More and more people are starting to ask questions about the clothes they purchase – and discovering that the answers matter.
“We want to maintain our moral self-image while continuing problematic consumption patterns,” says fashion commentator Caryn Franklin. “Marketing presents such a potent vision of the idealised self we wish for. It gives us that dopamine hit and sense of self-enhancement, while sidestepping the uncomfortable truths about how and where our clothes are made.”
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Franklin believes this is at the heart of fashion’s moral dilemma — where values around fairness and human rights are abandoned at the till. “Most of us care about ethics in theory,” she says. “But the immediacy of cheap fashion overrides our deeper values. Convenience, affordability, and social pressure win out, especially in a culture designed to keep us buying.”
Yet she has witnessed firsthand how that disconnect can be bridged. “When I told my daughters about visiting a garment factory patrolled by guards with batons– and about the heartbreaking testimonies I heard from survivors of Rana Plaza – it shaped them. We’ve been second-hand shoppers ever since.”
Ethical brands need visibility
Franklin has spent her career advocating for fashion that centres people, not profit. She recalls visiting Thanapara Swallows, a fair trade producer in Bangladesh, with Safia Minney MBE where garment workers were supported with on-site childcare, education, and mentoring. “The surrounding villages were thriving,” she says. “It was a vision of what fashion can be – rooted in community and dignity.”
Ethical brands, she says, often remain invisible. “Most of the grassroots labels doing incredible work are run by women who work 16-hour days. They don’t get featured in magazines because they can’t afford advertising,” Franklin explains. “Meanwhile, big brands expect editorial coverage as part of ad deals. It’s a double hit. The system favours those already in power.”
She’s clear about what needs to change: “When I see big brands like Zara or M&S designing with deconstruction and circularity in mind – and using their floor space to support ethical collaborators – then I’ll believe transformation is real.”
The power of storytelling
This awareness that fashion can either exploit or empower is also central to the work of Sarah Jay, executive director of Fashion Revolution, the world’s largest fashion activism movement. “Because there are so many steps involved in making garments, it can be difficult to imagine the labour, energy, and material resources that go into our clothes,” she explains. “Fashion’s supply chains are long, complex, and largely invisible.”
Jay says consumers are often unaware of what their purchases represent: “Garments pass through many hands and many countries. The disconnection at the heart of fashion has been designed – it serves the system.”
Fashion Revolution’s 2015 social experiment confirmed what many suspected: when people were shown the human stories behind their clothing, their shopping habits changed. “Once we connect the dots, our choices start to shift,” says Jay. “That’s why our work focuses not just on awareness, but action.”
Systemic change
While individual actions matter, Jay is clear that the industry must shoulder greater responsibility. “The pressure to change needs to shift away from the consumer. Brands and governments have the power, resources, and influence to lead,” she says. “They must reduce overproduction, invest in living wages, and divest from fossil fuels – for both energy and material inputs.”
There’s room for cultural change, too. “Recognising humans as part of nature can transform fashion from a system of exploitation into one rooted in respect and reciprocity,” Jay says. “It’s a mindset shift – one where stewardship replaces ownership and we understand ourselves as interdependent with the systems that sustain us.”
Still, individuals have a role. “Reclaiming the skills to repair, repurpose, and care for our clothes brings us back into relationship with them,” Jay says. “It’s not just sustainable – it’s deeply empowering.”
A future woven with care
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That spirit of reciprocity is at the heart of Loom, an award-winning upcycling app founded by designer Daisy Harvey. After more than a decade in the fashion industry, Harvey saw a different way forward: “I created Loom because I saw the waste we create – and the human cost behind it. At its core, Loom is about caring: for our clothes, for the planet, and for the people who make what we wear.”
Loom also encourages connection – between designers and wearers, and among a wider community of makers. “Every project on Loom is a co-creation,” Harvey says. “Beyond the app, we host workshops, pop-ups, and in-person events. It’s so inspiring to see customers and designers share ideas and talk about the pieces they’ve reimagined together.”
Far from being restrictive, Harvey says upcycling is playful and personal. “We’re not asking people to give up on fashion. Quite the opposite. By getting something custom made, you're creating something completely unique. Upcycling is about expression, not limitation.”
She believes the industry needs a complete redefinition of value. “It’s not about price or trend – it’s about story, individuality, and longevity. What we wear should mean something.”
Fashion may still have a long way to go – but what’s emerging is a new ethic with truth, dignity, and care. Because when we know more, we care more. And when we care, we begin to create something better.
In an era of climate anxiety, fast fashion, and endless scrolling, it’s easy to feel detached from the natural world. But could that disconnection be driving our desire to consume more – especially when it comes to what we wear? We’re conducting a short survey to explore how our relationship with nature affects our fashion habits, and whether social media plays a role in shaping our choices. It takes just a few minutes, your input is completely confidential and will help provide insight into modern attitudes on sustainability and consumption.
Survey: Are we disconnected from nature? And is it fuelling fashion overconsumption?
