By Chris Skeldon 
The climate crisis, the destruction of the ozone layer, the disappearance of biodiversity, the dominance of plastic, the depletion of resources, poverty, hunger, and unethical working conditions are being discussed today in the fashion community and outside it. All these problems affect our lives, and it is worth solving them through collective efforts – at the level of countries, companies and individuals. Ecological and ethical trends are not local, but global – they will shape the fashion agenda until the situation changes.
Sustainability
Today, brands are upcycling collections and items made from recycled materials, investing in the development of alternative fabrics, abandoning fur, and becoming more transparent in communication and in the choice of their suppliers. This trend is noticed in many fields. You can even play in online casinos and make a profit with demo slots choosing the sites that take efforts to decrease the energy required for their support.
Many brands are adopting sustainable designs that require fewer new materials. In addition, the amount of waste in production is reduced. Such things last long thanks to their technical qualities and versatile silhouettes and prints. The most popular sustainable fashion trends are:
- reuse;
- decrease in production and purchased clothing;
- waste minimization, e.g., thread, fabric, unsold goods;
- natural fur rejection;
- development of alternative, safer, more ethical and biodegradable fabrics (for example, from pineapple skin, apple peel or wine pomace).
Introduction of New Technologies
Our life cannot be imagined without innovation. Moreover, they accompany us not only where it is physically necessary (for example, in IT, medicine and the study of outer space), but also in other areas that, it would seem, are not directly related to technology, like fashion. Industry trends do not exist in a vacuum – most of them are closely intertwined with each other. And innovation plays a big role here.
Technology and innovation are directly related to the fashion industry in a broad sense and to what we wear in a narrow sense. In order for the fabric to be more wear-resistant, that is, to withstand more washes, wearing and weather conditions, technologists are constantly improving materials. Protection from the cold, normal heat transfer, thermoregulation – innovative materials can also be responsible for this.
The essentials are functional, technologically advanced fabrics and design innovations that make clothes more convenient and comfortable for a person: for example, to protect against frost, but not to overheat in a warm room or take up much space in the wardrobe.
If you already understand this, you can study what NFT and NFC are, blockchain, metaverses and virtual spaces. For example, VR and AR in retail not only give customers a new, interesting experience but also give an idea of how a piece fits until the moment of purchase – this helps to reduce returns, which means reducing a carbon footprint due to eliminating the need for unnecessary transportation.
Art
In the past few years, art market researchers have noticed that the world has seen a steady increase in interest in this sphere. An important role in this was played by applied art. Familiar objects are created using artistic methods: clothes, shoes, as well as dishes and furniture. In response to the audience’s request, many designers and brands have gone beyond the usual fashion industry in the field of product design and accessible art.
Another important factor was the collaboration of brands with artists, museums, and foundations. This trend helps to touch the high culture, which previously could only be seen in museums and private collections. Brand and artist collaborations also provide an opportunity for shoppers to broadcast their values and interests.
Importantly, today companies are not only partnering with famous artists or foundations with a rich heritage but also discovering new local talents and young artists. Such collaborations make it possible to get people interested in art, build a community and promote artists who, without the support of big partners, find it hard to prove themselves in the art market.
We live in an age of rapidly changing content, many events and changing trends. Therefore, much disappears from memory, not having time to appear there. But there are global development vectors that will determine our reality in the next few years, and things created with these vectors in mind will remain in history.
Following the principles of sustainable development, introducing technologies and constantly improving production, as well as building relationships with people through culture and art, are the main ways to create history and stay in it. And it is important that these trends become part of our lifestyle.