Slow Fashion

SLOW FASHION
• Slow fashion is defined by the slower process taken to design, source,
produce, and sell garments. It's often accompanied by eco-conscious
materials, fair trade practices, sourcing and pricing transparency, and
is known to challenge the traditional retail model.
SLOW FASHION
• It all starts at design; a garment must be thoughtfully and carefully designed
to withstand or adapt to seasonal trends, cheaper competition, and buyers
wanting to get their hands on items immediately. Timeless, high integrity
design is key to the slow fashion movement because of its longer
production cycle. When it comes to sourcing the items, consideration for
the environment is vital. The quality of the fabrics needs to be high enough
to last a long time, and the effect that the creation of the fabrics, including
their dyes and embellishments has on our environment needs to be taken
into account. Other important parts of the process that needs careful
analysis and consideration is the quality and craft used to produce the
items as well as the safety and salary of the workers.
SLOW FASHION
Case Study
PATAGONIA
The “father” of the whole movement, created by Yvon Chouinard (who
is one of my personal top style and business ICONS!). Patagonia has
pioneered quality clothing with organic, recycled, and up cycled fibers.
The company makes clothes that pack well, travel even better, last
forever, and feel good to wear.

“PATAGONIA’S SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY: DON’T BUY OUR

PRODUCTS”
PATAGONIA
PATAGONIA
• Over the years, Patagonia has had a momentous effect on the
industry. Such examples include behemoth brands like Levi’s and cult
favorite retailer Reformation, which have both looked toward
Patagonia for inspiration.
PATAGONIA
In 2005, Patagonia launched the Common Threads Recycling Program.
The goal was to reduce the number of products Patagonia customers
purchased through a two-fold effort. The first part was to encourage
customers to fix damaged clothing. Patagonia began publishing do-it-
yourself repair guides to assist customers in repairing their clothing. To
provide an alternative for customers who were unable or unwilling to
repair their clothing themselves, Patagonia charged an affordable fee to
have garments shipped to their repair facility.
PATAGONIA
The second aspect of the Common Threads program was to create a second-hand
market for Patagonia garments that did not fit or that were no longer worn.
Patagonia collaborated with eBay to develop a storefront and also created an
online marketplace on its main website. Patagonia also offered to cover the
shipping costs for garments that were beyond repair, which Patagonia would then
break down and repurpose. To promote its Common Threads initiative, Patagonia
created “Worn Wear,” a program that highlights thousands of videos and pictures
from customers around the globe who treasure their worn, patched-up Patagonia
garments with pride. While most companies would encourage customers to
repeat their purchases, Patagonia prides itself and its customers on waste-free
purchases. Patagonia’s next step was to launch a campaign in 2011 to dissuade
customers from purchasing clothing that they did not really need.
On the busiest weekend for retailers in the US, a 2011 New York Times
ad from Patagonia featured a picture of one of Patagonia’s highest
grossing fleece jackets below the words: “DON’T BUY THIS JACKET.”
Underneath was a detailed description that defended Patagonia’s
rationale based on the negative environmental impacts caused by
consumerism. Despite Patagonia’s efforts, sales increased by
approximately 30% in the nine months following the ad. The case
concludes with the business dilemma facing Chouinard: What should
Patagonia do?
Learning objective: The specific learning objectives can be summarized
as follows: 1. Distinguish sustainability innovation from traditional
innovation.
2. Build a framework for the different levels of sustainability
innovation.
3. Emphasize that sustainability is an ever-evolving journey.
4. Prioritize sustainability objectives over profitability.
5. Explore whether a company can include a challenge to consumerism
in its sustainability strategy and remain profitable.