Final - Fashion Sustainability Report 2021

FASHION
SUSTAINABILITY
REPORT 2021
focus on change &
Southeast Asia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report would not have been possible without the team at Oxford
Development Consultancy (ODC). I would like to thank Janne Parviainen, who
kept our progress on track at our weekly meetings and is by far the largest
contributor to this very report – right down to the appealing visuals. I must
also thank Awa Shuyue Xue for developing and consolidating the market
survey, thereby allowing our report to include both quantitative and
qualitative insights. To Emil Beddari, thank you for helping to convert the data
from the market survey into insights. Thanks should also go to Manoj Kumar
Thiyagarajan, who reached out to Fashion Revolution Singapore and without
whom this project may have never started. To the rest of the ODC team, thank
you for the good work you do.
I would also like to extend my thanks to Niamh Tuft and Xingyun Shen for
offering your time and invaluable suggestions in the drafting process.
Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the help from Tere Arigo of Fashion
Revolution Philippines and Melissa Tan of Fashion Revolution Malaysia for
sharing the market survey with their communities, and the effort of all
respondents to our market survey.
- Chu Wong, Country Coordinator (Fashion Revolution Singapore)
EDITORIAL TEAMS:
OXFORD DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANCY
Janne Parviainen
Awa Shuyue Xue
Emil Beddari
Mukesh Ramanathan
Edward Birch
Carolina Rota
Candice Runqiu Ji
FASHION REVOLUTION
Chu Wong
Niamh Tuft
Xingyun Shen
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Fashion is among the most environmentally and socially damaging industries in the
world. From poorly regulated manufacturing and dangerous working conditions, pollution
and over-extraction of water to massive amounts of textile waste ending up in landfills, the
challenges to sustainability are mounting at an escalating pace. When combined with the
rate of climate change and biodiversity loss – not to mention the implications of these to
human health – one cannot afford to overlook these concerns.
Yet, sustainable fashion movements, production and design are gaining traction across
the world. Recycling discarded materials and garments, upcycling clothing, utilizing
renewable resources, clothes-swapping, second-hand shopping and garment rentals are
becoming increasingly common among consumers. NGOs and civil-society organizations
have also focused on leveraging policymakers, and numerous governments themselves
have recognized the need to reorganize supply chains in order to achieve transparency
and accountability required for greening production. As a result of this momentum, the
(currently niche) sustainable fashion market is growing at a faster rate than rest of the
industry.
However, a lot remains to be done. Current initiatives, corporate social responsibility and
policies targeting fashion often fall short due to higher emphasis on sustaining profit, or
greenwashing by brands that seeks to merely appear green while misleading conscious
consumers. Furthermore, the ends of opaque and multilayered supply chains – particularly
in Southeast Asia (SEA) – often have catastrophic results to the workers’ safety and well-
being due to lack of accountability, transparency and measures designed for their
protection. These issues have yet again re-emerged following the COVID-19 pandemic. Due
to the lack of permanent contracts, safety nets and sick leave, millions have been casted
into economic precarity following the temporary collapse of the fashion industry.
Southeast Asia has a high potential to lead change towards a greener, socially just
future of fashion. By looking into the efforts of governments, NGOs, designers, brands and
customers themselves, it will be made evident that many have sought to grasp the on-
going global sustainability momentum, therefore demonstrating that the concerns
regarding the environmental and ethical impacts of fashion in SEA have been well
internalized. Moreover, given the diversity and cultural richness of the region, the talents
found in small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), operated by traditional artists,
craftspeople and weavers, are present in all of the assessed countries. Whilst currently
underutilized, these small-scale, locally driven businesses have an immense economic
potential, and can steer the future of the garment industry towards a greener and more
sustainable pathway.
Despite the tendency to describe the current interest regarding sustainable fashion in SEA
as ‘underdeveloped’ or ‘in its infancy’, this report establishes that the opposite is the case.
By examining a selection of qualitative and quantitative evidence, it will become clear that
waves of change – as witnessed globally – can also be found in the assessed countries: in
fact, Southeast Asia is undergoing a fashion revolution.
3
1. INTRODUCTION
Figure 1. Graphic from Ellen MacArthur Foundation, clothing sales growth and the decline in clothing
utilization1
Over the recent years, the negative environmental and social impacts resulting from
the fashion industry have rapidly increased. Indeed, the industry has been growing at
an average rate of 5.5% annually2, today nearing a value of US $2.6 trillion, having
produced an approximate number of 130.6 billion items of clothing and footwear in
2019 alone3. Largely driven by the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon (referring to the quicker
turnaround of new collections and lower prices), the growing middle-classes have
been doubling the consumption of clothing over the past 15 years – yet the lifetime of
clothing used has been in steady decline (see figure 1).
Due to the unsustainable practices and poorly regulated supply chains, the negative
impacts of such trajectory are dire. For instance, the fashion industry today accounts
for between 20-35% of microplastic flows ending in the ocean, and in 2015, outweighed
the carbon footprint of international flights and maritime shipping combined,
exceeding 1.2 billion tons of CO24. Overall, the industry has been estimated to constitute
10% of all carbon emissions emitted globally5.
1
Euromonitor International Apparel & Footwear (volume sales trends 2005-2015); World Bank, World
Development Indicators, cited in Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s
Future, Cowes, 2017, p. 18
2
The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2017, New York, 2016, p.11
3
Fashion Revolution, Fashion Revolution White Paper, London, 2020, p.40
4
ibid.
5
McFall-Johnsen, M., ’These Facts Show How Unsustainable the Fashion Industry Is’, World Economic Forum:
Environment and Natural Resource Security, 31 January 2020,
4
Figure 2. Graphic from Ellen MacArthur Foundation, global clothing material flows in 20156
Furthermore, given the industry’s reliance on fast fashion, over 92 million tons of waste
is created per year, not to mention the 79 trillion liters of water consumed annually to
sustain the production of cotton and other textiles78. Most of the raw materials utilized
are sourced from virgin materials, very little are recycled, and most end-of-life clothing
still ends up incinerated (figure 2). Furthermore, chemicals used in textile
manufacturing and processing are often harmful to the environment, threaten
biodiversity, and contribute to threats to human health. Due to the fact that thousands
of different synthetic chemicals are used by the industry in all stages of production,
their impact to freshwater systems, soil stability and biodiversity can be detrimental.
For example, the production of 1 kilogram of cotton garments can use up to 3 kilograms
of chemicals, and approximately 200,000 tons of dyes are lost to run-offs due to
inefficiencies in the production processes9. Once in aquatic environments, dyes may
stop the reoxygenation capacity of the receiving water, block sunlight, and thus upset
biological activities and photosynthesis of plants and algae, leading to long-term
effects and potentially reduced biodiversity10.
6
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, p. 20
7
Niinimäki, et al., ’The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion’, Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, vol. 1,
2020, p. 189-190 (pp. 189-200).
8
McFall-Johnsen, M., ’These Facts Show How Unsustainable the Fashion Industry Is’, World Economic Forum:
Environment and Natural Resource Security, 31 January 2020,
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/fashion-industry-carbon-unsustainable-environment-pollution/
(accessed 15 December 2020).
9
10
Gita, S., Hussan, A. and Choudhury, T. G. ’Impact of Textile Dyes Waste on Aquatic Environments and its
Treatment’ Environment and Ecology, vol. 35, no. 3c, 2017, p. 2349 (pp. 2349-2353).
5
One cannot overlook the social impacts of the industry either. Whilst transparency,
regulations, auditing, certification systems and laws against modern slavery are
gaining traction, human rights abuses continue to persist. Forced and child labor,
excessively long working hours, low pay, repression of trade unions, lack of job security,
gender/race-based discrimination, and dangerous working conditions still
characterize garment manufacturing11. The Global Slavery Index highlighted that labor
continues to be extracted through coercion, force or threats12, and that wages remain
notoriously low in the fashion supply chain globally13. Furthermore, given that millions
of garment workers globally are women, the risk of gender-based violence and sexual
harassment remain high, and women continue to be lowly paid. It has been estimated
that 2 in 5 women workers in garment factories do not receive equal salaries to that of
men14.
Finally, the impacts of COVID-19 must be addressed. Supply chains have been thrown
into chaos, whilst rates of consumption have been in decline due to loss of purchasing
power15. These cascading collapses have had detrimental outcomes to workers,
especially in South and Southeast Asia. In India, 20% of 1,500 clothing manufacturers
surveyed were considering closing permanently, and in Bangladesh, US $3.17 billion
worth in orders have been cancelled, a loss that affected around 2.27 million workers16.
The disaster has indeed revealed a persisting, glaring problem in the fashion supply
chains; social security of workers is severely lacking, and the propagation of the ripple-
impacts of Covid-19 are forcing people – especially those involved in short-term labor
and subcontracting – into economic vulnerability at the brink of constant precarity.
Furthermore, many companies have cut salaries or fully laid off their employees,
affecting the economic security of millions of workers across the world. However, the
interconnectedness and vulnerabilities of supply chains are complex problems to
address. For instance, approximately 70% of woven fabrics used in Bangladesh’s
garment industry are sourced from China, and when the lockdowns began in the latter,
production in Bangladesh suffered severe impacts due to these effects traversing
down the chains of production17. Therefore, one must also understand the
connectedness of the global economic system in order to assess the sustainability of
the wider industry and the structure it is embedded in.
11
Fashion Revolution, p. 29
12
Walk Free Foundation, Global Slavery Index 2018, Perth, 2018, p. 26
13
Fashion Revolution, p. 30
14
CARE International, Made by Women: Impact Report 2019, Geneva, 2019, p. 1-3
15
Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2021, New York, 2020, p. 8
16
Majumdar, A., Shaw, M. and Sinha, K. ‘Covid-19 Debunks the Myth of Socially Sustainable Supply Chain: A
Case of the Clothing Industry in South Asian Countries, Sustainable Production and Consumption, vol. 24, 2020,
p. 151 (pp. 150-155).
17
McMaster, M. et al., ‘Risk Management: Rethinking Fashion Supply Chain Management for Multinational
Corporations in Light of the COVID-19 Outbreak’, Journal of Risk and Financial Management, vol. 13, no. 173,
2020, p. 8 (pp. 1-16).
6
Given the aforementioned evidence,
there is an urgent need to improve the
transparency of the industry, to highlight
accountability of companies to account
how workers are treated, to improve
factory conditions, improve equity and
safety for women, combat low wages,
and address the environmental impacts
of production. Yet, greening the industry
from its current, destructive path is still
well beyond reach. In fact, if we are to
carry on with the current pathway, by
2050 the fashion industry could end up
using more than 26% of the carbon
budget associated with a below-2°
THE TIME FOR

Celsius global warming trajectory,
consume 300 million tons of
nonrenewable resources annually by
2050, and add 22 million tons of
microfibers into the ocean between CHANGE HAS
COME. WE
2015-205018.
Therefore, the issue of sustainability

remains a key concern
governments, manufacturers, retailers
and consumers, and has been
for
CANNOT
increasingly focused on as these issues
become ever more pressing. The
AFFORD
FAST FASHION.
following section will highlight some
sustainability trends and movements
which are currently driving change, in
efforts to illustrate that it is not too late
to push back against the locomotion of
growth-driven fast fashion.
18
7
2. GLOBAL TRENDS
By constructing a bricolage of highlights sourced from across the world (alongside
growth-driven market trends) this section seeks to build an understanding of the
sustainable fashion momentum now gaining traction. Indeed, the industry is changing;
sustainability, climate concerns and awareness of social issues as a part of
manufacturing are no longer fringe issues among retailers, consumers or the wider
society. By 2019, the global ethical fashion market had reached US$ 6.35 billion in value,
growing at a rate of 8.7% since 201519. This improvement has been driven by two
aspects: consumer advocacy and raised awareness, alongside retail and
retailer/producer interest targeting these consumer groups.
Most noticeably, consumer behavior has been starting to change. In the recent years,
the world has witnessed an increase in awareness following the mainstreaming of the
Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. Public figures, social
movements and organizations from Greta Thunberg to Extinction Rebellion, Fashion
Revolution, the Global Fashion Agenda and plethora of others (including non-
governmental and governmental bodies) have been spearheading and sustaining the
momentum in public discourse, which can now be seen in consumer interest. These
trends are prevalent globally; by examining the chart revealing Google search trends
regarding sustainable fashion, a stark increase can be witnessed to date (figure 3). On
Twitter, the hashtag #SustainableFashion has been growing rapidly, a conversation that
has been largely driven by women (71%) and 18-24-year-olds (52%), indicating that
Generation Z and the Millennials are increasingly concerned about environmental and
social causes20. On Instagram, #Sustainable has grown five-fold in the last 3 years, and
consumer attitudes have become increasingly eco-conscious, DIY-oriented and
focused on wellbeing as opposed to high-end glamour (partly due to the on-going
pandemic)21. These trends have been translated to shopping behavior.
19
Business Research Company, ‘Sustainable Fashion Market Analysis Shows the Market Progress in Attempt to
Decrease Pollution in the Global Ethical Fashion Market 2020, Global Newswire, 28 October 2020,
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/28/2116073/0/en/Sustainable-Fashion-Market-
Analysis-Shows-The-Market-Progress-In-Attempt-To-Decrease-Pollution-In-The-Global-Ethicalfashion-Market-
2020.html, (accessed 10 December 2020).
20
Brock-Nielsen, S., ‘Retailers and the Rising Trend of Sustainability: What Marketers Need to Know, Sprout
Social: Social Media Trends, 21 April 2020, https://sproutsocial.com/insights/retail-social-sustainability-trend/,
(accessed 17 December 2020)
21
Mollard, M., ‘Consumer Attitudes: COVID-19 x Fashion’, Heuritech, 6 May 2020,
https://www.heuritech.com/blog/articles/consumer-attitudes-covid-fashion/, (accessed 17 December 2020).
8
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70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2010-12
2011-04
2011-08
2011-12
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2020-12
Figure 3. Sustainable fashion search interest over time on Google Trends (2010-2020)22
It has been estimated that 73% of global consumers are willing to change their
consumption habits to reduce their personal impacts on the environment23. Fashion
retailers have reported this pattern as well; a study conducted by Lyst indicated a rising
interest regarding vegan leather (69% increase), organic cotton (23%), especially with
regards to sneakers and denim which remain the most wanted product categories in
sustainable fashion searches24. A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group
suggested that more than half of consumers in their US-focused survey choose more
socially and environmentally sustainable brands over non-sustainable alternatives25.
Similarly, Capgemini Research Institute illustrated that 79% of French consumers
partaking in their survey were changing their purchasing preferences depending on
sustainability, 77% were concerned about the fair treatment of workers and 72% were
concerned about their personal environmental footprint26. In the UK, 65% of consumers
agree that the government should be doing more to reduce the negative impacts of the
fashion industry on the environment27.
22
Google, Google Trends: ‘Sustainable Fashion’, 2021,
https://trends.google.fi/trends/explore?q=sustainable%20fashion, (accessed 20 November 2020)
23
Nielsen, ’A Natural Rise in Sustainability Around the World’, Nielsen Insights, 10 October 2019,
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2019/a-natural-rise-in-sustainability-around-the-world/,
24
Lyst and Good On You, The 2020 Conscious Fashion Report, Lyst, 2020, https://www.lyst.com/data/2020-
conscious-fashion-report/, (accessed 15 December 2020)
25
Boston Consulting Group, The Pulse of the Fashion Industry: 2019 Update, 2019, p. 2
26
Capgemini Research Institute, Consumer Products and Retail: How Sustainability is Fundamentally Changing
Consumer Preferences, Paris, 2020, p. 2
27
Hubbub in Smithers, R., ‘MPs Urge Government to Fix ‘Throwaway’ Fast-fashion Trend’, The Guardian, 15
September 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/sep/15/mps-urge-government-fix-throwaway-
fast-fashion-trend-sustainable, (accessed 15 December 2020)
9
Figure 4. Graphic from the consumer survey conducted by McKinsey Company in Germany, UK and
Spain in 202028
Generally, consumer interests extend well beyond environmental impacts to social

