really have to say ‘we’ because even though I am the co-founder, we are like a group of co-founders, so it’s always been a very collaborative effort from the start.
I think it’s the power of social media. Social media has good sides, and it has very dark sides too. I think Instagram can seduce you to buy more and more and more, with all the influencers and marketing. But it also works the other way around – like when the Slow Fashion Season started as a small Instagram campaign in The Netherlands, with no budget, and no paid employees, people still saw it and found it interesting. So, the slow fashion community on Instagram started growing, and I think the right people found us and the other way around. We’ve had people like Puja from India who stepped in and said, “You know, this is what I’ve been waiting for. I want to help, and I am going to start with changing my own wardrobe.” And what we’ve seen a lot is that people joined as participants, so they saw us on Instagram and they thought, “Okay, cool, nice, I’ll try it one summer,” and later they joined as ambassadors, or as volunteers as well. So that’s really how we grew globally.
I always advise people to participate and also try to give them the chance to do so. So we always tried to create a space where everyone could participate and we put out postings like, “Hey, we’re looking for volunteers, if you want to join, you’re welcome!” and that’s how we grew into the beautiful team that we are today.
What’s it like, working with the global team at Slow Fashion Movement? Tell me about the challenges and rewards.
I think the most rewarding fact is that you get to know people who share the same values, but live completely different lives in different countries. Not only we’ve made so many new friends around the world, but it’s also rewarding on a deeper level, as I’m always reminded that there are lots of people who want to do better for society, who don’t agree with the current culture. And I think that’s something that gives me a lot of hope too.
One of the challenges of working with a global team is definitely a more logistical one (Chuckles). I don’t know how many times I’ve googled “Convert to CEST time,” to understand others’ time zones. And I’m always having to think “How do I schedule meetings with someone in Latin America, someone in Asia, someone in Europe, and someone in Australia..?” We had a team like that one summer. So, that definitely needs a bit of effort, especially because all of us are volunteers, which means we have to do this outside our working hours. So, sometimes I wish we all lived in the same time zone, to make it easier. But I think, diversity is a necessity to do something like this, and you pay a price for that, which is usually a bit of a logistical price in this case. (Chuckles)
Why should we care about slow fashion, according to you?
Well, I think before caring about slow fashion there’s this question of, “Why should we care about the world,” right? And that’s because – WE are life. We, protecting nature – it’s really like we are nature protecting itself. The web of life right now, it’s not doing well, it’s been hurting, it’s damaged, and it’s going down. And, within that web of life, all sectors need to change. And I think with fashion, one of the main things we are fighting against is this idea that fashion is something you buy, throw away and, repeat. Most clothes are only used four or five times, while clothes can be made to last a lifetime. So, we really talk about slow fashion, and not just about sustainable fashion, because we want to see a big culture shift. It’s not just about using ecological materials to make new clothes, it’s really about deepening our relationship with fashion.
So, while there is the over-usage, over-consumption, and over-production in fashion, and then there’s also the use of chemical toxins through paints, and then there’s also the issue of excessive water usage in fashion. It’s the second most water-consuming industry in the world. And I think for me, the main reason above all of that is that I think the fashion industry shows what’s wrong with our current economy. Because it really shows how something’s being made to last very short and the marketing’s being done in a way to seduce people to make it last very short. So, I think the best way to start that change, is to change our relationship with all products that we buy.
What do you think is needed to change the global culture of fast consumption?
Well, I think what needs to change is the way we market fashion. And I think many people buy more because they are reminded to do so. And not just by companies themselves, with marketing and advertising, but also by each other. So, I think, we as consumers towards each other, but also companies towards us, need to make it normalnot to advertise so much. And then, one layer below that is, of course, the production. So we need to produce fewer seasons, and the seasons we do make, we need to make much better quality. And I think for that, we need transparency in the picture. So, right now fashion is one of the most intransparent industries, it’s impossible to know where your cotton comes from. How can a consumer, in such a landscape, know what to buy? So first, we need to talk to each other and let’s say, not so much marketing – not so much influencer marketing to each other, inspire each other to buy less; then, of course, no more production, fewer seasons, and then more transparency.
