Sustainability: The Future of Sustainable Fashion

We all know about fast fashion and its detrimental effect on our planet. (Check out our guide to The Problem With Fast Fashion and how it’s damaging the planet.) Now let’s look to 2030 to see what sustainable fashion textiles will be used for sustainable brands.

Brands like H&M and Zara aren’t slowing down. They still have no concern about sustainability. They affect our planet negatively every time an aspiring fashion icon walks out of their stores carrying an acceptable brown paper bag with their logo emblazoned on and full of fast fashion items.

We know that the clothing industry, especially the fashion industry, isn’t slowing down, but we are hopeful it will take more positive steps towards the future of sustainable fashion clothing.

Let’s take a look at the cost fashion has on the world. For inspiration, see our guide to Sustainable Innovation: The Way Forward For Business in 2024.

Sustainable Fashion in the UK in 2025

According to Oxfam, there’s plenty to be concerned about. It gives the following information and statistics:

1. Global fashion clothing manufacturers produce over 1 million garments every day.
2. The consumption of fashion clothing globally will increase by 63%, equivalent to a supply of 500 billion T-shirts. 
3. Every year, people dump half a million tons of plastic microfibres into the ocean; approximately 50 billion plastic bottles. Much of this is discarded fashion items.
4. If the current growth continues, the emissions caused by fast fashion will grow by 50% in 2030.
5. 75% of people buying fashion clothing believe sustainability is important. One-third of this amount choose fashion brands that help improve sustainability efforts.
6. In just one month, the carbon footprint of new fashion clothing bought in the UK was greater than flying a plane around the world 900 times.

Unsustainable Clothing Brands

Statistics for these fashion brands take one’s breath away. And that’s before we consider the cost of fast fashion on humans working in this industry. The fashion industry, which mainly comprises female workers, is notoriously badly paid, while working conditions are often inhumane, infringing on human rights. That’s another cause for concern when it comes to sustainability.

Using chemicals in fashion clothing manufacturing is another health hazard for every worker and consumer in this industry – and that’s before we start talking about carbon emissions.

The Cost of Ignoring Fashion Sustainability 

Harvard Business Review discusses The Cost of Instant Fashion and talks about the incredible growth of online fashion portals like Shein which is currently “bigger than H&M and approaching the size of Zara” with a revenue target for 2025 exceeding $50 billion. (It considers Zara “the pioneer of fast fashion” but says that Shein has overtaken this global brand a while ago. Currently, many brands, manufacturers and fashion designers are suing the Chinese business for copyright and trademark infringement.)

Future Sustainability Trends

1. A More Personalised Online Shopping Experience

Using AI, machine learning technology can work out what people want, and help every fashion business give this to its customers. It includes everything from pricing the item to communicating its value through marketing. This is particularly effective for every niche fashion business targeting its items to potential consumers.

2. Virtual Try-Ons

Many potential fashion consumers never take their shopping baskets to check out or usually return garments because they have no idea whether these garments will fit or look good. A ‘virtual try-on’ is the latest way to avoid this issue.

Using augmented reality (AR) and machine learning, they can now see what the fashion clothing will look like. It replicates the experience of trying on the garments in-store. It’s also fun, so customers enjoy ‘trying on’ clothes to see what they look like.

Here's information on how a virtual try-on works:

• With AR and AI, your body is scanned using a webcam to create a 360-degree 3D full-body image. 
• We use Radio frequency identification (RFID) to scan the fashion garment the person wants to try on virtually, and the result is an image of your body wearing the garment. 
• Fashion designer Prada has used virtual try-ons for customers to see what they look like wearing high fashion items from the brand for a while now.
• Virtual try-ons will reduce returns.

3. Smart Mirrors

These are an extension of a virtual try-on. Smart mirrors let consumers pick an item from an online library, try it on, and then change garments, much like they would in a store if they had taken several clothing items into a fitting room. They do this through RFID (see 2, above). Aside from streamlining the online purchasing process, this also reduces costs, as real-life stores don’t need to keep as much stock.

4. Digital Personal Assistants

Consumers have a digital shopping assistant that offers you the service you expect when you visit expensive real-life designer fashion stores. But they are waiting for you online to make every consumer shopping experience sublime. Brands like Bots takes you through every stage of the customer journey, from the first time you look at an item to after you’ve happily purchased it.