issues as well, and many believe that retailers have a societal responsibility with
regards to issues such as diversity and inclusion29. According to Kantar Monitor, 54% of
consumers believe that brands have a role to play in social conversations regarding
issues such as #MeToo movement and race relations30. Furthermore, given the rise in
longer-term trends in citizen activism witnessed not only in the United States during
2020, but across the globe as well, Generation Z (accounting for more than 40% of
consumers in 2020) is likely to continue leading change as the most politically active
age group on social media platforms31. The impacts can already be witnessed; a survey
by McKinsey illustrated that two-thirds of consumers would stop, or significantly
reduce shopping at a brand if it was found that they do not treat their employees fairly
(figure 4).
Consumer behaviors are changing due to the pandemic as well. In the context of the
US, a sharp decline in consumer incomes and the inability to shop have contributed to
a rapid decline in clothes consumption32. Due to the conditions, consumers are likely
to shop less, be choosier when they do so, and shop online; all these factors can
contribute to more sustainability-conscious shopping. In Germany, for example, 57%
of consumers partaking in McKinsey Company’s survey had made significant changes
to their lifestyles to reduce their personal environmental impacts, and 67% considered
sustainable materials as a key-consideration when purchasing products following the
28
29
30
Kantar Monitor in Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2021, New York,
2020, p. 46
31
32
Bianchi, F. et al., ’Fashion’s Big Reset’, Boston Consulting Group, 1 June 2020,
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/fashion-industry-reset-covid, (accessed 17 December 2020)
10
pandemic33. Reusing, upcycling, and mending are also gaining traction during
lockdown, indicating a reduced consumer interest in partaking in high-street fast
fashion34. Such trends in consumer interest have been documented in India35, France36,
the UK37, just to name a few. On the side of retailers, the pandemic and wider change in
the patterns of consumer interests are contributing to global change. For example,
COVID-19-related recovery funds for businesses are likely to be earmarked to require
climate action. Therefore, businesses in many countries need to take sustainability into
account if they are applying for them; for example, the European Union’s US$ 868 billion
funding excludes environmentally damaging investments38. More generally, investors
are also seeking to support sustainable companies – after all, guaranteeing continuity
(increasingly correlated with socially and environmentally conscious measures) is
elemental for protecting long-term financial health. Based on surveys conducted by
the Boston Consulting Group, nearly half of the investors taking part believed taking into
account the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) goals of a company
or another were important when prioritizing investments39.
Due to the combined effects of the pandemic, growing awareness of sustainability and
social change, the industry is catching up. The Pulse Report illustrated that the fashion
industry has indeed improved its performance since 2018 with regards to social and
environmental issues – albeit also revealing that many companies are not
implementing sustainable solutions with a rapid enough pace to counteract cascading
negative impacts40. The Higg Index (standardizing tool measuring social and
environmental impacts of manufacturers) has also revealed some positive trends;
there has been a year-on-year increase of 15-19% in companies implementing
sustainability measures41.
33
Granskog, A., Lee, L., Magnus, K-H. and Sawers, C., ‘Survey: Consumer Sentiment on Sustainability in
Fashion’, McKinsey & Company: Retail Survey, 17 July 2020, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-
insights/survey-consumer-sentiment-on-sustainability-in-fashion, (accessed 18 December 2020)
34
Beaton, H. ’The Future of Sustainable Fashion: COVID-19 Update’, Luxiders, 2020, https://luxiders.com/the-
future-of-sustainable-fashion-covid-19/, (accessed 17 December 2020)
35
Mehta, S., Saxena, T. and Purohit, N. ’The New Consumer Behavior Paradigm Amid COVID-19: Permanent or
Transient?’, Journal of Health Management, vol. 22, no. 2, 2020, pp. 291-301
36
Capgemini Research Institute, Consumer Products and Retail: How Sustainability is Fundamentally Changing
Consumer Preferences, Paris, 2020,
37
Glover, S. ’Consumers Want Sustainability Post Lockdown’, Ecotextile, 10 August 2020,
https://www.ecotextile.com/2020081026509/fashion-retail-news/consumers-want-sustainability-post-covid-
38
Unnikrishnan, S., Biggs, C. and Singh, N., ‘Sustainability Matters now More than Ever for Consumer
Companies’, Boston Consulting Group, 11 August 2020,
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/sustainability-matters-now-more-than-ever-for-consumer-
companies, (accessed 17 December 2020).
39
Farag, H. et al., ’ESG Commitments are Here to Stay’, Boston Consulting Group, 23 June 2020,
https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/esg-commitments-are-here-to-stay, (accessed 17 December 2020)
40
41
Boston Consulting Group, Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Higg Co, Weaving a Better Future: Rebuilding a
More Sustainable Fashion Industry after COVID-19, Amsterdam, 2020, p.1
11
Changes have also been witnessed with regards to labor rights and manufacturing
processes; according to the 2019 Ethical Fashion Report, 61% of the 130 assessed
companies (480 global brands) have devised policies addressing gender inequalities in
supply chains, and 45% aim to improve working conditions in their factories by
enhancing responsible buying practices42. Furthermore, 35% of the companies are
addressing child or forced labor if it is found in their supply chain, and 35% also have
comprehensive Manufacturing Restrictive Substance Lists which seek to ensure that
workers are not exposed to hazardous materials or chemicals43. Yet, despite such
progress, a lot more needs to be done to increase the sustainability in its environmental
and social dimensions up and down the supply chains of the fashion industry.
2.2 GREENWASHING: BEYOND THE LAUNDERED VENEER

OF SUSTAINABILITY
Despite the ongoing momentum behind sustainability, not all change has been positive.
Indeed, sustainability, ethical production, and other ‘buzzwords’ can easily become
marketing strategies for companies in the absence of accountability measures which
would guarantee that retailers and producers stick to their targets. In efforts to appeal
to the conscious consumer, brands may engage in greenwashing to mislead buyers
about the environmental or social benefits of their products to encourage shopping.
The phenomenon is very complex: no generally accepted definition for greenwashing
exists. However, it can be best understood as disinformation or misrepresentation that
companies utilize when communicating their initiatives seeking (or feigning) to
address sustainability. Despite the ongoing progress, greenwashing is an alarming turn;
it allows companies to cut corners behind the curtain of ‘appearing green’, given that
consumers cannot assess whether or not a firm has actually sustained their stated
environmental or social performance44.
42
Baptist World Aid, The 2019 Ethical Fashion Report: The Truth Behind the Barcode, North Ryde, Australia,
2019, p. 7
43
ibid.
44
Lee, H. C. B., Cruz, J. M. and Shankar, R. ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Issues in Supply Chain
Competition: Should Greenwashing Be Regulated?’, Decision Sciences, vol. 49, no. 6, 2018, p. 1088-1089 (pp.
1088- 1115).
12
Figure 5. Types of greenwashing claims corporations may use to mislead clients. Styled from Netto, et
al.45
The typology of greenwashing often involves misrepresenting products themselves, or

includes misleading claims that intend to obscure the true environmental or social
costs associated with the stages of production, retailing, shipping and so on. For
instance, misleading can occur through vague claims (lacking definition), omission
(leaving out important information), through lies and false claims, or sometimes,
combination of misleading claims and acceptable ones (figure 5). Given the amount of
information available to consumers today, separating faux fabrications from true action
and ethical commitments remain near impossible. Even among consumers
considered experts, identifying greenwashing as it occurs in advertising remains
challenging46.
45
Netto, S., et al., ’Concepts and Forms of Greenwashing: A Systematic Review’, Environmental Sciences
Europe, 32(19), 2020, p. 8
46
ibid.
13
Furthermore, the public image of a company or organization is often tied to their
practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which are largely voluntary
commitments referring to private social auditing of organizations to reduce
reputational risks emerging from poor labor conditions47 (or negative environmental
impacts). Therefore, the sense of responsibility is being driven by the corporate anxiety
to sustain positive branding vis-à-vis activist groups, as opposed to legitimate
concerns about labor, methods of production, or the damage caused to nature. Thus,
given the flexible voluntarism that characterizes CSR approaches, they do not
encourage credible commitments to achieving targets48, and can inspire distrust
among consumers which further muddles the understanding as to what truly
constitutes ‘sustainable’ among concerned buyers49.
2.3 TRANSPARENCY INDICES

Given the dangers of greenwashing, the fashion industry requires accountability,
reinforced by tracking tools which record and evaluate sustainable practices and their
impacts. To move past beyond the veneer of sustainability, the industry today must
enforce two factors: transparency, and legal accountability. Indeed, if we do not know
where our clothes have been made, and by whom, it will be impossible for stakeholders
to work together to fix issues that are otherwise allowed to remain hidden. Therefore,
crucial supply chain information should be made available to consumers, investors,
lawmakers, NGOs, trade unions, workers and governments to encourage accountability
and drive positive change through increased scrutiny50. Yet, challenges remain. The
2020 Fashion Transparency Index revealed that 54% of the assessed brands score 20%
or less in transparency with regards to environmental and social issues, and many had
not taken any steps to increase their transparency between 2017 and 202051. Another
report, Tailored Wages: The state of pay in the global garment industry, revealed that
from the 85% of the assessed companies which had made a commitment to
guaranteeing a living wage, none had provided documented evidence of implementing
these promises52.
47
Donaghey, J. and Reinecke, J. ‘When Industrial Democracy Meets Corporate Social Responsibility – A
Comparison of the Bangladesh Accord and Alliance as Responses to the Rana Plaza Disaster’, British Journal of
Industrial Relations, vol. 56, no. 1, 2018, p.15-17
48
ibid. p. 20
49
Aji, H. M. and Sutikno, B. ‘The Extended Consequence of Greenwashing: Perceived Consumer Skepticism’,
International Journal of Business and Information, vol. 10, no. 4, 2015, pp. 434-468.
50
Fashion Revolution, Fashion Transparency Index: 2020 Edition, 2020, p. 10
51
Fashion Revolution, Fashion Transparency Index: 2020 Edition, 2020, p. 4
52
Clean Clothes Campaign, Tailored Wages 2019: The State of Pay in the Global Garment Industry, 2019, p.5-6
14
3. ADVOCATES FOR CHANGE:
SUSTAINABLE FASHION
GOVERNANCE AND GRASS-ROOT
INITIATIVES
Sustainable change does not happen on its own. After all, the main concern of retailers,
producers and actors operating in the supply chains is to maximize profits, customer
spending and returns for investors. Sustainability often fits poorly into this agenda, due
to the fact that the industry is still largely reliant on fast fashion, rapidly evolving
collections and the exploitive use of unregulated labor. However, there remains hope,
found in the actions of concerned governments, NGOs, civil-society organizations,
designers, brands and consumers who have dedicated themselves to change. In efforts
to elaborate how on-going sustainability trends can be strengthened further, bright
spots and exemplary initiatives must be elaborated further here.
3.1 TRANSNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND GOVERNMENT

