Focusing on Sustainability | The Apparel Industry's Exploration of the Future Through Carbon: Sustainable Fabrics May Become a Breakthrough for the Industry

Sustainable transformation in the apparel industry has shifted from a bonus point to a mandatory requirement in the industry's development "exam paper."

In 2023, SMCP, the French luxury fashion group that owns brands such as Sandro and Maje, announced it would stop using feathers and down, moving towards "cruelty-free" sustainable fashion. Similarly, over 1,500 brands worldwide, including Prada, GUCCI, and Chanel, as well as numerous renowned designers, have banned the use of fur and other animal materials in their product lines. Likewise, French luxury brands like Hermès and Balenciaga have launched new products made from "mushroom mycelium" fabric.

As a "trendsetter" in the fashion industry, luxury brands have made "sustainable transformation" a "mainstream" approach in the apparel sector.

It is noteworthy that the high level of attention paid by numerous companies to the research and promotion of "sustainable fabrics" is no coincidence. The application of sustainable fabrics may become a key lever for the sustainable upgrading of apparel brands.

The climate crisis is widening, and sustainable fabrics are becoming a breakthrough.

The expanding climate crisis has become one of the major risks facing the apparel industry.

According to the "State of Fashion 2024 report" published by Business of Fashion (BoF) and renowned consulting firm McKinsey, the high frequency of extreme weather-related events in 2023 means that the climate crisis is more urgent than in previous years, and also makes the fashion industry more vulnerable.

The sustainable transformation of the apparel industry is both an unavoidable and proactive response to the climate crisis and a timely adjustment to consumers' increasingly strong environmental awareness. Against this backdrop, the application and promotion of sustainable fabrics has undoubtedly become a key breakthrough in driving the industry towards low-carbon emissions and a green future.

Reports indicate that the emission intensity of producing organic cotton is about 50% lower than that of conventional cotton; using material recycling and closed-loop production methods, the emission intensity of rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is about 40% lower than that of conventional polyester; and using closed-loop production methods, the emissions of sustainable man-made fibers such as modal and lyocell are about 50% of those of traditional fibers.

It is evident that the application of sustainable fabrics not only effectively reduces carbon emissions in the upstream of production, but also points to a new path for the low-carbon transformation of the entire chain of the apparel industry, from raw material collection, processing, dyeing, garment making to logistics and transportation.

Taking the application of sustainable fabrics by domestic apparel companies as an example, BENLAI, a casual and light outdoor brand launched by FMG Group, the parent company of URBAN REVIVO, has established deep, long-term, and stable cooperation with well-known domestic and international environmentally friendly fabric suppliers, applying advanced performance technologies and sustainable fabrics. In particular, on the raw material side, it selects regenerated cellulose fibers, regenerated polyester, and 3M cotton containing regenerated fibers. These raw materials have the advantages of being renewable, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon, which helps to reduce the burden on the environment.

Similarly, the RE;RE;RE;LAB brand launched by JNBY Group also uses animal-friendly fabrics, applying yak wool that is naturally shed by yaks raised in the Tibetan region. It also uses sustainable fabrics, such as 100% recycled polyester as warp material, which is produced through waterless weaving to minimize the use of water resources.

The practical application of sustainable fabrics in brands is making the application scenarios for sustainable fabrics increasingly clear.

Cost control is difficult; sustainable fabrics still need to achieve market breakthroughs.

Although the low-carbon emission reduction effect of sustainable fabrics is immediate, the path to sustainable fabric development still faces many challenges due to the gradual progress of fabric research and development and insufficient consumer awareness.

According to McKinsey's "Fashion on Climate" report, taking textiles as an example, currently less than 1% of textile waste is recycled to make new products. Furthermore, in terms of current market share, the proportion of sustainable products in the apparel industry remains low, and many brands have significant room for improvement in the research and application of sustainable fabrics.

In addition, cost is also a major factor restricting the widespread application of sustainable fabrics.

Due to cost constraints, most sustainable fabrics are still concentrated in conceptual applications for high-end brands, and the prices of sustainable individual products are generally high, with technology and quality control still immature. Moreover, the interconnected interests of upstream and downstream industries, such as fur farming, mean that the elimination and transformation of traditional industries that are unsustainable and environmentally unfriendly, cannot be accomplished overnight.

The widespread adoption of sustainable fabrics, moving from niche to mainstream markets, still requires long-term efforts from companies across the apparel industry chain. Nevertheless, observations of brand practices indicate that the cost issues in fabric application are showing positive signs of gradual resolution.

Firstly, looking at the overall consumer market environment, the application scenarios for sustainable fabrics and the market performance of sustainable brands are very optimistic. "Although the brand only launched in March this year, we can see that the consumer market's feedback on the brand's investment in sustainable fashion is very positive, and product sales have also achieved good results," said the head of RE;RE;RE;LAB. Similarly, the head of BENLAI also pointed out: "Currently, the overall market's feedback on the brand's investment in sustainable fashion is positive. BENLAI already has 15 offline stores in China and continues to expand into the global market."

Secondly, advancements in processing technology are also reducing the cost of sustainable fabrics. For example, the introduction of technologies such as 3D printing has made small-batch personalized production possible, giving consumers more choices.

Furthermore, some companies have gradually increased their recycling rates of warehouse resources, better controlling the cost of sustainable fabrics. In the past, due to various considerations such as design effects and cost, some sampled fabrics were not ultimately used in product production by apparel brands and were instead stored in warehouses. Now, the introduction of new technologies allows these new, high-quality fabrics to be used efficiently, reducing resource waste.

Currently, for many brands, the application of sustainable fabrics is no longer limited to data quantification and conceptual levels, but is being explored at the practical level. By leveraging sustainable fabrics, they can enter the mainstream market and achieve a win-win situation for long-term brand operation and social responsibility.