What helps you keep going, and doing what you do?
I always like that question, because it changes you in a way. I think, on the most basic level, we need to have humility and gratefulness to be alive. Like, life is a present, life is a gift, and it’s been given to me, I don’t know for how many days more, right? I could always die tomorrow, I never know. And, because life has been such a gift to me, I want to cherish it and make sure the future generations can enjoy it too but also current generations who don’t have the great privileges that I have. I feel like I’ve experienced a lot of happiness in my life, and I just want to create a world where everyone can do that, and I believe we are getting there, so, it’s both – I want to cherish it, and I see the change, I see movements, I see people coming up – and that’s the motivation.
What do you want to achieve with the Slow Fashion Movement?
Well, I have to say, right now, I am also in the process of letting go. We started our official non-profit, and I am on the legal board, and I’ve also transferred a lot of the tasks to Puja and Bhavna, who are now on the operational board. So, I think what we want to achieve is just that it becomes a sustainably-run movement so that it can last. And then, in the long run, we want to transform the fashion industry – we want to make fashion a force for good. We do believe that fashion has a beauty to it, a creative expression to it, and you can find your identity in it, but it’s just that the industry has to change the way it’s done. And at Slow Fashion Movement, we focus more on the consumers’ side and on education, because we believe if people understand more what the industry is about, and how they can change their own habits, then we can also change the culture of fashion.
What do you think the future of fashion looks like to you? Do you think people are becoming more and more aware of the problems with the fashion industry?
Yes, I think, when looking at social change, there are always different waves going under at the same time, right? So, to look at a sea, and focus on one wave, and then to be disappointed that another wave is also there – that never helps. I think there’s definitely this wave of people that are becoming more conscious, that are changing their behaviors, inspiring each other, to buy less, to knit winter clothes, but there’s also still a huge wave of people who are now turning into fashionistas. They do it themselves, but they are also turned into it by the industry. So, I hope the future of fashion will be slow, but I do think we have reached the societal tipping point where sustainability is becoming more mainstream. And so the future of fashion – timeless fashion – made very high-quality, people have a very deep relationship with their clothes, and we all learn from our parents and our grandparents how to repair our clothes again, and maybe, even the future of fashion has a… virtual part, like, I’ve also learned that there are some people who pay for virtual dresses (chuckles) but I personally like more the idea of very small, local trading communities, where you swap your clothes with your neighbors, everyone learns how to sew their own clothes, and, they only get a few new products a year.
How do you take care of your mental health during times of distress? Tell us how you practice spirituality, and self-care and also how you deal with negative emotions like eco-anxiety.
I love that question, I think it’s so important. I think, at the start, um, I once learned from a trainer, this kind of motto that says, “I am me, my work is my work, I put full attention in my work, but my work is not me.” And I think that’s the most important thing, especially in idealistic work: not to identify with it. I create it, but, also, it’s not me, even if I don’t fulfill anything at the end of the day, I’m a good human being, just by existing. And I think practicing that and reminding myself of that and coming back to that, is more important than anything, like that’s the relationship I have with my work.
And then I think more… emotionally. I’ve learned a lot from Joanna Macy, with her book Active Hope, she’s a lifetime activist who’s in her 80s right now; she developed this beautiful method on how to reconnect with yourself, reconnect with others, and reconnect with nature – and from that method and training program, I’ve become a facilitator there, I’ve really learned to grieve more. So, for example, when the war in Ukraine started, I really took the time to read the news and take a moment of my day where I also had the space to cry. Because it’s ridiculous that we read so much news, and we expect to treat it like simple information, like, facts that don’t do anything to us. It’s actually weird, I think, to read about other humans dying, and not feel anything. But if we read the news all the time, it’s impossible to do that, and I used to do that, right? Like just before sleeping, I used to read a little bit on my phone, and now I really try to be conscious of when I am taking in information like that and making space for my emotions, so just ask myself, “How do I feel about it?”. It might sound paradoxical, but, the more I cry, the better I feel I am doing, because I think, in today’s world, it’s normal to cry a lot, and it’s abnormal to not.
