Unveiling the VeganVogue Mission - All About What We Are Doing
Is the fashion industry sustainable? While you would be correct in asserting its profitability (we're talking billions of dollars), you'd also be right if you voted "no." Fast fashion has become a mainstay in our society. People buy billions of clothes each year and dispose of millions. This trend has become so normal that shopping hauls (think of the typical influencer haul) and closet cleanups go hand in hand. Unfortunately, while this might seem harmless to the consumers, the effects go deeper than what we see on the surface.
Understanding the Current Fashion Crisis and Our Societal Role
The typical consumer trend in fashion circles is to buy what's new and discard what was "hot" in the previous season. This trend has become so common that brands often discard their unsold items to keep up with the changes and maintain their relevance. If you're looking at this problem from a single perspective, it might seem harmless - after all, changing your clothes every season just amounts to a few bags of waste. But when you think about this being a common problem worldwide, it's easy to see why we have rampant wastage (we have millions of clothes in landfills). But what effect does this have?
The Environment
Each time we buy into the fast fashion trends, we contribute to environmental destruction in various ways. First, there is the issue of the synthetic chemicals used in farming, which destroy the environment - think of pesticides and other chemicals used to ensure a huge harvest. Secondly, clothing manufacturers use a lot of resources to make clothes - a single cotton shirt can require as many as 2,700 liters of water from production to sale! Let's not forget the energy and other resources used in making these clothes. And finally, there is the problem of wastage. Of the more than 100 billion clothes that hit the market each year, people dispose of at least 90 million tons in landfills.
The People
Have you ever thought about what goes into clothing production? It comes down to the people who work in the fields and clothing factories. While many companies do their best to protect workers' rights, some exploit their workers. As such, there are many reports of people who work many hours with little pay. Moreover, there are concerns regarding the working conditions of workers, especially those in fast fashion industries - and let's not forget the issue of child labor.
Consumers also risk developing health complications from wearing clothes treated with chemicals. This exposure results during the growing of raw materials and the processing of fabric. For example, synthetic dyes have been shown to cause irritation.
By participating in overconsumption, we set the pace for these ills to continue. After all, as long as people are willing to buy from these industries, they will continue to produce clothes and will further these negative effects. So, what's the alternative to fueling this industry?
Nurturing Our Identities Through Sustainable Fashion Choices
Fashion is and always will be an exceptional way to express who we are and connect with others. But does this have to come at the price of forsaking the environment and exploiting workers' rights? Of course not! There is always a better way to do things, and at VeganVogue, we believe in the sustainable approach.
Our mission is to educate and inspire our audience to embrace sustainable fashion choices for the good of the world. We believe that fashion has the power to change our lives positively and wish to help others harness this power so we can all benefit the environment and put an end to the destructive effects of the conventional fashion industry.
How do we do it? We follow a practical approach as follows:
We believe that conscious choices stem from knowing what options you have available. Thus, our team works on gathering insights into the fashion industry and sharing them with you so you can understand how everyone's actions contribute to the present problems. We delve into everything, from the current fashion practices to their effects on people and animals and the environmental changes resulting from conventional fashion.
Does style have to take a backseat because we are after protecting people's rights and the environment? Not even close! We work with the top fashion industry experts who share exciting ideas on how to make fashionable yet sustainable choices - you can look forward to unique ways to create a style that best showcases who you are as a person.
The idea behind our mission is not to lay blame on anyone - instead, it is to educate the world on how small changes can have lasting positive impacts!
Conclusion
The fashion industry is inspirational and aspirational and will always be important. But as we embrace all the good it has to offer, we must also be conscious of how some trends (e.g., overconsumption) can harm the environment. Join us at VeganVogue, where we uncover the issues affecting the industry while offering simple and practical tips so that, together, we can change fashion for the better and save the environment!
