Sustainable fashion has cemented itself in high-fashion, as affluent Australians become more considerate of their purchasing decisions.
The rise of sustainable fashion, or upcycling, is in line with findings from the Ipsos World Luxury Tracking which found that Australia’s affluent value “self-betterment”, over indexing on social commitment from luxury brands as well as their focus on experiential aspects of luxury compared to the global average.
The report, released by News Corp’s News Prestige Network, surveyed 1,000 affluent people in 13 countries, aged 18-64 who are in the top 20% household income bracket.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann says there’s been a real shift to sustainability in the past two years.
“There’s a lot of discussion around upcycling and I do think high street brands are going to struggle a little bit with that conversation,” she says.
“Even though brands like H&M and Nike, when you survey people, are some of the most sustainable brands because of the local work they’ve been doing.
“There’s a value now placed on investment dressing. One of the key indicators is the royal family and how often Meghan and Kate are rewearing items. That would never have happened in Princess Diana’s days - it was a new outfit for every occasion.”
Marketers shouldn’t shy away from pushing upcycling as a luxury, with McCann saying the movement “reimagines” the value of true luxury.
“It’s focusing the consumer back on the idea of investment dressing and items that will last a lifetime, or at least a decade, that can be passed down to the next generation as opposed to this concept of everything being so disposable,” she says.
“It’s better to have less, better quality, as we once did when everyone had one coat and one beautiful suit, than a lot of what will eventually end up in landfills.”
With the arrival of sustainability in advertising, McCann says there’s always a risk of “greenwashing”. While this has made some brands hesitant to push their sustainable credentials, McCann encourages them to do so.
“At Vogue we believe that we should be telling the stories about positive actions that have already been taken, thereby encouraging brands to continue on that path and continue to look for ways they can make a difference,” she says. “Every little bit counts and every move needs to be celebrated.”
The survey by Ipsos also found that protecting personal information and privacy is the number one factor considered “very important” by Austarlian affluents (43%), consistent with the global average.
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