EFFORTS
To begin, one should assess global initiatives, governmental and non-governmental
efforts due to their influence over the fashion industry. Among initiatives with a wider
reach, the Global Fashion Agenda has been developed as a leadership forum to foster
sustainability. Their 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment was established to
encourage cyclability by implementing design strategies encouraging reuse and
upcycling, increasing the volume of used garments and footwear collected and resold,
and increasing the share of garments and footwear made from recycled fibers53. As of
2018, 94 companies (12.5% of the global fashion market) had signed on54, and as of June
2019, participating companies had collected approximately two million items and
20,000 tons of textiles and footwear to be repurposed55. GFA also engages policymakers,
given that legislators play a key role in supporting the signatories’ ability to implement
and sustain a circular fashion system.
53
Global Fashion Agenda, 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment: 2018 Status Report, Copenhagen, 2018,
p. 4
54
J. X. Wu and L. Li, ‘Sustainability Initiatives in the Fashion Industry’, Fashion Industry: An Itinerary Between
Feelings and Technology, R. Beltramo (ed.), London, IntechOpen, 2019
55
P4G Partnerships, ’About’, 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment, 2019,
https://p4gpartnerships.org/partnership/2020-circular-fashion-system-commitment, (accessed 18 December
2020).
15
In 2018, the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action was launched under the
auspices of UN Climate Change, bringing together brands, retailers, suppliers and major
shipping companies to address the environmental impacts of the sector. Its signatories
include 43 industry leaders from Burberry to H&M, Levi Strauss & Co., Puma, Hugo Boss
and Gap, among others, all recognizing the role the fashion industry plays in managing
the climate crisis56. Signatories are seeking to reduce their aggregate greenhouse gas
emissions by 30% by 2030, and have defined targeted measures to achieve these goals,
including the phasing-out of coal-boilers. The Charter has a global reach: it is supported
by China National Textile and Apparel Council, the Global Fashion Agenda, International
Finance Corporation, Sustainable Fashion Academy, and the WWF International among
others. Similarly, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition is also leading groundbreaking
industry collaboration on improving the textile industry, bringing together more than
250 member organizations from 35 countries57.
In Europe, one of the leading sustainability initiatives is the Sustainable Clothing Action
Plan of 2020 [SCAP, led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)], which
is seeking to reduce carbon emissions, waste and water consumption associated with
the fashion industry in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond58. It is a collaborative
framework and voluntary commitment for reducing the use of resources, and as of
2020, over 80 organizations across the UK have made pledges to hit industry-led
targets59. In the UK alone, meeting the SCAP targets by 2020 would translate to
decreasing CO2 emissions by 1.2 billion tons, 420 billion m3 of water and 64 000 tons of
waste60. Between 2012-2017, SCAP retailers had reduced their water footprints below
2020 targets and had reduced carbon footprints by over 8% (figure 6). Based on the
SCAP principles, European Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (LIFE ECAP) has also been
developed to adopt a circular approach to divert 90 000 tons of clothing waste annually
from landfills by 201861. It is hoped that by 2030, the initiative will have managed to avert
over 700 000 tons of waste annually, corresponding to an approximate monetary value
of US$ 170 million saved in waste management costs. Whilst the project ended in 2019,
partners involved in ECAP were expected to continue utilizing learnings and resources
to inform future projects and development of the industry to support the wider
sustainability agenda.
56
United Nations, ’Milestone Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action Launched’, UN Climate Press Release,
10 December 2018, https://unfccc.int/news/milestone-fashion-industry-charter-for-climate-action-launched,
57
Sustainable Apparel Coalition, ’Our Vision’, Sustainable Apparel Coalition: Transforming the Apparel,
Footwear and Textile Industry’, 2020, https://apparelcoalition.org, (accessed 10 December 2020).
58
WRAP, ‘Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP)’, WRAP: Our Plan, 2020,
http://www.wrap.org.uk/sustainable-textiles/scap, (accessed 24 November 2020)
59
ibid.
60
European Clothing Action Plan, ‘Life ECAP: European Sustainable Clothing Action Plan’, Project LIFE14
ENV/UK/000257, 2015
61
ibid.
16
Figure 6. Percentage reduction in SCAP retailers’ carbon and water footprints (per tons) vis-à-vis 15%
target between 2012 to 201762
Similarly, in 2015, the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment (Nordic Council
referring to the inter-parliamentary platform for cooperation among the Nordic
countries) put forth the action plan for sustainable fashion and textiles. The plan, titled
‘Well Dressed in a Clean Environment’ included six steps seeking to improve long-term
sustainability of fashion with a focus on Nordic Design, lowering environmental impacts
of production, and by encouraging market trends towards recycling. Furthermore, the
action plan sought to address reducing the use of harmful chemicals in textiles, and
worked towards making the Nordic Region a leader in developing new sustainable
business models for circular fashion economy63. Furthermore, promotion of joint
Nordic supply chains management was highlighted as a cornerstone for achieving
reduction in negative environmental, health and social impacts. As a result, six tangible
initiatives were developed to achieve the goals identified in the original plan, with a
range of outputs which all sought to address challenges in greening the fashion
industry in the Nordic region.
Governments have excelled in driving progress without engaging in transnational

platforms. Many have taken note of the Sustainable Development Goals, and
implemented them in various ways to improve the performance of the fashion industry
in their respective countries. In 2018, the government of China announced its plan to
mainstream sustainable practices in its apparel manufacturing industry; and in India,
the government launched Project SURE in 2019, seeking to reinforce sustainable
fashion trends64. Similarly, France announced its decision to make Paris the capital of
62
Gray, S., Progress Report: Sustainable Clothing Action Plan 2020 Commitment – Progress Against Footprint
Reduction Targets 2012-2017, WRAP, 2018, p. 4
63
Nordic Council of Ministers, Well Dressed in a Clean Environment: Nordic Action Plan for Sustainable Fashion
and Textiles, Norden, 2015, p. 10-11.
64
Business Research Company, ‘Sustainable Fashion Market Analysis Shows the Market Progress in Attempt to
Decrease Pollution in the Global Ethical Fashion Market 2020, Global Newswire, 28 October 2020,
17
sustainable fashion by 2024, and in February 2020, the government passed regulations
which require companies to follow 100 different sustainability provisions (including a
prohibition regarding the destruction of unsold items). In the UK, facing the pressures
of COVID-19, the All-Party Political Group (cross-party groups run by and for Members
of the Commons and Lords seeking to advice administration) suggested that it is time
to rebuild the fashion industry into a more sustainable one. The APPG highlighted the
need for strategic investments by the government to stimulate growth and green
recovery, to reassess the fashion business model, all in consideration of left-behind
communities65. Such government-led initiatives can be found across the globe.
Governments have also responded to certain events, such as the Rana Plaza disaster.
In acknowledgement of the fact that the ‘ends’ of fuzzy, unregulated supply chains can
result in dangerous working conditions and low pay, some have made strides to
reinforce the procurement of goods from the receiving ends. In Germany, the policy
responses to the Rana Plaza disaster included the German Partnership for Sustainable
Textiles, Garment Industries Transparency Initiative, and the intention to develop a
Employment Injury Protection Scheme for Bangladeshi workers, and other efforts
focusing on more sustainable public procurement66. In 2019, the government also
introduced the Green Button, world’s first governmental sustainability label awarded
for manufacturers that adhere to several social and environmental standards
(including responsibilities to identify and address risks to workers in supply chains). In
2021, the government also agreed to establish legislation that will leverage companies
to maintain these standards. This ‘due diligence law’ will make German companies
liable for abuses that occur in their supply chains and enables trade unions and NGOs
to take companies to court on behalf of the victims67. Such changes are important steps
forward to promote transparency of the industry in Germany, and improve the working
conditions in the global garment industry, even if they were largely production-based.
Analysis-Shows-The-Market-Progress-In-Attempt-To-Decrease-Pollution-In-The-Global-Ethicalfashion-Market-
65
APPG, APPG Executive Summary 2020: Making the UK a Global Leader in Sustainable Fashion, London, 2020,
p. 4-7
66
Lohmeyer, N. and Schüßler, E. ’Rana Plaza as a Threat to the Fast Fashion Model? An Analysis of Institutional
Responses to the Disaster in Germany’, Eco Friendly and Fair: Fast Fashion and Consumer Behavior, Becker-
Leifhold, C. and Heuer, M. (eds.), Sheffield, Greenleaf Publishing, 2018,
67
Barrie, L., ’Germany Agrees New Law on Supply Chain Due Diligence’, Just Style, 19 February 2021,
https://www.just-style.com/news/germany-agrees-new-law-on-supply-chain-due-diligence_id140784.aspx
18
3.2 NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
Figure 7. The 3% Mountain, picture by Redress68
While transnational agreements and government activities remain important, NGOs

play an elemental role in leveraging companies and governments to focus on
sustainability and ethics with regards to the fashion industry. For instance, the case of
Redress in Hong Kong serves a good example. They seek to promote environmental
sustainability in Asia’s fashion industry by advocating for reducing waste, pollution,
consumption of water and energy69. Furthermore, they seek to cut through the
terminological confusion arising from jargon related to sustainable fashion by focusing
on reducing pre- and post-consumer waste (extending the lifespan of clothes),
changing attitudes towards reusing and upcycling, and so on70. Redress has also
utilized strategic public relations tactics designed to trigger wider public attention, such
as ‘The 3% Mountain’, which depicted a six-meter-high pile of secondhand clothes,
representing just 3% of the average textile waste ending up in Hong Kong’s landfills
daily in 201171. Such arresting, art-like messaging can be very useful in communicating
anti-consumerism messages and environmental consciousness to consumers.
Finally, they seek to achieve transformation in the industry, by highlighting sustainable
68
Redress, ’The 3% Mountain’, Events, 2020, https://www.redress.com.hk/events/2011/6/15/the-3-mountain,
(accessed 20 January 2021)
69
Redress, ’Our Story: What We Do’, Redress, Hong Kong, 2020, https://www.redress.com.hk/about/story#,
70
Peirson-Smith, A. and Craik, J. ‘Transforming Sustainable Fashion in a Decolonial Context: The Case of
Redress in Hong Kong’, Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture, vol. 24, no. 6, 2020, p. 930-932
(pp. 921-946)
71
ibib, p. 933
19
fashion as something high-quality, ethical and luxe in efforts to cut through cultural
sensibilities and perceptions of ecological clothing as poor-quality products72.
Ellen McArthur Foundation is another important contributor to the sustainable fashion

momentum (focusing on general commodity production as well), seeking to reinforce
circular clothing economy based on principles of designing out waste and pollution,
and by focusing on the balanced use of resources73. They engage with businesses,
academia, policymakers and other institutions to inspire new solutions to managing
production globally, and scale up existing ones. Fashion Revolution is another
transnational NGO, campaigning for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable
fashion industry by engaging with brands, designers, producers, consumers and other
partners through research, education, advocacy and collaborative projects74. Like many
others, they look beyond the environment, and seek to address working conditions,
equal pay, giving workers a voice and representation and bridge inequities, all in
consideration of sustainable development.
The momentum seeking to address rights of workers is growing as well. One cannot go
on without mentioning the International Labor Organization, Stop the Traffik or the
Worker Rights Consortium, all seeking to address issues regarding modern slavery,
unequal pay, poor working conditions, social injustices and dangers that workers may
face at the poorly managed ends of global supply chains. For instance, Global Union
Federations (GUFs) were involved in the design of governance response following the
Rana Plaza disaster. IndustriALL and UniGlobal were representing garment workers in
Bangladesh to negotiate with brands to push them to signing agreements on the
protection of labor rights75. These transnational efforts led to a collective agreement
between two GUFs, eight Bangladeshi labor unions, and over 200 buyer companies from
Europe, North America and Asia, leading to the formation of the Accord on Fire and
Building Safety in Bangladesh to improve workers’ safety. The Accord, as a legally
binding agreement, signaled previously unseen change in the transnational supply
chain governance; brands were required to contribute financially to the targets,
members agreed to maintain their purchasing volumes from Bangladesh (for two
years), thus creating a balance between interests of labor and corporations through
legal accountability76.
72
ibid, p. 939
73
Ellen McArthur Foundation, What is the Circular Economy?, 2020,
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy, (accessed 17
December 2020).
74
Fashion Revolution, We Are Fashion Revolution, 2020, https://www.fashionrevolution.org, (accessed 17
December 2020).
75
Industrial Relations, vol. 56, no. 1, 2018, p.24-25 (pp. 14-42)
76
ibid. p. 24-25
20
3.3 BRANDS AND RETAILERS
Figure 8. Circular fashion system, stylized from Eileen Fisher77
Finally, one must look to brands and their role in driving sustainable momentum in
both, environmental and social dimensions. Brands are indeed important contributors
to sustainable fashion; increasingly, their focus should be on supporting customers in
consuming fewer clothes by reducing supply, reducing discounting, and consider new
approaches to increasing their own transparency78. Numerous brands have invested in
supporting such a trajectory, including Patagonia, which produced approximately
10,000 jackets, sweaters and bags for its ReCrafted Line upcycled from old garments79.
Given their years of experience in sustainable fashion, Patagonia and similar
companies are in a unique position to lead sustainability efforts through reducing
waste and designing products which can last a lifetime.
Eileen Fisher is also considered an industry leader in ethical and sustainable fashion,
given their strong focus on mitigating environmental and social injustices through
monitoring supply chains, ensuring fair working wages, and reducing their greenhouse
gas emissions (from production and shipping) by 25 % by 2025. Furthermore, their
vision is to encourage a circular recycling model for clothing production (figure 8) in
77
Eileen Fisher, Horizon 2030: What if We Did Things Differently?’, 2021,
https://www.eileenfisher.com/horizon2030, (accessed 20 January 2021)
78
Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2020, New York, 2019, p. 54-55
79
ibid.
21
order to achieve 100% use of sustainable materials in production by 202080. The
company has also committed to full transparency in the aspects of social justice
(human rights and reduction of modern slavery) which is monitored through audits and
training initiatives seeking to strengthen the investment to a sustainable and green
future.
3.4 AT THE GRASSROOTS: ARTISANS, DESIGNERS AND

THE CONSCIOUS CONSUMER
Insofar as the aforementioned chapters target sustainability from the top-down, what
does it look like from the bottom-up? In fact, sustainable change does not only happen
as enforced by governments, organizations and NGOs – rather, it is also social change,
driven by the efforts of environmentally and socially conscious individuals and activist
groups operating at the grass-root levels. Amidst buzzwords, grand movements, glitz
and glamour, it is easy to overlook the most meaningful contributors to sustainable
fashion: the consumers. One can hardly ignore Extinction Rebellion, for example, after
they stormed London Fashion Week in 2019, with signs calling for change; “No fashion
on a dead planet”.81 Whether or not one agrees with disruptive methods, the efficacy of
such movements in raising public awareness cannot be overlooked. They mirror
Redress’s art-inspired statements mentioned earlier, drawing attention, stopping the
viewer, and requiring engagement from the consumer to partake in otherwise
complicated topics in novel ways.
Similarly, local artisans and designers are capable of leading change from the bottom-
up, by resisting global trends and by working with their local communities to
reconfigure the fashion industry on their own terms. For instance, clothing designers
in the Kallio neighborhood of Helsinki in Finland have sought to revolutionize the
sustainable clothing market by combining small-scale design with green values.
Designers interviewed have sought to focus on upcycling, ‘trashion’ and zero waste,
avoiding the term ‘collections’ (given that such notions reinforce rapidly changing
product lines)82. Whilst sharing a strong anti-commercial ethos, their boutique shops
and innovative ways are supporting the efforts to reimagine and diversify fashion in
Finland, below superstructures that are often depicted as ‘the industry leaders’. At the
vanguard of the sustainable fashion movement, Somalian designer Nimco Adam has
80
Eileen Fisher, ’Values’, Behind the Label, 2020, https://www.eileenfisher.com/circular-by-design, (accessed
15 December 2020)
81
Farra, E., ‘Extinction Rebellion’s Youth Group Protested New York Fashion Week with “100% Sustainable”
Guerrilla Shows’, Vogue, 11 February 2020, https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/extinction-rebellion-youth-
new-york-fashion-week-protests, (accessed 16 December 2020).
82
Gurova, O. and Morozova, D. ‘Critical Approach to Sustainable Fashion: Practices of Clothing Designers in the
Kallio Neighborhood of Helsinki’, Journal of Consumer Culture, vol. 18, no. 3, 2018, p. 404-407 (pp.397-413)
22
also been leading by example. Her designs utilize traditional African textiles to move
away from chemicals and synthetic materials, using sustainable materials such as
bamboo, hemp, and nature-based dyes extracted from plant roots like turmeric83.
Chinese-based Remake Hub, led by Sissi Chao, has turned to using recycled plastic to
create apparel and consumer goods as a solution to the problem of worsening plastic
pollution84. One could write an entire report about such grass-root initiatives; they can
be found everywhere, if one keeps an eye out for them.
Finally, customers as individuals are fundamental contributors to sustainable change.

