Author: Saloni Dahanukar
There hasn’t been a better year for championing sustainable fashion than 2022. With almost every clothing brand investing in eco conscious materials like bamboo and organic cotton, to celebrities endorsing the circular economy - it has been looking really promising.
Since we’re just 4 months away from 2023, I thought it would be a good idea to round up the 5 biggest sustainability moments from the year that completely rocked the fashion world’s boat. Let’s take a look.
Balenciaga AW22
The cult streetwear brand’s AW22 runway show was nothing less than a whole event in itself. Designed to look like a real life blizzard with artificial snow covering the runaway, the models unveiled an audacious new line inspired by the current climate emergencies faced by the world. With a special tribute to Ukraine, it was the sustainability world’s boldest show of symbolism and creativity. The brand moved away from its usual stance as an atelier to bolder themes like repurposing old towels to jeans, and a mycelium based leather coat made out of mushroom roots!
Coach’s Upcycled Trench coat
Just like Balenciaga, Coach too went down an unconventional (and sustainable) path for this year’s autumn winter collection. Amongst the many flirty dresses and oversized T-shirts was a leather trench coat made with upcycled vintage pieces that was creative director Stuart Vevers masterpiece. Sustainability was the overall theme of the show and Coach managed to pull it off with ease!
The (Vintage) MET Gala
The Met Gala - ‘fashion’s biggest night out’ as many call it, is usually an event that isn’t sustainable fashion’s biggest promoter. In 2022 however, things looked different. More than just a few celebrities gave the biggest designers a run for their money by choosing vintage numbers or rewearing some of their own pieces!
From Camilla Cabello’s upcycled Prabal Gurung number to Kim K’s vintage dress from the 60’s - and Emma Stone’s designer mini from her own closet, sustainable choices were in and one time fashion was out! Way to go!!
Billie’s upcycled number from Gucci
Global citizen, climate activist and sustainability advocate Billie Eillish championed eco conscious fashion on the red carpet and how. Stitched especially for her grand entrance, Alessandro Michele designed an upcycled silk corset dress all thanks to Gucci! In recent times, the luxury brand has been extremely mindful about their impact on the fashion industry, and rocking a runway number like this for one of the biggest pop stars is a big step in the right direction!
Tommy Hilfiger’s deadstock collection
The luxury fashion world’s sustainable journey continued to play out on the AW22 runaway as Tommy Hilfiger jumped on the dead stock bandwagon. Dead stock in simpler terms is the surplus of fabric produced by clothing mills that doesn’t make it to the final cut of a piece. In an effort to lessen their environmental footprint, the brand has been championing efforts to be more sustainable by utilising this deadstock fabric in their new collections. A recent dead stock look that received applause by many was Shawn Mendes’ three piece set at the Met Gala.
As activists campaign for a more sustainable fashion industry, there are signs that those at the top are listening. 2022 saw traditional fashion being reformed and designers being praised for their innovative outlook on making clothes more organic, sustainable and eco friendly.
As a brand that is striving to make sustainable fashion more accessible, we at One Less hope that this momentum leads to more such much needed incremental changes in the fashion industry.