Megan Art, a South African fashion designer, said she defines sustainability as caring for people and the environment.
- Every year, the fashion industry is responsible for tons of apparel and textile waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Promoting sustainable fashion has become a way to reduce the environmental impact of international brands, and to ensure fair wage practices.
- Here’s how some South Africans play their part.
From thriving clothing on an app to creating a fashion line of drapes, South Africans are trying to make a difference to help save the planet.
The word “sustainability” is becoming increasingly popular in the fashion industry, as customers and brands consider the environmental impact of their coveted fashion’s production processes and the waste associated with fast fashion.
statistics Displays The global fashion and textile industry consumes 215 trillion liters of water and contributes 2 to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
In Cape Town alone, more than 70,000 tonnes of textile waste was dumped in municipal general landfills in 2022, according to Greencape Textile Industry. a report.
Therefore, fashion entrepreneurs and designers are finding creative ways to ensure they can make money while being kind to the environment.
Wihan Joubert is one of the founders of the savings app Drip Markets.
Sustainability is an important pillar of the business. The app, which is available for Android and iOS devices, offers people an opportunity to sell their used clothes to customers across the country.
Read | Mission I’m Possible: Cape Town’s first blind tour guide to show a new side of the city
The app already has more than 3,000 users.
The idea took off in 2020 when I was a student at Paul Ross University [Gymnasium] with Bernard [Combrink]. I decided to develop a home-grown alternative to the popular UK debop app.”
Joubert and Komprink, both students at Stellenbosch University, are hopeful that the app will continue to grow.
Speaking about the importance of sustainable fashion, Joubert said that the fashion industry has been one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gases, and that it is important to create sustainable businesses and contribute to an environmentally friendly environment.
Wihan Joubert, co-founder of Drip Markets.
“If the fashion industry continues down this path, the problem will only get worse,” he said. “When you buy an item in drip markets, it prevents water pollution, energy demand, and carbon dioxide emissions.”
According to Joubert, the importance of sustainability for fashion brands has grown since more young people are starting to criticize fashion brands for how carbon conscious they are.
“We’re exposed to facts about pollution in the fast fashion industry, so when we go to the mall and enter certain stores, we think about whether or not what we’re buying is helping the environment. We think, ‘Are we contributing to the problem?’ [of pollution]? ”
Megan Art, a Cape Town-based fashion designer, has defined sustainability as honoring people who work in industry and the environment.
As the founder of fashion brand Artfit, Art uses scraps and fabrics from local factories and stores as an “innovative way” to create her clothes.
She said she recently designed a collection using old curtains. “As a fashion designer, you need to be upfront about where your resources come from. It’s not about environmental appropriation. You want to give fabrics a second life,” she said.
“In South Africa, we have a huge fashion industry where people are not recognized and paid the right wages. Sustainability is neglected.”
Read also | Doing less laundry is good for the planet – and it can save you money, too
Art said she decided to repurpose and reuse materials during her time at fashion school.
“When I was in fashion school, we used to do a mock-up [outfit] But throw the article away. In my sophomore year, I didn’t have the money to buy fabric, so I started searching around the house for old chair covers and old furniture covers for fabrics for my designs. I made a kimono jacket and I’ve been wearing it ever since.”
According to the art, sustainability in fashion is about changing one’s mindset around waste.
“You have to see that something as simple as a black bag can be reused. We often see waste as having no value, when that happens.”