Sustainable fashion ‘pioneers’, (individuals and groups who are concerned about the
environmental and social impacts of fast fashion), are important in assessing how
sustainability initiatives are translated to action among the consumers. Bly, et al.
illustrated that these consumers tend to value not only environmental and ethical
factors, but also freedom, uniqueness, resistance, authenticity, trust and well-being85.
Therefore, individuals navigate the fashion landscape and its often-conflicting contours
based on their personalized ‘fuzzy-models’ of sustainability which match their
perception and knowledge about the fashion industry, and craft their own personal
styles accordingly to steer clear from high-street fashion. From zero-binning to
recycling, sewing and thrift shopping, sustainability-minded fashion bricoleurs build
their styles by navigating through high-street alternatives amidst the muddled field of
retailers. Understanding the shopping behaviors of knowledgeable customers is
increasingly important to elaborate what ‘sustainability’ translates to on the ground,
and to evaluate how effectively the globally witnessed momentum driving
environmental and social justice manifests in behavior and change.
83
UN Environment Programme, ’On Trend: Sustainable Fashion in the Wake of COVID-19, Story: Resource
Efficiency, 16 June 2020, https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/trend-sustainable-fashion-
wake-covid-19, (accessed 15 December 2020).
84
ibid.
85
Bly, S., Gwozdz, W. and Reisch, L. A., ‘Exit from the High Street: An Exploratory Study of Sustainable Fashion
Consumption Pioneers’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, vol 39, 2015, p. 132 (pp. 125-136)
23
4. SUSTAINABLE FASHION
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Perhaps subconsciously, studies and research dedicated to fashion

seem to favor countries with strong middle classes, thus reinforcing the
assumption that the Global North remains at the very center of style and
innovation. However, to understand global trends in sustainable fashion,
one must peek beyond this veneer by examining the trends in a non-
Western context, such as in Asia and the Global South86.
Whilst evidence remains sparse, this report seeks to be one of the first
comprehensive reviews of emerging sustainability trends in Southeast
Asian markets, hopefully to be supported by a comprehensive market
survey in the near term. The following section will begin by identifying
trends in SEA based on available qualitative evidence (with the regrettable
omission of Brunei and Timor Leste, given the scarcity of qualitative or
quantitative data regarding the status of sustainable fashion in the two
aforementioned).
86
Yang, S., Song, Y. and Tong, S. ‘Sustainable Retailing in the Fashion Industry: A Systematic Literature Review’,
Sustainability, vol. 9, 2018, p.13 (pp.1-19)
24
To begin, the garment industry has been gaining momentum in the region; the
emerging middle classes in the six core markets and expanding production (Vietnam,
the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) have driven the value of
the markets beyond US$ 50 billion87. Moreover, these markets are characterized by
digitally erudite, young consumers, hungry for knowledge and new styles. Yet, the
countries are immensely diverse and distinct in their preferences; for instance, Thai
consumers tend to favor both European and Asian trends. This is particularly evident in
the popularization of Japanese kawaii fashion which has been gaining ground
especially among young Thai women88. On the other hand, Filipinos have an affinity for
Western brands, whilst maintaining a vibrant secondhand shopping culture89.
Predominantly Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia also have their own
preferences for fashion narratives and new trends. For example, the luxury brand
dUCkscarves has grown rapidly in Malaysia and Brunei due to the popularity of hijabs,
signifying progressive piety among 21st-century Muslim women active on Instagram
and other social media90.
The region also comprises important manufacturing countries. For instance,

Cambodia’s economy is largely reliant on its garment industry (catering to 200
international brands)91, quite like Vietnam with an industry supported by 6,000 garment
and apparel firms92. The region also hosts important hubs for traditional handicrafts,
arts and design. One can find world-class products from Laotian designers, artisans
and craft merchants, produced with respect to sustainability, fine custom, culture and
history93. Similarly, Timor-Leste has a long tradition of weaving of garments, often dyed
and produced by traditional methods from hand-spun cotton.
87
Kim, A., Potia, A. and Wintels, S. ‘Southeast Asia: A Region of Nuanced Opportunity’, The State of Fashion
2020, Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, 2020, p. 26-27
88
Toyoshima, N. ’Kawaii Fashion in Thailand: The Consumption of Cuteness from Japan’, Journal of Asia-Pacific
Studies, No. 24, 2015, pp. 189-210
89
ibid.
90
Mohamad, S. M. and Hassim, N. ‘Hijabi Celebrification and Hijab Consumption in Brunei and Malaysia’,
Celebrity Studies’, 2019, pp. 1-25
91
Fashion Revolution, ’Fashion Revolution: Cambodia’, 2020,
https://www.fashionrevolution.org/asia/cambodia/ (accessed 10 December 2020).
92
Fashion Revolution, ’Fashion Revolution: Vietnam’, 2020, https://www.fashionrevolution.org/asia/vietnam/,
(accessed 10 December, 2020).
93
Fashion Revolution, ’Fashion Revolution; Laos’, 2020, https://www.fashionrevolution.org/asia/laos/,
25
A region of diversity, color, and continuing growth; Southeast Asia represents a gold-
plated opportunity for the fashion industry. Indeed, the ASEAN region has been projected
to become the world’s fourth largest economic collective, potentially constituting a
consumer market worth US$ 4 trillion during the upcoming decade94. But what of
sustainability? Not a lot of evidence is currently available about consumer trends nor
interests regarding sustainably and ethically produced fashion, and most articles or
reports mainly address the manufacturing conditions of garments. Therefore, insight is
required with regards to consumer behavior, not just manufacturing conditions, to
elaborate how the global sustainable fashion trends have been affecting Southeast Asia.
Market research studies conducted by Nielsen have consistently highlighted a trend

among consumers in the region who are willing to pay for sustainable products. In fact,
the Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability illustrated that
Southeast Asian consumers are willing to pay more for something sourced sustainably,
with 80% preferring to buy from companies that have invested in lessening their
negative social and environmental impacts95. Respondents from Singapore, Vietnam
and the Philippines expressed that they are concerned about the commitment of
companies to address these issues, and 55%, 86% and 83% were willing to pay more
to support said cause in the surveyed countries, respectively96. This mirrors a survey by
Bain, which stated that 80% of ASEAN consumers value sustainability, and have made
changes in their lifestyles to become more eco-friendly97. Positive patterns have also
been revealed in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines by MasterCard’s
survey, which indicated that over 70% of consumers considered whether or not a
product is environmentally friendly and produced in a socially responsible manner98.
In this context, however, one must note nuances. Indeed, the lower willingness to pay
more for sustainably produced goods in Singapore (the 55% of consumers as
discussed above) has been examined by DBS as well. Yet, according to their survey
(whilst confirming that many are not willing to pay more), 7 in 10 Singaporeans are still
94
Yendamuri, P. and Ingilizian, Z., ’8 Ways ASEAN Consumer Habits will Change by 2030 – Shaped by COVID-19,
Tech and More, World Economic Forum, 10 June 2020, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/8-ways-
asean-consumer-habits-will-change-by-2030-shaped-by-covid19-tech-and-more/, (accessed 11 December
2020).
95
Nielsen, ’Sustainability Continues to Gain Momentum Among Singaporeans And Southeast Asian
Consumers’, Nielsen Press Room, 17 October 2015, https://www.nielsen.com/sg/en/press-
releases/2015/sustainability-continues-to-gain-momentum-among-singaporeans-and-southeast-asian-
consumers/, (accessed 9 December 2020).
96
ibid.
97
Bain in Yendamuri, P. and Ingilizian, Z., ’8 Ways ASEAN Consumer Habits will Change by 2030 – Shaped by
COVID-19, Tech and More, World Economic Forum, 10 June 2020,
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/8-ways-asean-consumer-habits-will-change-by-2030-shaped-by-
covid19-tech-and-more/, (accessed 11 December 2020).
98
MasterCard in Preuss, S. ’Consumers in Emerging Markets More Concerned about Ethics, Environment’,
‘Fashion United’, 7 April 2015, https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/consumers-in-emerging-markets-more-
concerned-about-ethics-environment/2015040716051, (accessed 10 December 2020).
26
open to upcycling, recycling or swapping their clothes99. Therefore, sustainable trends
are still gaining traction, despite some differentiation between the ways which
consumers choose to contribute to this change. Furthermore, it is important to
acknowledge that consumers in Southeast Asia tend to be price-sensitive; buyers often
prioritize costs and convenience over sustainability. This mirrors global trends: majority
(60%) of consumers surveyed by KPGM in cities across the world would prefer
sustainable fashion if it remained the same price as conventional garments100.
IN GENERAL, HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THE

ENVIRONMENT AND ISSUES SURROUNDING WORKERS’
RIGHTS?
Very Concerned
Concerned
Neutral
A little
Not at all
Not sure
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Number of Respondents
Figure 9. General concern for environmental and workers’ rights issues among participants
Preliminary market survey conducted in association with this report in Singapore (see
Chapter 5) mirrors aforementioned trends. For instance, ethical and environmental
concerns among the survey participants did indeed influence their shopping behavior
significantly. Our respondents emphasized the use of sustainably sourced material,
transparency regarding supply chains, safe working conditions and fair wages, all
reflected in their concerns regarding manufacturing (figure 9). Moreover, many (63%)
do active research regarding clothing sustainability before purchase, but only 5% are
satisfied with sustainable shopping options available to them (p.58-60, this report). Most
importantly, however, 91% of our respondents were willing to pay more for these
options. More specifically, half were willing to pay up to 20%-50% or more for
sustainable clothing. Thus, these results also suggest a significant profit incentive for
brands to meet such demand, at least in the context of Singapore
99
DBS, ’Singaporeans Open to Sustainable Fashion but Won’t Pay More: DBS Survey’, DBS Media,
https://www.dbs.com/newsroom/Singaporeans_open_to_sustainable_fashion_but_wont_pay_more__DBS_s
urvey, (accessed 11 December 2020).
100
KPMG, Sustainable Fashion: A Survey on Global Perspectives, Hong Kong, 2019, p.11
27
Given the nuanced contours of
consumption revealed by
aforementioned evidence, this report
avoids stating that the interest of
Southeast Asian consumers with
regards to sustainable fashion is in its
‘infancy’ or ‘underdeveloped’ (the
popular discourse regarding consumer
TOWARDS A
trends in the region). There is simply no
reason to presume that these trends
have not breached fashion
BRIGHTER consumption, for there is certainly an

interest in purchasing sustainable
FUTURE:
products among the consumers of
Southeast Asia.
SOUTHEAST In the future, it is hoped that the

preliminary market survey found under
ASIA AT THE
Appendix I can be expanded across the
region to elaborate this apparent
conundrum between the evidence
FRONTIER OF regarding
sustainability
emerging
trends, and
regional
their
FASHION
perceived lack of integration into
apparel consumption by retailers. It is
suspected that consumers, whilst
REVOLUTION. seeking to balance convenience and

costs, are also willing to buy sustainably
sourced fashion, and are partaking in
cyclical clothing economies through
secondhand shopping and boutique
stores, therefore revealing an untapped
resource for retailers and organizations
interested in investing in sustainable
production and the reuse of garments
and footwear.
28
4.1 DRIVERS OF
SUSTAINABLE FASHION
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
As is the case globally, the sustainable fashion revolution cannot sustain its own
momentum in Southeast Asia either; one must look towards its drivers to elaborate how
we can further reinforce these trends towards a greener and more ethical future of
fashion in the region. This section will look into the activities of governments, non-
governmental organizations, brands, designers and artists to illustrate how sustainable
trends are currently being mainstreamed to terraform the landscape of the (currently)
damaging fashion industry across Southeast Asian nations. Indeed, if one is hoping to
influence customer behavior and awareness, initiatives discussed here must be made
more prevalent in the public discourse given their potential to drive positive change.
Furthermore, given the proliferation of sustainable brands, government-led initiatives,
and fashion-focused NGOs in the region, one can hardly argue that there would be a
lack of interest in sustainable fashion. These dimensions will be further discussed in
this section.
29
4.1.1 THAILAND
Like in other countries of the ASEAN region, Thailand’s apparel industry has been
continuously growing. Starting with the ‘Bangkok Fashion City’ project – launched in
2004 – the capital has indeed become one of the fashion hubs of the world. Yet, given
the growing middle classes and booming industry, fast fashion has also become a
problem; in 2017, an estimated 40% of the surveyed Thai shoppers disposed clothing
after just one wear101. On the other hand, Thai millennial consumers have an interest in
purchasing sustainable fashion, such as garments manufactured from recycled
plastic102.
The government has responded to the concerns regarding cascading impacts of

