It's not just greenwashing; the fashion industry has made significant strides in reducing its environmental impact. Transparency and accountability are becoming standard, with more companies adopting circular production models and consumers thinking about the lifespan of their garments. Still, wide-reaching progress remains slow-moving—a pace the earth can’t afford: According to the United Nations Climate Change Department, the fashion industry accounts for up to 10 percent of global carbon emissions, and it must cut that number in half by 2030 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. A handful of savvy shoppers and a few well-intentioned conglomerates is not enough—the sustainable fashion movement must be an ongoing, all-hands-on-deck effort.
"Anytime you want to try to effect monumental change, you need all ships to be aligned in the direction of the North Star,” says Aurora James, the creative director of footwear brand Brother Vellies, founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, and author of Wildflower: A Memoir. Streamlining progress of this scale requires consistent input and action from all players involved, from industry executives to influential celebrities to everyday consumers. After all, as the old adage goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone; If you want to go far, go together.”
