With the implementation of the lockdown, consumers’ need and opportunity to shop for new clothing dropped. As pointed out by a Business Insider article published in early July, “Clothing retailers across the world have had a torrid time. Discretionary spending on clothing has tanked amid large-scale layoffs, and consumers – stuck in sweatpants and pyjamas during lockdown – are also not in the market for big-ticket wardrobe items”.

But the pandemic isn’t the only reason we have come to question the way we consume fashion; following the horrific collapse in 2013 of the Rana Plaza garment factory, different movements sparked around the world demanding more transparency and accountability across the industry; amongst them, Fashion Revolution, which also calls for “an end to human and environmental exploitation in the global fashion industry; safe, dignified working conditions and living wages for all people in the supply chain; a bigger and stronger labour movement in the global fashion industry; a global fashion industry that works to conserve precious resources and regenerate ecosystems”.

In addition, a 2009 study by Muhammad Ayaz Shaikh, Assistant Professor of the College of Textile Engineering at the National Textile University Faisalabad in Karachi, Pakistan, pointed out that, “the textile industry is in no way different than other chemical industries, which causes pollution of one or the other type”. He adds that, “the textile industry consumes large amounts of water in its varied processing operations”.

Back in May 2013 The Cut published an article written by Kat Stoefel, which exposed how people in the United States only wear about 20% of the clothes in their wardrobe.

More recently, Rachel Coning-Beale noted that as a result of Covid-19, thrifting as a means of sustainable shopping is growing noticeably this year. “Online second-hand is set to grow 27% in 2020, while the broader retail sector is projected to shrink 23%.” In the same article, thredUP CEO James Reinhart says that: “With the pandemic closing down much of the economy, the consumer felt like their wallets might get squeezed and moved to the value… The same thing happened with the financial crisis of 2008-2009. And  some consumers are shopping second-hand for the first time during Covid.”

Although most of the trends studied are addressing American shifts, back home, young South Africans are also embracing the change to a more ethical and sustainable shopping experience, through, for example, thrifting; shopping second-hand can slow down the pace of wasteful manufacturing efforts and encourage more ethical consumption of clothing.

Thrifting has a lot of environmental benefits like reducing water footprint and using less chemicals. In South Africa, there are a lot of ways to go thrifting, be it in the inner city, on Bertha Mkhize street (Victoria Street) or the “dunusa markets” in Downtown Johannesburg, or at weekly markets.

Cities like Johannesburg have Neighbourgoods Market in Braamfontein, Market on Main in Maboneng and Fourways Farmers Market; in Cape Town, the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Milnerton Flea Market and Thrift Fest in Wynberg offer plenty opportunities to thrift. Meanwhile, in Durban, the Shongweni Farmers Market, The Litchi Orchard, as well as the Stables Lifestyle Market are among many options to go second-hand shopping.

In addition, social media platforms like Instagram have given thrifters a platform to sell garments and second-hand items through pages on the app. Maverick Life spoke to Ben Dedekind, a thrift page owner with a modest following but who manages to source garments from popular brands like Carhatt, Tommy Hillfiger and The North Face. He believes it’s important for thrift-page owners to educate their followers on sustainability, adding that, “it’s an opportunity to raise awareness, constantly”.

Dedekind also mentions other ways in which he practices sustainability in his small business. “Leftover stock that hasn’t been sold is donated to charity instead of being disposed of, leftover denim items are distributed to a smaller company, which repurposes them. Packaging is all biodegradable and easily recyclable. Items of clothing are ethically sourced too,” he notes.

Dedekind also believes that trying to sell and trade in a sustainable way should be the main selling point of thrift pages on Instagram. “I’m sad to say that ‘sustainability’ seems to have become a secondary selling point, instead of a direct focus. It’s so easy to put in your instagram bio ‘sustainable fashion’ but whether that’s actually true or not, is unknown, people can’t be sure if you source your garments ethically, or if you even care about the environment. They just have to take your word for it,” he adds.