pollution and other negative impacts associated with goods production. For example,
the need to promote sustainable consumption and production was highlighted in the
Twelfth National Economic and Social Development Plan for 2017-2021103. In 2020, the
Department of International Trade Promotion launched the Thai Style Solutions initiative
to showcase Thai products and brands, with a focus to reconnect local craft businesses
with global markets104. Designers partaking in the campaign focus on creative and
green design solutions, for example by utilizing locally sourced silk, bamboo, upcycled
furniture and recycled textiles105. Numerous Thai brands, including Madmatter, Taktai
and Maison Craft have built their business models largely on the upcycling of old
fabrics. To encourage circular fashion economies, MoreLoop Thailand has been
focusing on promoting the use of deadstock fabrics by connecting designers and
buyers with factories which would otherwise discard leftover fabric. Furthermore,
clothing swaps have been gaining popularity in Bangkok during the recent years,
therefore contributing to the sustainable momentum, and Thailand remains renowned
worldwide for its locally sourced garments produced by artisans and weavers106.
101
YouGov, ’Fast Fashion: 40% Of Thais Have Thrown Away Clothing after Wearing it Just Once’, 6 December
2017, https://th.yougov.com/en-th/news/2017/12/06/fast-fashion/#/:~:text=Support-
,Fast%20fashion:%2040%25%20of%20Thais%20have%20thrown%20away%20clothing,after%20wearing%20it
%20just%20once&text=Members%20of%20the%20YouGov%20staff.&text=The%20number%20of%20garment
s%20bought,between%202000%20and%202014%20alone, (accessed 15 December 2020).
102
Thingpila, K. Fabricated Future: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior to Influence Purchase Intention of
Green Fashion made from Recycled Plastic in Thailand, Master’s Thesis, The Swedish School of Textiles, 2019
103
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, Summary: The Twelfth National Economic
and Social Development Plan, Bangkok, 2017p. 20
104
Dezeen, ’Thailand’s Government Launches Thai Style Solutions Campaign to Showcase Country’s Creatives’,
Dezeen, 21 October 2020, https://www.dezeen.com/2020/10/21/thai-style-solutions-thailand-products/,
105
ibid.
106
Chatikavanij, K. ‘6 Simple Ways to Shop Sustainable Fashion in Bangkok’, Lifestyle Asia, 26 October 2019,
https://www.lifestyleasia.com/bk/style/fashion/6-simple-ways-shop-sustainable-fashion-bangkok/, (accessed
16 December 2020).
30
One must also note the developing indie scene within the night markets of
Bangkok, including Chatuchak (the JJ) and the Train Night Market, which are
hosting growing alternative fashion countercultures, driven by young
designers and secondhand retailers. These spaces, characterized by both,
non-commercial and commercial art-inspired creative engagement,
remain important in understanding how the fashion industry is developing
in Thailand. Public spaces are a place for creative masses to congregate,
mushrooming amidst an otherwise globalized order that can often limit
the ability of grass-root level retailers and designers to bring their ideas
forward to customers107. As such, these markets can also inspire locally
driven change among environmentally and socially conscious designers
and buyers, seeking to find alternatives for high-street fashion.
107
Arvidsson, A. and Niessen, B., ‘Creative Mass. Consumption, Creativity and Innovation on Bangkok’s Fashion
Markets’, Consumption Markets and Culture, vol. 18, no. 2, 2015, pp. 111-132.
31
Yet, challenges remain. Initiatives targeting sustainable fashion have only been gaining
popularity relatively recently, and consumer interests regarding the topic have not been
mapped out thoroughly. The conditions of manufacturing have also been brought under
questioning. For instance, the Clean Clothes Campaign revealed that some of the textile
factories supporting the fashion industry in Thailand has moved their production to
border towns to utilize easily exploitable migrant workers108. Monitoring or protecting
migrants working in factories of sub-subcontractors is extremely difficult, thus leading
to conditions wherein exploitative wages, poor workers’ protection and dangerous
working environments (exacerbated by the inability of workers to unionize) can
become more common109. Thus, more work is required by NGOs and the government to
reinforce sustainable fashion production in its environmental and ethical dimensions
in Thailand.
4.1.2 INDONESIA
Given the country’s position as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the
Indonesian fashion industry has also been gaining momentum during the recent years.
In 2019, the garment and textile production contributed to 18% of the country’s creative
economy110, and is worth over US$ 12.7 billion in exports111. However, growth of
manufacturing has not come without its side effects; for instance, chemicals used in
dyeing often find their way into waterways with wastewater, thus harming biodiversity
of rivers and human health112. In fact, levels of water pollution caused by the textile
industry has been ranked as the second highest globally, which has led to an estimated
loss of US$ 866 million over the past two decades due to contamination of rice fields
and farmland113. Fortunately, such issues have not gone unnoticed, and the government
has responded to these concerns; in 2018, four textile production facilities in West Java
region were shut down due to the harmful practice of polluting rivers in the region114.
Several eco-labels have also been established, targeting the textile industry; hosted by
various institutions, the labels seek to award companies with recognized sustainable,
green and ethical production methods to distinguish positive-impact manufacturers115.
108
Clean Clothes Campaign, Migrant Workers in Thailand’s Garment Factories, Amsterdam, 2014, p. 5
109
ibid.
110
CNBC in Fiarani, R. ’Indonesian Market Insight for Global Fashion Companies’, Medium, 2019,
https://medium.com/with-bright-indonesia/indonesian-market-insight-for-global-fashion-companies-
61b34b06a873, (accessed 13 December 2020).
111
Price, D. ’Worse for Wear: Indonesia’s Textile Boom’, UNDark, 23 February 2017,
https://undark.org/2017/02/23/indonesia-textiles-citarum-river-pollution-2/, (accessed 15 December 2020).
112
ibid.
113
Prihandono, I. and Religi, F. H. ’Business and Human Rights Concerns in the Indonesian Textile Industry’,
Yuridika, vol. 34, no. 3, 2019, p. 493, (pp. 493-525)
114
Styles, D. ’Indonesian President Signals River Pollution Reform’, Ecotextile News, 5 February 2018,
https://www.ecotextile.com/2018020523238/dyes-chemicals-news/indonesian-president-signals-river-
pollution-reform.html, (accessed 14 December 2020).
115
Prihandono, I. and Religi, F. H., p. 514, (pp. 493-525)
32
Given the magnitude of the industry’s negative impacts, the public awareness
regarding sustainable fashion is shifting. While some have stated that knowledge of
sustainable fashion in the country remains low116, conscious consumers have started
to search for sustainable options117. Younger millennials in the country have been
established to be ecologically conscious, leading to increased ‘green’ buying behavior
and reuse of clothes118. If one looks beyond production and shopping, recycling
practices are indeed relatively common, reinforcing a more circular fashion economy.
According to a YouGov survey 66% and 50% of all Indonesian respondents have given
unwanted clothes to friends and family, or donated them to charity, respectively119.
As a response to increased awareness, ready-to-wear labels and boutique shops

focusing on sustainability have started to bourgeon across Indonesia, from brands
utilizing organic cottons, textile scrap waste, natural dyes to traditional production
methods120. Positive impacts of brands can extend beyond the environment; for
example, Sejauh Mata Memandang’s Jakarta Kita Collection in 2017 collaborated with
women living in Jakarta’s largest social housing complex, and the brand Lekat has
worked with Baduy women from Banden to incorporate traditional handwoven textiles
into their garments121. By supporting marginalized groups and communities, traditional
artists and craftspeople, brands can inspire sustainable social change as well.
Alongside brands, NGOs including the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC) have
contributed to change. The IFC, formed by its members comprising Indonesia’s leading
fashion entrepreneurs and designers, shifted their focus to Sustainability from 2020
onwards, with the intention of nurturing circular fashion economies. With regards to
working conditions, FairWear Foundation Indonesia has focused on advocating for
labor rights, fair wages, and equity through engaging with the government,
manufacturers, trade unions and other stakeholders.
116
Tanzil, M. Y., ’The Sustainable Practices of Indonesian Fashion Brands’, Program Book & Proceeding of the
1st International Conference on Art, Craft, Culture and Design 2017, Bandung, Indonesia, 5-6 September 2017,
p. 205
117
Shihab, S., ’Post Fast Fashion: The Future of Fashion and the Rise of Resale, The Jakarta Post, 2 October
2019, https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/10/02/post-fast-fashion-the-future-of-fashion-and-the-rise-
of-resale.html, (accessed 13 December 2020).
118
Parung, C. A., ’How do the Indonesian Ecologically Conscious Millennials Value Upcycled Clothing?’,
International Conference on Informatics, Technology and Engineering Series, vol. 703, 2019, pp. 1-6
119
YouGov, ’Fast Fashion: 3 in 10 Indonesians Have Thrown Away Clothing After Wearing it Just Once’, YouGov,
6 December 2017, https://id.yougov.com/en-id/news/2017/12/06/fast-fashion/, (accessed 16 December
2020)
120
Amandari, A. S. and Wirengjurit, E. ‘Fashion, but Make it Sustainable, ‘Manual, 28 August 2019,
https://manual.co.id/article/sustainable-fashion-indonesia/, (accessed 14 December 2020)
121
ibid.
33
However, due to the fact that consumer awareness is relatively low, sustainable change
is not considered entrenched in consumer behavior. Geospatial disparities in income
also contribute to these issues; the ‘middle class’ remains relatively small, whilst vast
majority of the consumers in the country are just emerging. Therefore, price tends to
prevail over garments sourced with consideration to the environment and social issues.
Sustainable fashion is still considered a niche, more expensive option122. One must also
retain a critical eye to on-going initiatives with regards to potential greenwashing.
‘Indonesia’s Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (Industry 4.0) can elaborate this argument.
Partly in efforts to mainstream sustainability in manufacturing, these plans include
considerations for garments. Cellulose-based viscose has been presented as an
alternative to polyester, acrylic and nylon in Indonesian manufacturing to reinforce the
use of greener fibers in production123. However, due to the fact that the rate of primary
natural forest loss rates in the tropical region is among the highest in Indonesia (driven
by large-scale oil and timber plantations)124, one must question the efficacy of wood-
based products as truly sustainable alternatives.
Finally, workers’ rights remain a concern across Indonesia, depending on the region.
Even though large corporations operating in the country (from GAP to H&M and Inditex)
have all implemented policies seeking to reinforce the protection of workers (in the
dimensions of pay, age, gender and safety, for example), reinforcing them in practice
remains complicated in the absence of uniform standards125. Human rights abuses
have taken place due to companies’ failure to pay for overtime, or by the use of non-
standard contracts and failures to maintain safe working conditions, issues which are
magnified depending on the scale of production. Whilst working conditions and the
protection of workers in garment factories indeed vary considerably, they tend to be
worse in small to medium-sized enterprises which do not have the levels of scrutiny
that larger suppliers, buyers and international brands are subjected to126.
122
Rahman, R. and Eloksari, E. A., ’Price, Style More Important for Indonesia’s Consumers Than Sustainable
Fashion’, Jakarta Post, 27 November 2019, https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/11/26/price-style-
more-important-for-indonesias-consumers-than-sustainable-fashion.html, (accessed 12 December 2020).
123
Hsu, H. ’Indonesia Expands Textile Productionm Claiming Sustainability, The News Lens, 2 March 2020,
https://international.thenewslens.com/article/131895, (accessed 10 December 2020).
124
Austin, K. G., Schwantes, A., Gu, Y. and Kasibhatla, P. S., ‘What Causes Deforestation in Indonesia?’,
Environmental Research Letters, vol. 14, no. 2, 2019, p. 1-2 (pp. 1-9)
125
Prihandono, I. and Religi, F. H. p. 518, (pp. 493-525)
126
Fair Wear Foundation, Indonesia Country Study: Wage Update 2019, Jakarta, 2018, p. 3
34
4.1.3 THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines was considered a
textile-production pioneer in the ASEAN
region between 1960s and 1990s, but the
country’s competitiveness in the
industry has declined since127.
Nonetheless, garment exports were
valued around US$ 906 million in 2019,
and as per the government’s 10 Year
Plan, the intention is to bring the
Philippines up to the top 10 garments
suppliers in the world between 2026-
2029. In recognition of this, and the
need to invest in a more sustainable
future, the Board of Investments (BOI)
has changed their focus to target new
opportunities in the emerging
sustainable fashion markets to nurture
green growth128.
Locally produced fabrics and materials