So again, there’s this toxic positivity culture, which I was involved in as well – like I’m an optimistic, happy person; I wanna be happy, but happiness doesn’t mean… avoiding negative emotions. Being me – means being able to swing as much to the sad side, as to the happy side of me. And, I’ve been growing that year by year, because I have also been trained to think more than to feel, right? We live in a very thinking time.
What’s your mantra for life?
Yeah (Chuckles). I have quite a lot of them, um, but I think the one in the end, I have it tattooed on my wrist. So, it’s a tattoo I got a few years ago, and I thought about it for a long time. And for me, it stands for the idea that, as a human being, my life is one drop in the ocean, and that means it’s unique. Every drop is unique, but it also means it’s not that feasible in the greatest scheme of things. I can choose which waves I’m part of, and that wave shapes history a little bit, but it also makes me humble in a way. I will join this life for a part, maybe 80, maybe 100 years, and then I’ll leave again, and I think that’s the humbleness of my life, being tiny, but then the chance to shape the direction of the ocean, that gives me a lot of strength. And it helps me to also laugh about my own little problems.
What’s your dream?
Actually, this week when I was making a nice mood board, for my life; I realized a lot of my dreams that I have fulfilled right now. Like, I live in a beautiful community house with people I care about, I have a job in which I am making an impact, and I am surrounded by beautiful friends. So, I think, my dream is just – to be able to continue to do work with an impact, to love the people around me, and, to help – in the end, liberate myself and society from all the structures that are holding us down. Because I have become freer in my life, and that’s not just about climate change, but also about my queer sides and being sexually free, and free to be open with my emotions. And if I can help others to do the same, and still free myself, then that’s the dream.
How can others be involved with the Slow Fashion Movement?
First, really to emphasize again, it’s never been just me, there’s like a beautiful group of people working on it right now and I’m not even that involved practically. I have helped set it up and stayed involved from a distance. So, anyone can start to follow us, our Instagram channel is our main channel – Slow Fashion Movement. And then, if you feel inspired one way or another, you can become an ambassador. You can get in touch with Puja, she’s the Ambassador Coordinator. She’s amazing; she’s a pearl – I really really love her. And then maybe you can even join the team! You can volunteer, make friends, and just help to transform the fashion industry.
Where can people find you, online, if they want to get in touch with you, or follow what you’re doing?
So you can follow Slow Fashion Movement. The group is doing amazing work and I’m so happy with it. And, for myself, you can find me on Instagram, so Lena Hartog, I don’t think there’s many of us, there’s a Swedish lady who’s 50, so-– not that one (Laughs). And I have a website as well – lenahartog.com. Always feel free to send me an email, or send me a message on Instagram; I’ll respond if it’s not some crazy spam. I’ll be happy to talk to you.
This is a part of a series where Green & Beyond explores the stories and takes a peek at the lifestyles of incredible people like green entrepreneurs, innovators, climate advocates, activists, community leaders, and content creators, all around the world, who love the planet, and are working tirelessly to make the world a better place.
Let me ask you something – How confused does the term “digital fashion” make you? Do you feel like you are the only one who is left in the room for having the least amount of knowledge on this topic? Are all the super-cool terms that are used to discuss “digital fashion” super-critical for you?
But even after all of these, you are still concerned about the fashion industry, climate crisis, our planet, people, and the future? Well! Firstly, let’s just say that you are not alone in this! Cheers! Secondly, let’s try to understand the topic ( as much as possible with all my abilities and limitations! ) in a really easy language, shall we?
Understanding Digital Fashion
Photo by The Fabricant – the first-ever digital-only fashion house
Most of us probably know that there are people who don’t like to appear on social media in the same dress twice! This irresponsible behavior costs us natural resources and leaves us with waste and pollution.