Embracing sustainable fashion is more than about shopping ethically and being minimalist with your wardrobe, it’s about embracing sustainability as a healthy lifestyle choice that could see us living on a healthier and long-lasting planet.

Durban-based thrift-page owner, Rorke Stainton, who runs BeforeUs clothing, also believes that thrift pages on Instagram shouldn’t be regarded as a mere trend.

“Trends usually last for a season or two and then it dies out, but I feel like the game (thrifting) has picked up so much and there’s a lot of online content that provides people with so much information about sustainable fashion – instead of the idea of vintage being a trend for a particular season. It’s clear that sustainability in fashion is making a positive impact.”

Stainton also recognises the growth of the industry online, noting that “the more pages that start popping up on Instagram, the bigger the marketplace gets and more start to realise how fast fashion has impacted the environment”. He wants to emphasise that his business is more than about profit.

“We want our followers to be influenced by the importance of sustainable fashion and we are looking into initiatives where we can work with organisations or companies that combat pollution in fast fashion and that are using ocean plastic and recycled items as a means to create garments.”

Although the word sustainability has been widely used in fashion and can be interpreted in different ways, for Durban-based fashion designer Minenhle Memela, the co-owner of streetwear brand Refuse Clothing – who styled musician Riky Rick and worked with stylist Lethabo Maboi – sustainability is directly attached to the fabric used in the creation of garments. “Sustainability is a priority… As a small business we sometimes  struggle to fully depend on natural fibres because of the availability and the costs of the treatment that have to be done to achieve some colours and feels on the fabric.

“We are taught (at design school) why it is important to use natural fibres and we are encouraged to do so, but to some of the students it’s not practical because they do not know where to look. That is why I believe it’s a choice. We take it upon ourselves to find sustainable fabrics,” he says.

To buy sustainable fabrics like hemp, sustainable satin and organic cotton could easily set a designer back more than R400 a metre. Sustainable brands like People Tree price most of their garments (jeans, skirts and coats) at over $100 (above R1,700). In South Africa, sustainable brands like Earthling & Moon, Hemp Love and Fundudzi offer a reasonably wide variety of sustainable pieces, including masks, at decent prices.

Then, there are high-end brands like Eilen Fisher, DOÊN and Rag & Bone, which ethos is rooted in sustainability, and luxury brand Stella McCartney, which recently collaborated with sportswear brand, Adidas; the Autumn/Winter ‘20 campaign was directed and partly modelled by environmental activist, Lourdes Leon, and wished to support “a rising generation who are pushing forward consciously – together,” said the brand.

Embracing sustainable fashion is more than about shopping ethically and being minimalist with your wardrobe, it’s about embracing sustainability as a healthy lifestyle choice that could see us living on a healthier and long-lasting planet.

Twyg Magazine editor Jackie May believes people can look further than fashion to maintain a life of sustainable living. “Without taking care of our environment and of each other, we’re on the road to an unpredictable, hot and horrible future. I like to approach sustainability from an intersectional perspective: we can’t have sustainability without social justice: I’m imagining a kinder, fairer and greener world,” she says.

Within the local fashion industry, May does acknowledge that sustainability isn’t far from designers’ minds, but accessibility is an issue: “Sustainability is the word on all designers’ lips and it has become mainstream at the fashion weeks. Both Africa Fashion International (AFI) and SA Fashion Week (SAFW) have incorporated sustainability into their programmes.

“At the moment, we’re seeing more and more independent designers using waste and re-fashioning garments (See SuperElla’s recent denim collection). But commercially, this is expensive, and will remain a small and exclusive trend. It needs to become financially viable – much like recycling plastic. While it remains cheap to produce virgin plastic, recycling plastic or anything else for that matter, doesn’t make commercial sense,” she adds.

Sustainability in fashion has a lot of layers to it; from shopping more sustainably by thrifting online or at markets, to buying from brands that make their garments out of sustainable fabrics like hemp and other recyclable fabrics. Will it be enough to shift consumers away from fast-fashion and finally propel the global fashion industry to conserve and protect environmental resources? Probably not, but it is a move in the right direction. DM/ML