are being explored: for instance, BOI is
working with designers recycling
scraps sourced from manufacturers
from Region 4A and Mindanao,
alongside similar initiatives that are
seeking to carve their way into the
(currently) niche sustainable fashion
markets. Already in 2014, the
International Fashion Showcase
featured six designers incorporating
sustainable materials in indigenous
designs, in partnerships with NGOs and
local artisans to support community
development through their work129.
127
Bueno, A., ’How This Government Facility is November 2019,
Saving Philippine Textiles’, CNN Philippines, 22 https://mb.com.ph/2019/11/21/boi-to-promote-
December 2018, sustainable-fashion/, (accessed 10 January 2020)
129
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/style/2018/1 de León, ‘Fashion Designers Benefit
2/5/Philippine-Textile-Research-Institute.html, Communities in Philippines with Indigenous
(accessed 10 January 2021) Textiles’, The Guardian, 4 March 2014,
128
Cahiles-Magkilat, B., ’BOI To Promote https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-
Sustainable Fashion’, Manila Bulletin, 21 business/sustainable-fashi÷cxon-blog/fashion-
35
Fibers sourced from pineapple (piña), abacá and coconut are increasing in their
popularity, provide new opportunities for more sustainable textile production in the
country, and have the potential of achieving global reach. Such initiatives highlight the
promise for a greener future of fashion in the Philippines and exemplify the importance
of emerging sustainable markets in the wider system of manufacturing globally.
However, the path to sustainability is not straightforward. For example, despite the
Republic Act 4653 which renders commercially imported used textiles to the
Philippines illegal, illicit imports by external operators are widespread across the
country. The sheer volume of items promotes rapid disposal of clothing, and places the
Philippines in a problematic position at the receiving end of (mostly Western) used
garments and discarded products130. Yet, the issue has also provided numerous
opportunities for local businesses and designers seeking to enter circular clothing
economies. The recycling phenomenon associated with imports is described as the
halukay (to dig up) culture or ukay-ukay, arising from the desire to buy affordable, yet
good-quality and fashionable clothing131. Ukay secondhand culture, speculated to
originate in Baguio during the 1980s, refers to the act of digging up piles of clothes to
make a good find, sourced from the imported clothing or stocks originating from
retailers who forward lower-quality products (often class C, ‘the not-so-good’) to be
sold by ukay-ukay businesses without formal stalls132. These are products that would
otherwise end up in incineration plants or landfills – therefore, ukay-ukay offers a new
avenue for lengthening a product’s lifecycle, even if the system does not address the
problems in terms of how they were produced.
Designers have also taken note of this practice; for instance, Denuo, founded by Monica
Vivar, focuses on upcycling ukay-ukay items to recirculate existing clothes in the retail
cycle. Now, in recognition of the fact that immense amounts of already existing
garments are wasted globally, taking note of such secondhand schemes can be
immensely valuable when discussing circular fashion economies. However, there is no
reason why Philippines alone should be at the receiving end of used clothing imports
– rather, exploring ways of expanding recirculating clothes globally would be a more
fruitful avenue to pursue.
131
design-philippines-textile-innovation, (accessed 10 Biana, T. H., ’The Philippine Ukay-Ukay Culture
January 2020). as Sustainable Fashion, Business and Economics
130
Fashion Revolution Philippines, The Impact of Review, vol. 30, no. 1, 2020, p. 155 (pp. 154-164)
132
the Importation of Second-hand Clothing in the ibid. p. 157
Philippines, Fashion Revolution, 2019, p. 8-9
36
4.1.4 SINGAPORE
As one of the central business hubs in Asia, the cosmopolitan city-state of Singapore is
at frontier of fashion consumption in the region. The country has an apparel market
valued at US$ 2,705 million in 2020, and shopping is considered a national hobby; 49%
of Singaporeans consider it as their favorite pastime133. Given the magnitude of apparel
consumption in the country, sustainability should be among the key concerns of
retailers and consumers – however, such trajectories are not yet mainstream.
Disconnected from production, many Singaporeans remain detached from the
impacts of manufacturing, which has been suspected to contribute to the low interest
with respect to sustainable fashion. Furthermore, the government has remained
somewhat absent in the discussion of standards that should be established to regulate
the supply chains, ensuring that clothing is sourced from responsible companies134. In
a country characterized by an abundance of shopping malls, these concerns are to be
taken seriously.
Yet, the consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the issues related to the
fashion industry. Singaporeans today are becoming more and more eco-conscious
about the ways in which their lifestyles affect the environment135. While there are not
many studies exploring the current state of sustainable fashion consumption in the
country – a fact this project seeks to change – a change of interests is still very much
evident. For instance, clothes swaps organized by The Fashion Pulpit have gained
recognition as a method of encouraging the reuse of pre-owned garments in efforts to
reduce the average footprint of Singaporean consumers (figure 10). Swapping through
the initiative has managed to save 75,000 fashion items from disposal between 2018-
2020136. Similarly, the popularity of renting clothes is gaining ground, not to mention
secondhand shops from The Fifth Collection and Style Tribute to New2U, A Vintage Tale,
or Refash. Designers and brands have also grasped this trend. For example,
WoongHung, a Singapore-based jewelry-shop has embraced a ‘no-waste’
commitment when sourcing their handcrafted pieces by working with artisanal
communities from Cebu, Philippines137.
133
Fashion Revolution, ’About Singapore, Fashion Revolution Singapore,
https://www.fashionrevolution.org/asia/singapore/, (accessed 8 December 2020).
134
Tan, G. ’Why is Sustainability Not Gaining Traction in Singapore?’, T Magazine Singapore, 23 April 2018,
https://tsingapore.com/article/why-fashion-revolution-day-2018-sustainability-not-gaining-traction-singapore,
135
Heng, M. ’Eco-Friedly Fashion Catches on in Singapore’, The Straits Times, 6 October 2016,
https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/eco-friendly-fashion-catches-on-in-singapore, (Accessed 8 December
2020).
136
The Fashion Pulpit, Why Swap?, 2020, https://www.thefashionpulpit.com, (accessed 8 December 2020)
137
WoonHung, ’Sustainability’, What Powers WoonHung?, https://www.woonhung.co/pages/philosophy,
37
Figure 10. Graphic art from Fashion Pulpit agenda: Why Swap?138
Furthermore, given that Singapore is a nation that has embraced the role of innovative
economic and technological design to encourage growth, there is no reason why the
talent should not also be directed to target sustainable consumption. Indeed, there is
potential for defining the country’s creative industries with a focus on ‘cultural-place
making’, or in other words, on methods of sustainable production that can make
Singapore not only a leader as a hub for design, but a hub for unique design139. The
creative talents and capacities are already there – they merely need encouraging and
support. Whilst a lot more remains to be done to nurture these changes in the country,
signs of sustainable consumption interests have been steadily emerging.
138
139
Chon, H. ‘Plan D: Design and Social Responsibility’, Social Space, 2019 pp.29-34
38
4.1.5 LAO PDR
Given the economic reforms implemented towards the end of 1990s in
Lao PDR (and the associated industrialization that followed), the
manufacturing of garments for export has steadily grown over the past
decades140. It has been one of the key drivers of expanding manufacturing
in the country – however, the relative importance of clothes’ production
has declined over the recent years, and factory-based producers face
immense difficulties in sustaining production due to the increased
competitiveness of the world economy.
140
Nolintha, V. and Jajri, I., ‘Garment Industry in Laos: Technical Capabilities, Global Production Chains and
Competetiveness, ERIA Discussion Paper Series, 2015, p. 1
39
In fact, the value of garment exports decreased from US$ 219 million to US$ 174 million
between 2011-2015141. However, new opportunities have emerged, especially from small
and medium-sized enterprises that have a significant impact to the country’s overall
economic growth. They may also provide new avenues for expanding the
manufacturing of locally sourced sustainable fashion. In the current sustainability-
focused climate, the general decline of manufacturing in large-scale factories does
not have to be a concern if the potential of SMEs is adequately tapped.
Investing in sustainably sourced local production and traditional design can offer Lao
PDR an unparalleled advantage as a one of the leading fashion exporters in the ASEAN
region due to the mounting interest in small-scale sustainable production and unique
designs, and investments in livelihood creation have the potential to substantially raise
the income for producers and service providers across the country. Furthermore, the
existing garment industry can substitute its fibers and fabric with recycled textiles: as
of 2015, the imports of new fibers cost US$ 87.5 million for the economy, an amount
which could be significantly reduced if the production focus would be on reutilizing
low-value, end-of-life clothing as raw material142. Furthermore, despite the
proliferation of mass-produced textiles, traditional weaving and local artisans have not
disappeared. On the contrary, many non-profit organizations have sought to support
the growth of fashion-focused SME’s by bringing weaving products to the wider
markets. The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) and Ock Pop Tok (East Meets
West) have been focusing on creating economic opportunities and commercializing
old traditions for rural artisans by granting small loans and providing training regarding
design and business practices143. In 2019, Fashion Revolution Laos and Fair Fashion Lao
launched their Sustainable Fashion Weekend and Design Competition at the National
Cultural Hall, seeking to support designers who focus on sustainable, ethical and
culturally unique garments to nurture the green fashion momentum in the country144.
Similarly, independent designers and boutiques have also invested in this potential. For
example, Lao Textiles has operated from Vientiane for over three decades, bringing
together rural silk farmers, artisans and craftsmen to produce premium wall hangings,
scarves, shawls and custom furnishings, now displayed in galleries across the world.
All these initiatives are paving away towards a new future of fashion for Lao, highlighting
the potential of emerging markets in leading global change towards a greener, slower
and less mass-produced garment industry.
141
Nolintha, V., ’Tough Times in the Laos Garment Industry, East Asia Forum, 3 June 2016,
https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2016/06/03/tough-times-in-the-laos-garment-industry/, (accessed 11 January
2021)
142
UNDP, Circular Economy Strategies for Lao PDR: A Metabolic Approach to Redefine Resource Efficient and
Low Carbon Development, 2017, p. 50-51
143
The Asean Post, ‘Lao’s Art of Weaving’, The Asean Post, 29 November 2020,
https://theaseanpost.com/article/laos-art-weaving, (accessed 11 January 2021)
144
Fashion Revolution, Fair Fashion Lao Design Competition, 2019, https://www.fashionrevolution.org/laos-
blog/fairfashionlao/, (accessed 20 January 2021)
40
4.1.6 MALAYSIA
Despite the challenges to survive in global competition, the Malaysian
export-oriented fashion industry has high future innovative potential
among ASEAN countries, especially in the regional niche markets145. The
country continues to attract manufacturing due to improved performance
and the adoption of codes of conduct through industrial associations such
as the WRAP agreement discussed earlier146. Yet, work remains to be done.
Current CSR initiatives are not adequate to guarantee compliance to labor
laws, decent wages nor enable workers to unionize147.
145
Crinis, V., Global Commodity Chains in Crisis: The Garment Industry in Malaysia’. Institutions and
Economies, 4(3), 2012, p. 75-78 pp. 61-82
146
Crinis, V., ’Sweat or No Sweat: Foreign Workers in the Garment Industry of Malaysia’, Journal of
Contemporary Asia, 40(4), 2010, p. 595
147
ibid.
@Photo credit: Deva Darshan (Unsplash.com)
41
Overall, the US$ 44 billion textile industry in the country generates approximately 2
million kilograms of textile waste daily148. In terms of consumer behavior, previous
research indicates that Malaysians are less likely to engage in green activities,
especially in recycling, even though they many are aware of the environmental
pollution problems149.
Yet, drivers of change are emerging among the complicated assemblage of

government agencies, producers, retailers, brands and designers, many of whom
remain concerned about the socio-political and environmental impacts of the fast
fashion industry. For instance, the External Trade Development Corporation has
launched the SAVE initiative (Sustainability Action Values for Exporters) to raise
awareness and foster the adoption of sustainable practices among Malaysian
manufacturers, in efforts to meet the Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030150. It
also seeks to back up SMEs in attaining new growth and export resilience in the global
economy. Such support is invaluable for smaller, local enterprises which hope to enter
the emerging sustainable fashion markets. These sentiments have also matured well
among designers: Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week 2020 focused on Design to Sustain,
aligning the campaign with the commitments of the SDGs and the Commonwealth
Fashion Council by supporting the production and design of ethical fashion as seen on
the runways151.
Non-profit organisations have also sought to contribute to this momentum. The Yayasan
Tuanku Nur Zahirah (YTNZ) foundation intends to assist under-privileged communities
and disenfranchised women by reinforcing the skills and livelihoods of songket
weavers (traditional Malay handwoven silk or cotton cloths). YTNZ initiatives connect
weavers to wider markets, preserve Malay culture and heritage, and have been
successful in attracting the attention of brands in the country: collaborative pieces have
been produced with designers including Annick Goutal, Anya Hindmarch and Pink
Jambu152. Aforementioned initiatives exemplify the changing tides of fashion
production in Malaysia and provide a glimpse into a brighter future in which the
Southeast Asian region can play a role in greening the fashion industry from the
bottom-up.
148
Ali, et al., ’Green Behavior and Financial Performance: Impact on the Malaysian Fashion Industry’, Sage
Open, 2020, p. 3
149
Yee, L. W., Hassan, S. H., and Ramayah, T., p. 3
150
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, ‘MATRADE to Facilitate Malaysia’s Transformation as a
Sustainable Trading Nation’, The Official Portal, 2019, https://www.matrade.gov.my/en/about-
matrade/media/press-releases/4727-matrade-to-facilitate-malaysia-s-transformation-as-a-sustainable-
trading-nation, (accessed 15 January 2021)
151
KLFW, Design to Sustain, 2020, http://klfashionweek.website/design-to-sustain, (accessed 15 January 2021)
152
Kheng, J. N. S., ’Sustaining the Magnificent Craft of Songket Weaving in Malaysia’, Textile Society of
America, 12th Biennial Symposium, Lincoln, 6-9 October 2010
42
4.1.7 CAMBODIA
The textile industry is one of the core components of Cambodia's economy:
today, the industry is the country's biggest exporter (80% of exports) valued
at US$5.5 billion annually153. There are more than 600 textile and footwear
factories in the country which work for about 200 foreign brands,
employing up to one million people.
However, approximately 90% of all labor involved in the garment industry

are women, including rural migrants who have gravitated towards
industries hosted in the capital region, Phnom Penh. Therefore, the case of
Cambodia can exemplify labor-related, gendered challenges within the
fashion industry as discussed earlier. Despite tools and measures that
seek to improve the transparency and accountability of global supply
chains, the on-the-ground situation in Cambodia has remained
complicated.
153
https://www.fashionrevolution.org/asia/cambodia/ (accessed 20 January 2021)
43
For instance, when the government announced a new minimum wage in December
2013 (US$ 100), between 50,000 to 150,000 garment workers organized a response
protest demanding their salaries to be raised further, to levels which would meet their
most basic needs. The protest was met with violence by the police and special forces
units, resulting in numerous injuries, detentions and deaths of workers employed by
factories supplying for international brands including Nike, Abercrombie and Fitch,
Adidas, Puma, Uniqlo and others154. Somewhat unexpectedly, international brands (from
Next to New Look, C&A, H&M and Inditex) intervened in efforts to reach a settlement with
the workers during 2014. An agreement between brands and workers’ organizations
was reached, effectively circumventing the government’s wage policy in an
unparalleled move to resolve the wage conflicts155. Yet, despite the progress, challenges
persist.
In 2015, Human Rights Watch continued to reveal discriminatory and exploitative labor
conditions in numerous factories across the Phnom Penh metropolitan region. Lack of
accountability (partly due to subcontracting), forced overtime, child labor, sexual
harassment and discrimination against pregnant workers, short-term contracting,
union-busting activities and poor enforcing of existing labor laws were highlighted
among the key concerns156. For instance, all the unions interviewed in the report stated
that as soon as the workers initiated formation procedures, factory management would
often pressure and coerce them to resign, and numerous bureaucratic obstacles
prevent unionizing (including delayed licensing, prolonged registration and so on). With
regards to subcontracting, numerous brands have not disclosed their suppliers
publicly, and unauthorized subcontracting proliferates in the absence of protection for
whistleblowers (workers or independent unions which would alert supply chain
operatives about illicit practices)157. Furthermore, even if unauthorized action is
revealed, brands may issue stop-production orders as a response, leading to loss of
income for factories and workers – therefore constituting a disincentive for reporters.
154
Worker Rights Consortium, Crackdown in Cambodia: Workers Seeking Higher Wages Meet Violent
Repression, 24 March 2014, https://www.workersrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Crackdown-in-
Cambodia-2014-03-low-res.pdf, (accessed 14 January 2021), p. 1-7
155
Brignall, M., ’Fashion Retailers Agree to Raise Minimum Wage in Cambodia’, The Guardian, 21 September
2014, https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/sep/21/fashion-retailers-offer-raise-minimum-wage-
cambodia, (accessed 14 January 2021)
156
Human Rights Watch, ’Work Faster or Get Out: Labor Rights Abuses in Cambodia’s Garment Industry’,
Human Rights Watch News Release, 18 March 2015, https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/03/11/work-faster-or-
get-out/labor-rights-abuses-cambodias-garment-industry#, (accessed 14 January 2021)
157
ibid.
44
However, NGOs and government agencies have stepped in to address issues
characterizing the industry and are now driving sustainable change across the country.
For instance, Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) was established in 2001 as a partnership
between the International Labor Organization and the International Finance Corporation
in order to engage with workers, employers and the government to improve working
conditions on the ground. BFC seeks to enhance accountability and transparency via
producing frequent reports, monitoring subcontracting and so on. With regards to the
environment, efforts targeting waste reduction and sustainable production of garments
through recycling and innovative design has also advanced rapidly via the consortium
of brands, designers, local communities and NGOs.
For example, Mith Samlanh’s Home-Based Production Project, launched in 2005,