Digital fashion was actually born to solve this problem. The idea of making your avatar in a computer game just as you like it was there for quite a long time and digital fashion took this idea to another level by offering consumers to buy virtual dresses by making clothes using pixels rather than fabrics.
The final product of this genre of fashion can be divided into two kinds. One is when a 3D-designed dress is fed into a 3D printer and as the result, the exact same dress comes out. The second one is when a 3D-designed dress is used as a virtual product for virtual platforms.
The evolution of Digital Fashion
In 2018, Carlings, a Scandinavian retailer released an all-digital collection called Neo X. Customers provided a photo to Carlings to be digitally tailored and the designers edited the clothing onto the customer. Pretty cool, right?
Now in 2022, within 4 years the whole digital fashion-centric scenario changed a lot – there are businesses like Fabricant, the world’s first digital-only fashion house, and the Helsinki Fashion Week held their entire program virtually on Digital Village; a social metaverse, Instagram influencer Lil Miquela who has over 3 million followers is advocating for digital fashion. Even now we have institutions that are teaching digital fashion as a completely different subject.
It is not tough to understand that when it comes to manufacturing, digital fashion is greener than the regular fashion industry. According to Daria Shapovalova and Natalia Modenova, the owners of Dress X, the production of their digital garments emits 97% less CO2 than a physical garment. Also, It was also found that a digital garment, on average, saves 3300 liters of water per item.
The carbon footprint of the Helsinki Fashion Week also proved that positive changes are possible with the help of digital fashion. It was found by the HFW that the carbon footprint per visitor dropped from 137kg to 0.66kg CO2e after shifting to completely digital. This is surely remarkable because another study conducted in 2020 looked at the carbon emissions produced by buyers and designers traveling to the four major fashion weeks (New York, London, Paris, and Milan). The total emissions were found to be 241,000 tonnes of CO2e, which is the equivalent of 51,000 cars on the road or 3,060 years of lighting the Eiffel Tower.
I know what you are thinking right now ( if you are not bored yet and still here with me! ) – it seems like major problems of the conventional fashion industry are being solved with the help of digital fashion. But is there any catch? Let’s find out together!
Let’s talk about Sustainability now…
Photo by The Fabricant – the first-ever digital-only fashion house
So, the catch is that these digital designs are mostly saved as something called NFT. Non-fungible tokens are the meaning of NFT ( but that doesn’t make it easier to understand, I know :/ ). A non-fungible token means it is something that is unique and can’t be replaced with something else. Let me try to make it a bit clearer, bitcoin or any other currency is a form of a fungible token which means you can exchange your currency with another currency and the value of your wealth will still remain the same. But, an NFT is a one-of-a-kind trading card and if you try to exchange that, you will have something which is completely different from the NFT. The fun fact is every kind of art that exists digitally can be saved as NFT and it is possible for artists and designers to own and sell those too.
In the digital fashion industry, the designs or the clothes are mostly saved as NFT and they are recorded on Ethereum, which is a blockchain-based platform and has its own cryptocurrency. Now the catch is that, for saving these NFTs and for the transaction of these NFTs, a huge amount of energy is needed. Previously the power consumed by one single Ethereum transaction is equivalent to that of an average US household over 8.65 days! But the good news is that Ethereum has successfully made its system more eco-friendly by shifting to a new mechanism, known as proof-of-stake which helped them to cut its energy usage and carbon footprint by approximately 99.99% each according to the Crypto Carbon Ratings Institute.
But, the problem of overproduction and overconsumption still exists and the industry of digital fashion is still unable to address this issue. ”Digital is not necessarily always less impactful on the environment. We are producing far more than we actually need, and producing more digitally does not resolve that issue,” said Céline Semaan, the executive director of Slow Factory Foundation who was quoted in an article on Refinery.
It is true that, though digital fashion is addressing many of these problems, solving them completely is most likely impossible for it. For genuine change to happen, not only the digital one but the whole fashion industry still has a long way to go.