The bot can do everything a personal shopping assistant can offer, helping you style your fashion garment, offering advice on what will suit your shape, and putting gorgeous outfits together. They also assist you through the shopping experience to make it more enjoyable. All by combining machine learning, generative AI and advanced algorithms.

5. Wearable Technology

This type of technology takes fashion clothing manufacture to a new level, creating garments that have almost magical qualities: they may change colour, keep us cool in summer and warm in winter. Like a smartwatch, these items may be able to collect medical data or track our performance while exercising or jogging.

Sensoria is an example of smart sports socks. This brand tests consumers’ running style and identifies whether it’s harming your feet. All you have to do is pair your smartphone with the brand’s fitness mobile app and a virtual coach will monitor your running style in real time. You receive audio and video feedback on your run.

What Your Business can Expect by 2030

One of the biggest trends expected in the sustainable fashion industry examples we researched for this article is peoples’ attitude towards sustainability, ‘conscious consumerism’. Conscious fashion is the opposite of fast fashion – a direct negative response to discarded fashion garments and textile waste ending in landfill. As we try to be more aware of our impact on the environment, we know every fashion business should choose sustainably manufactured clothing they have dyed and packaged sustainably. This includes using bacterial-based and algae-based dyes and recycled packaging in one’s business.

As a result, brands use recycled materials when they produce garments, and, believe it or not, some encourage consumers to purchase less. It makes sense: buy a garment that is of exceptional quality and classically designed and it will last you longer.

The European Climate Pact recently posted an intriguing piece on the site, envisioning what our wardrobes will look like in 2030. The headline, Our wardrobe in 2030: rented, recycled, and regenerative, perfectly encapsulates the information! It talks about the use of "alternatives to leather derived from plants"; "eco-friendly, recyclable, natural textiles" and "60% pre-owned apparel".

Here's some good news: Second-hand clothing is another trend we expect to grow to epic proportions in future. Statista already predicts that 8% of all fashion clothing will be second-hand by 2025, and that’s not far off! Of course, second-hand clothing assists circularity, an economy that promotes sharing, hiring, repairing, and recycling items and fabrics.

Customers Will be Different

Statistical information tells us that Generation Alpha – those born between 2013 and 2024 – will be the most diverse group ever, racially, ethnically, and in every other way. The fashion clothing business will change accordingly, offering gender fluidity with clothing manufactured by brands in every possible size.

New Age Fabrics & Brands

We couldn’t compile a guide to being aware of sustainability without including fashion fabrics, and innovative materials that will make their mark in years to come. We’ve already given you plenty of information about  Choosing Sustainable Fashion Textiles For Your Materials and Products. We show some of the fascinating materials that will revolutionise the fashion industry in years to come. These materials are also natural and extremely sustainable, offering designers more sustainable alternatives for their major fashion collections.

Let’s take a look:

• Partnerships across industries: Two visible brand collaborations already on our radar include Stella McCartney and Parley For The Oceans, who have become partners. The UK fashion designer is currently using ocean plastics in her latest designs.
• Gucci Equilibrium: Fashion design giant Gucci has partnered with Global Citizen and UNICEF on various social initiatives. Every year the design house showcases the Gucci Equilibrium Impact Report, which highlights new initiatives and how the business has accelerated positive change and reduced its global footprint to “attain our vision of a modern, responsible and circular luxury for the future”.

Circular Innovations to Save the Environment

The information below is a taste of some of the latest sustainable fashion fabric innovations that are getting ready to take the future spotlight:

• Chitin Fibre: Produced from food waste, mainly the shells of crustaceans, this sustainable fibre is cheap and very versatile. People use it in various manufacturing processes but haven’t produced fabric yet.
• Banana Fibre: Another foodstuff that is inexpensive, versatile and manufactured for sustainability. Experiments are underway to find out just how strong the fibre is, and if it’s as strong as bamboo, it could be a contender in the new fashion fabric stakes. It’s also biodegradable, making it even more geared towards sustainability.
• Seaweed: This sustainable material is versatile and does not harm the environment. But as we love eating sushi, it’s not likely to become fashion fabric – or is it?
• Corn Fibre: Another cheap and versatile material created for sustainability. The start-up Ingeo is trying to create fabric and clothing from it by using dextrose in corn fibre. We’re waiting with bated breath to hear more.
• Coconut Fibre: This sustainable fibre is called ‘coir’ and is made of discarded coconut husks. There’s talk about manufacturers in Sri Lanka producing fashion accessories like shoes and handbags.