engages with homeless families, seeking to enable participants to afford permanent
housing by designing, producing and selling fashion items recycled from waste
materials158. Similarly, Rajana, The Stung Treng Women’s Development Center and the
Institute for Khmer Traditional Textiles have established collaborative initiatives with
local producers in efforts to revive traditional production methods, to provide peoples
with vocational skill trainings and education on the matters of health, management and
accounting159. Local brands and designers have also responded to the challenges.
Designer shop Tonlé has focused on rerouting and reusing materials that would
otherwise end up in landfills or incineration. The company has managed to reutilize
more than 16,000 kilograms of materials, to reduce nearly half a million kilograms of
CO2 from entering the atmosphere, and to reduce the consumption of nearly 200 million
liters of water through their sustainability strategy160. Dorsu is another Cambodian
manufacturing brand founded on sustainable principles. By utilizing deadstock fabrics
for design and production on-site, the company seeks to pave the way towards change
in Cambodian manufacturing and global clothing consumption. Ease of wear, longevity
of quality and intelligent use of resources characterize their garments, designed to be
used across seasons (as opposed to releasing large seasonal collections)161.
158
Medvedev, K., ’Designing from Dumpsters: Cambodians Start at Grassroots with Fashion’, Fashion Practice,
2(2), 2010, p. 234-244
159
Medvedev, K., ’Cambodian Fashion NGOs: Are They Doing Any Good?’, Journal of Textile Engineering and
Fashion Technology, 1(4), 2017, p. 150
160
The Asean Post ‘Changing Cambodia’s fashion industry’, The Asean Post, 31 January 2020,
https://theaseanpost.com/article/changing-cambodias-fashion-industry, (accessed 20 January 2021)
161
Dorsu, About, 2021, https://dorsu.org/pages/about-us, (accessed 20 February 2021)
45
v
4.1.8 MYANMAR
Myanmar’s garment industry has a tumultuous history. In the early 21st
century, exports witnessed significant growth (exceeding US$ 800 million
annually), until trade sanctions imposed by the United States and the
European Union crippled production momentarily162. Now that the
restrictions have been lifted, the sector has increasingly attracted attention
from retailers given the momentum associated with the reinforced
industrialization goals. The 2015 White Paper by the Myanmar Garment
Manufacturers Group outlined goals to increase the number of people
employed in the sector to 1.5 million by 2024 and increase the value of the
industry to US $ 10 billion163. However, high rates of growth tend to have
negative side effects, especially to the environment.
162
BSR, Child Labor in Myanmar’s Garment Sector: Challenges and Recommendations, BSR Report, San
Francisco, 2016, p. 5
163
MGMA, Myanmar Garment Industry 10-year Strategy 2015-2024, 2015 p. 217
@Photo credit: Fuu J (Unsplash.com)
46
Over-extraction of water and pollution are significant concerns in the stages of
garment production and processing in Myanmar, alongside boiler fuels and emissions
of factories that sometimes use coal as a cheap fuel source164. Moreover, the lack of
comprehensive environmental regulations contributes to the on-going environmental
degradation arising from the processes of sourcing raw materials, milling, dyeing,
manufacturing and packaging165. In terms of labor rights, arising issues include
discrimination, sexual harassment (in association with the lack of anti-sexual
harassment policies) and dangerous working conditions in factories166.
However, numerous actors from governments, global retailers, brands and local
employers have responded to these concerns, and the interest regarding ethical,
sustainably sourced and produced fashion is mounting across the country. For
instance, SMART Myanmar, a project funded by the European Union intends to raise
awareness among European consumers regarding the production situation in
Myanmar while promoting cooperation among actors of the value chain in Europe and
Myanmar to foster sustainable practices by enhancing collaboration and advocacy. In
2020, the SMART project team also implemented the EU Myan Ku Fund, which is an
emergency cash transfer mechanism designed to assist tens of thousands of workers
employed by the garment industry, now crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic167.
Companies such as Virya Myanmar have also entered the sustainable fashion industry
in Myanmar by utilising locally sourced, naturally dyed fabrics, and by providing training
and support to weavers and local communities168. Whilst a lot remains to be done, on-
going initiatives provide an insight into the momentum that currently contributes to
sustainable change in the emerging fashion industry of Myanmar.
164
SMART Textile & Garments, Environmental Impact in the Myanmar Garment Industry, 2021,
https://smartmyanmar.org/en/environmental-impact-in-the-myanmar-garment-industry#slideshow-1,
165
BSR, Shaping a Sustainable Garment Sector in Myanmar: Key Opportunities Built on Local Context, 2014,
https://www.bsr.org/reports/BSR_Shaping_Sustainable_Garment_Sector_Myanmar.pdf, (accessed 15 January
2021)
166
Hogan, L., ’The True Cost of Myanmar’s Growing Garment Industry’, The World, 29 May 2019,
https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-05-29/true-cost-myanmars-growing-garment-industry, (accessed 15 Januart
2021)
167
SMART Textile & Garments, About SMART, 2021, https://smartmyanmar.org/en, (accessed 15 January
2021)
168
Nyein, N., ’Ethical Fashion Empowering Underprivileged Women’, The Irrawaddy, 3 August 2018,
https://www.irrawaddy.com/in-person/profile/ethical-fashion-empowering-underprivileged-women.html,
47
4.1.9 VIETNAM
Vietnam's garment and apparel industry is one of the key drivers of the
country’s economic growth, employing more than 2 million workers.
Textile and clothing exports have risen 18% year-on-year to approximately
US$ 20 billion in 2014, comprising 15% of the country's gross domestic
product and 18% of its overall exports169. Yet, as is often the case elsewhere,
challenges arise at the lower ends of global supply chains, involved in
production that focuses on servicing fast fashion trends. For instance,
serious infringements of workers' rights in garments and apparel factories
in Vietnam have prevailed, from overtime labour, productivity pressure to
lack of fire safety regulations170.
169
Fashion Revolution, ’Fashion Revolution: Vietnam’, 2020,
https://www.fashionrevolution.org/asia/vietnam/, (accessed 20 January 2021)
170
ibid.
@Photo credit: Casey Nguyen (Unsplash.com)
48
The use of pesticides in the process of cultivating textile fibers contributes to
environmental pollution, and most end-of-life garments end up in landfills.
Approximately 20% of the water pollution in the country is caused by chemical
processing (including dyeing and printing textiles), exacerbated by the lack of
standards and enforcement of regulations171. However, many operators in the textile
manufacturing industry are aware of environmental sustainability concerns, as
evidenced by regulations and certifications and the increasing use of sustainable raw
materials, which, when combined with sustainable sourcing from retailers, contributes
to overall improvements seen in supply chains. Stakeholders have focused on
improving workers’ welfare, minimum wage, work safety, and gender equity through
the provision of maternal leave and protection from sexual harassment172. The
government has also emphasized sustainable change, as outlined in the Green Growth
Strategy. It seeks to promote sustainable consumption and green lifestyles by
enhancing the practice of eco-labelling and industry transparency, among other
methods that also apply to the textile industry173. International Finance Corporation, a
member to the World Bank Group, has also contributed to the on-going momentum by
establishing the Vietnamese Sustainability Reporting Handbook in efforts to promote
transparency in manufacturing.
Whilst progress remains slow and the industries still require significant technical
assistance, emerging signs of change provide a reason to remain positive. Alongside
the government and civil societies, SMEs have also had an important role in driving
sustainable change, partly due to the fact that these niche markets can provide
competitive advantages. Whilst limited resources, reliance on external suppliers, lack
of customer understanding regarding sustainability, and negative perceptions towards
smaller brands continue to limit their growth, proper engagement with existing small-
scale retailers and producers encapsulates immense future growth potential towards
a more sustainable future174. Running sustainable fashion businesses in Vietnam is
becoming increasingly attractive as it benefits the environment, enterprises,
employees and customers. Yet, whilst the bases have been set, work is to be done to
ensure a sustainable future for the Vietnamese fashion industry and, at large, its people
and environment.175
171
Hoang, H., ’Vietnam’s Fashion and Textile Industries Must Become Sustainable to Survive’, RMIT University,
23 June 2020, https://www.rmit.edu.vn/news/all-news/2020/june/vietnam-s-fashion-and-textile-industries-
must-become-sustainable, (accessed 20 January 2021)
172
Nayak, R., Akbari, M., and Far, S. M., p. 301
173
Thong, N.T, et al., ’Chapter 13: Sustainable Consumption and Production in Vietnam’, Sustainable Asia, P.
Schroeder, K. Anggraeni, S. Sartori and U. Weber (eds.), Singapore, World Scientific Publishing, 2017, p. 337
174
Nayak, et al., ’The Challenges For Sustainability Marketing Approach: An Empirical Study in Vietnamese
Fashion SMEs’, International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, 10(4), 2019, p. 106
175
Ng, M. ‘Sustainable Fashion In Vietnam: A Unique Position To Develop’, Vietcera, 8 Novemebr 2017.
.https://vietcetera.com/en/sustainable-fashion-in-vietnam-a-unique-position-to-develop (accessed 20 January
2021)
49
5. MARKET SURVEY
Between January and February 2021, Oxford Development Consultancy and Fashion
Revolution Singapore conducted a preliminary online market research survey
regarding fashion sustainability in Southeast Asia. Of the 256 survey respondents, 85%
– or 220 – were from Singapore, while 19, 8 and 9 were from the Philippines, Malaysia
and “Others” respectively. Considering the response rate, it was determined that it
would be most meaningful to focus the survey insights on Singapore’s data set, due to
which the following insights apply only to Singapore. The survey’s goal was to provide
quantitative evidence on the market’s demand for fashion sustainability. This goal was
decided in consultation with Fashion Revolution Singapore, in efforts to facilitate more
productive conversations with prominent local fashion retailers with the help of
contextualized and in-depth data.
Ethical production (e.g. fair wages for textile workers,

safe working environment) 3,27
Environmental impact (e.g. carbon emissions, dye water

contamination, microplastics) 3,29
Price 4,26
Current trends 2,42
Uniqueness 3,54
Durability/Fabric quality 4,45
0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5
Figure 11. Priorities of Considerations when shopping for fashion products (by checking the label or
through other research)
Factors influencing clothes purchases. Figure 11 show that respondents tend to

prioritize factors such as price (4.26 out of 5) and durability or fabric quality (4.45 out of
5) when buying clothes. In comparison, sustainability concerns over ethical production
and environmental impact rate relatively low (scoring 3.27 and 3.29 out of 5,
respectively). However, our results also positively indicate that respondents prioritize
environmental concerns over current trends and sometimes uniqueness.
Undoubtedly, the demand side’s general opinion shows the importance of affordability
and fabric quality over sustainability in Singapore.
50
3%
10 %
8% Rarely if ever
37 %
Sometimes
Quite often
11 % Often
Very often or always
Not sure
31 %
Figure 12: Frequency of researching brand’s sustainability before purchasing
Researching brand sustainability. When asked about their frequency of researching a

brand’s sustainability practices before purchasing, 63% of the respondents share that
they actively research before purchasing clothes, as shown in Figure 12. In fact, shows
18% of our respondents often research a brand’s sustainability standards before their
purchase, which conveys the importance of brands maintaining some degree of
environmental consciousness to accommodate the growing environmental
awareness on the demand side.
Don't buy sustainable clothes 8%
Clothes swaps 10%
Offline second-hand shops 17%
Peer-to-peer shops(e.g. Carousell/Instagram posting) 18%
Large multibrand retailers (E.g.ASOS/Zalora/Lazada) 7%
Large brand retailers(e.g. Zara, H&M, Uniqlo) 13%

Local
Local fashion fashion retailers
retailers(E.g (e.g., Love,
Love, Bonito, Bonito,
Our Second
Whimsigirl,
Nature, The Editor’s Market) Bench) 10%
Small local shops/boutiques (e.g., The swaps
Small local shops/ boutiques(E.g. TheClothes
WYLD Shop,
WYLD
Design Orchard) 17%
Shop, ShoesShoesShoes, Retail
Offline second-hand shopsLab)
Offline second-hand shops
Peer-to-peer shops (e.g., Carousell/Instagram 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20%
Peer-to-peer shops (e.g., Carousell/Instagram Usage (%)
posing
posing
Figure 13. Choice of retailers when buying sustainable clothes
51
The top 3 places respondents shop for sustainable clothing are peer-to-peer online
shops, offline second-hand shops and small local shops or boutiques, as shown in
Figure 13. This confirms the rising popularity of both thrifting (shopping second-hand)
and supporting small local businesses. Particularly striking was that 17% of our
respondents suggest they will choose to shop sustainable clothes in local boutiques,
as opposed to 13% of our respondents who will do so in large brand retailers such as
Zara and H&M. This indicates the opportunity for boutique shops to take up greater
responsibility in curating their selection for a transition towards sustainable fashion.
160
140 (45%)
140
120
Number of people
97 (31%)
100
80
60
40
22 (7%) 24 (8%)
17 (6%)
20 8 (3%)
0
Happy Want more Want cheaper Want better style Not happy for Not sure
sustainable sustainable of sustainable other reasons
clothing clothing clothing
Figure 14a Satisfaction with the sustainable options available (can select multiple), in no.
Desire for more sustainable clothing and willingness to pay a premium. Most
respondents suggest the supply of sustainable clothing has not met their needs.
Figures 14a suggest most respondents want more and cheaper sustainable clothing
(45% and 31%, respectively).
>50% more 4,5872%
(up to) 50% more 8,7156%
(up to) 30% more 11,927%
(up to) 20% more 27,523%
(up to) 10% more 26,606%
(up to) 5% more 10,55%
(up to) 2% more 1,376%
(up to) 1% more 0%
0% 8,7155%
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Figure 14b. "How much more would be willing you pay for sustainable options?"
52
Furthermore, what we found noteworthy in Figure 14b was that 91% of our respondents
are willing to pay more to get more sustainable clothing options. More specifically,
approximately 50% of the respondents indicate they are willing to pay up to 20%-50%
or more for sustainable clothing. These results suggest a significant potential within the
sustainable fashion market. While there are clear environmental and ethical reasons
for retailers to consider a switch towards sustainable fashion, based on Figure 14b,
there is also a profit incentive for this switch to satisfy the current demands. Only a few
respondents (6%) indicated they are satisfied with the current sustainable options
available (Figure 14a).
35%
31%
30%
27%
25%
22%
20%
15%
15%
10%
5%
5%
0%
Not at all Somewhat A little A lot It is my main criteria
for selecting which
clothes to buy
Figure 15: “When purchasing an item of clothing, to what extent do you consider the social or
environmental impact prior to deciding whether or not to purchase the item?”
Likewise, 85% of our respondents suggest they will consider the clothing’s social or
environmental impact before deciding whether or not to purchase them. Figure 15
shows that 22% of respondents consider the socio-environmental impacts of clothing
an important factor, and 5% as their main criteria when selecting which clothes to buy.
Therefore, there is an incentive for retailers and the fashion market to put a greater
emphasis on improving the social and environmental impact of their clothes to
accommodate the rising environmental awareness among their customers.
53
Clothes use recycled materials
Sustainable sourced materials
Workers are paid a fair living wage
Safe working conditions
Transparency about supply chains
0% 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 %
1 2 3 4 5
Figure 16: Ranking values in sustainable fashion (1=most important, 5=least important)
The most important sustainability factors. Disaggregating the broad term of

‘sustainability’, Figure 16 shows respondents’ prioritization of five socio-economic
features of sustainable fashion. Our respondents emphasize the use of sustainably
sourced material. Transparency regarding supply chains, safe working conditions, and
fair wages are also among our respondents’ essential values when considering
sustainable fashion. Figure 16 suggests that 29% of our respondents believe sustainably
sourced material is essential in sustainability fashion. 22%, 21% and 20% of the
respondents indicate they consider fair wages, supply-side transparency, and safe
working conditions crucial in sustainability fashion. The results encourage the use of
more sustainably sourced material in the fashion industry, along with greater supply
chain transparency, fair wages and safer working conditions. As such, while retailers’
sustainability initiatives often focus on environmental sustainability, our findings
suggest that they may benefit from giving equal attention to social sustainability.
54
HAVE YOU EVER PARTICIPATED IN CLOTHES SWAPS?
Yes No
40 %
60 %
Figure 17. Proportion of participants that have participated in clothes swaps
Adaptation strategies. Environmentally conscious consumers are finding adaptation

strategies for accessing sustainable clothing from other sources than traditional large
and small retailers. Figure 13 showed that many respondents get clothes from second-
hand shops, as well as through peer-to-peer trading on platforms such as Carousell
and Instagram. 60% of participants had also previously participated in a clothes swap
(Figure 17).
55
KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE FASHION
INDUSTRY
“An increase of 10% in second-hand clothing sales could

deliver environmental benefits, cutting carbon emissions
per tonne of clothing by 3% and water use by 4%.”
“10,000 liters of water are used in the making of a pair

of jeans.”
“By 2030, it’s expected that there will be 148 million

tons of fashion waste.”
“The fashion industry (including apparel and footwear)

accounts for 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas
emissions.”
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Awareness (%)
Figure 18: General knowledge of key environmental facts of fashion sustainability among participants
AWARENESS OF THE LOW WAGES, ABUSES OF LABOUR,

UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS AND MODERN SLAVERY ARE
PERSISTING ISSUES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY
IN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
8%
92 %
Aware Not Aware
Figure 19: General awareness of labour issues in the fashion industry
56
IN GENERAL, HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT AND ISSUES SURROUNDING WORKERS’
RIGHTS?
Very Concerned
Concerned
Neutral
A little
Not at all
Not sure
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Number of Respondents
Figure 20: General concern for environmental and workers’ rights issues among participants
KNOWING THIS INFORMATION, HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO

CONSIDER THESE ISSUES WHEN PURCHASING CLOTHING IN
THE FUTURE?
3%
9%
18 %
70 %
Not sure Not likely Neutral Very Likely
Figure 21: Indication of participants’ intention to take the facts in figures 17, 18 and 19 into account
going forward
Future behaviour. Surveys like this one are not just a way to extract people’s existing
opinions on a topic, but also a generative intervention which may stimulate reflection
and affect behavioural change. Recognising this, we asked our participants whether
learning or being reminded of the key socio-environmental sustainability facts from
the questions of Figures 18 and 19 would likely affect how they consider clothing
purchases going forward. Summarised in Figure 20, 80% of the participants were
concerned or very concerned about these issues, and 70% said they were ‘very likely’
to consider these facts when making future decisions (figure 21).
57
6. CHALLENGES AND TRADE-OFFS
Even though this report has sought to highlight and establish positive developments,
there is no use in pretending that the future of the industry is not immensely
challenging. Problems from complex supply chains – contributing to low pay, unsafe
working conditions and abuse of labor – to the increasing consumption largely
motivated by cyclical fast fashion trends render the efforts to encourage change a
long-term project. However, given the urgency imposed by the climate crisis and
increasing rates of environmental destruction, this is an endeavor one must embrace
now, for the ‘later’ is ever growing shorter. Therefore, this section intends to compile the
most urgent tasks for NGOs, retailers, producers and customers to focus on to identify
best future pathways towards circular clothing economies and slow fashion.
5.1 INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES

To begin, a wider shift in manufacturing and retailing is required to encourage circular
fashion economies. Reuse and upcycling of materials, from scrap waste to used
clothing and recycled fibers should be at the core of this change – after all, there is an
abundance of existing material ending up into landfills every day. To reduce clothing
waste, brands and designers should embrace the possibilities provided by salvaged
material, in recognition of the fact that constant new production and processing of
textiles remain immensely harmful. Yet, this is not a simple task. Still, millions of people
rely on textile industry as their main form of livelihood, thus rendering this predicament
a structural issue as well. If one hopes to see change in the wider industry, there is a
need to acknowledge the fact that the desire for constant economic growth weighs
down the progress of sustainable approaches at the other end, due to fears that slowing
down ‘progress’ could result in loss of employment176. Therefore, rather than talking
about abolishing the industry, one must focus on nurturing institutional innovations that
allow manufacturers to move from energy-consuming and polluting textile production
towards recycled, renewable and biodegradable fibers and dyes, combined with low-
energy processing techniques177. Technology and ability to reinforce these shifts
already exists – it is merely a matter of targeting investments. If done correctly,
salvaging existing resources currently going to waste could add US$ 4.9 billion to the
world economy, and if the industry were to find a mechanism to collect and recycle all
fibers, the value would rise to nearly US$ 100 billion178.
176
Ertekin, Z. O. and Atik, D., ’Sustainable Markets: Motivating Factors, Barriers and Remedies for Mobilization
of Slow Fashion’, Journal of Macromarketing, vol. 35, no. 1, 2015, p. 61 (pp. 53-69)
177
ibid. p. 65
178
ibid. p. 5
58
Even though the environmental benefits of the production and consumption shift
towards circular fashion may be enormous, social implications of restructuring the
fashion industry must be considered179. For instance, production communities in lower
and middle-income countries could face reduced economic opportunities should the
change towards circular fashion occur. As mentioned earlier, shifting from fast fashion
could also increase poverty, exacerbate inequalities and the exclusion of economically
vulnerable communities (with differentiated impacts for women and marginalized
groups, who often face existing inequalities and barriers that lessen their ability to
respond to rapid changes in the models of consumption and production)180. Therefore,
the manufacturers, retailers, governments, NGOs and the academic community should
focus on a ‘just transition’ that seeks understand, mitigate and improve the role of
workers so that they are not disproportionately affected by change.
With regards to consumption, change in manufacturing would help in driving down the
costs of sustainable fashion. Currently, many sustainable brands remain relatively
high-priced and niche products, and thus, are unavailable to consumer classes that
are price-conscious. By reconfiguring production, sustainable garments can become
the preferred option, and in fact, evidence does suggest that consumers globally would
prefer sustainably and ethically produced garments, were they priced same as general
fast fashion. Similarly, to increase the popularity and attractiveness of sustainably
produced garments, designers and luxury brands should be the first to embrace this
shift in interest; after all, the rest of the industry (not to mention consumers) tends to
follow their lead. However, given the high turnover of styles, collections and trends
driven by the market, it is widely recognized that the industry also needs to slow down
to reduce the amount of clothing waste. Supply chains can be slowed down by
reducing the number of trends and seasons, and awareness can be raised by brands,
designers, NGOs and governments alike to inspire the emerging slow fashion
philosophy181. This is particularly important in Southeast Asia, so to prevent fast fashion
from usurping existing cultural and traditional systems which encourage recycling,
clothes swapping or traditional crafts. Indeed, encouraging the consumption of
secondhand fashion is also one of the key methods to prolong the lifecycle of clothing.
The ‘hunt’ for secondhand luxury garments, for instance, can be a motivating factor for
consumers seeking to find new items, and the respect for an item’s quality and
heritage may encourage keeping them longer. On the other hand, secondhand
consumption is often driven by frugality and bargain hunting, making it an attractive
option for consumers who are more concerned about value when making their
179
BSR, Taking a People-Centered Approach to a Circular Fashion Economy’, Business for Social Responsibility,
September 2020, p. 1-2
180
ibid.
Ertekin, Z. O. and Atik, 2015
59
decisions182. Similarly, craft practices are important for sustainable growth. By
supporting traditional textile handloom products, prevalent in communities across
Southeast Asia, there is a possibility for creating locally driven craft industries which
can help in the alleviation of poverty in the longer-term. Therefore, we must save space
for alternative fashion markets to grow amidst retailers and global corporations.
Yet, as is the case globally, these changes do not happen alone. The markets are driven
by profit; as of today, a large portion of it is not interested in societal or environmental
benefits unless they translate directly to cash. Therefore, influencing the markets is
also a matter of leverage, exercised by NGOs and activist organizations to sustain the
momentum of sustainable, ethically sourced fashion. This is particularly important
given the entire business model of the fashion industry that has been largely built on
the use of fragmented suppliers183. Since the 1990s, the practice of outsourcing has
proliferated in supply chain management; today, third-party service providers fulfill
functions from packaging, labeling, transportation, warehousing and distribution
depending on the customers’ requirements in the upper chain184. These trends are
particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia due to the lower costs of labor and production
of clothing, thus alienating larger companies and brands from the process of
production. Thus, supply chains have become complex and fuzzy, characterized by
weak enforcement of labor standards, and the emergence of private governance which
do not necessarily have to conform to global standards due to lack of accountability185.
Moreover, whilst global Corporate Social Responsibility standards and green

commitments have become a base-standard in large-scale global supply chains, CSR
alone cannot drive meaningful institutional change186 as discussed in chapter 2.2. For
instance, even though Primark offered immediate short-term aid for survivors in the
aftermaths of the Rana Plaza disaster, the compensation program and support could
not ensure that all workers would receive accident compensation in the future187.
Hence, accountability initiatives that also leverage the brands and their supply chains
through institutionalized frameworks and legal accountability are required to protect
workers’ rights in the longer term. Indeed, given that brands prioritize maximizing
shareholder returns, innovative designs and marketing to boost sales, CSR remains
182
Yang, S., Song, Y. and Tong, S. ‘Sustainable Retailing in the Fashion Industry: A Systematic Literature
Review’, Sustainability, vol. 9, 2018, p. 10-11 (pp.1-19)
183
Moretto, A., et al., ’Designing a Roadmap Towards a Sustainable Supply Chain: A Focus on the Fashion
Industry’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 193, 2018, p. 170 (pp. 169-184)
184
Nayak, R., Akbari, M. and Far, S. M., ‘Recent Sustainable Trends in Vietnam’s Fashion Supply Chain’, Journal
of Cleaner Production, vol. 10, 2019, p. 293 (pp. 291-303)
185
Industrial Relations, vol. 56, no. 1, 2018, p.15-16 (pp. 14-42)
186
Bartley, T. and Egels-Zandén, N. ‘Beyond Decoupling: Unions and the Leveraging of Corporate Social
Responsibility in Indonesia’, Socio-Economic Review, vol. 14, no. 2, 2016, p. 250-251. (pp. 231-255).
187
Donaghey, J. and Reinecke, J. p. 37
60
largely a moral commitment to be incorporated into the marketing scheme whilst
circumventing legal responsibilities188. Hence, to leave a lasting legacy, sustainability
initiatives addressing supply chains and labor must build a foundation for change
through transparency and transnational cooperation which emphasizes legal
accountability for retailers and manufacturers. In this context, workers unions, NGOs
and INGOs play important roles to leverage corporations into agreements through
activism and negotiations to achieve transformative gains in all dimensions of
sustainability as was highlighted in chapter 3.2.
Transparency is an important dimension of accountability as well. Consumers,

activists, NGOs, and governments alike must be able the monitor the fashion industry’s
commitments and impacts based on globally recognized and measured performance
that is rooted into trackable indices. Without the ability to distinguish true environmental
and social benefits of a corporation from mere greenwashing, the industry can
continue on its current destructive trajectory. Hence, initiatives such as the Fashion
Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index, or the Higg Index remain important
benchmarks on monitoring the state of sustainable fashion. In this context, it should be
noted that that transparency is likely to increase the consumer’s trust towards a brand,
and their willingness to buy clothes. Based on a study of the Swedish company Nudie
Jeans, the researchers found that the company’s supply chain transparency project
and associated Production Guide (a global map in which buyers can find the names of
all suppliers, general information about them, factory audit summaries, as well as lists
of sub-suppliers) influenced consumers positively189. Thus, transparency is likely to
encourage knowledgeable consumers to increase their spending, making supply chain
transparency a useful tool for corporations to not only reinforce their sustainability, but
also for increasing revenues.
Ecolabels are another important tool for enforcing transparency and accountability. An
eco-label can be described as a voluntary method seeking to improve environmental
performance through transparency and certification of practices that are required to
uphold sustainable manufacturing standards. However, they can also encourage
innovation and leadership in developing new business models and raise consumers’
awareness with regards to production of garments they are seeking to buy. Therefore,
green branding based on transparency and solid manufacturing strategy adhering to
identified goals can be immensely helpful not only in driving positive brand image, but
sustainable fashion consumption behavior190.
188
Bartley, T. and Egels-Zandén, N. p. 235
189
Egels-Zandén, N. and Sörum, N. ‘Supply Chain Transparency as a Consumer or Corporate Tool: The Case of
Nudie Jeans Co’, Journal of Consumer Policy, vol. 39, no. 4, 2015, p. 19-23 (pp. 1-28).
190
Review’, Sustainability, vol. 9, 2018, p. 8-9 (pp.1-19)
61
However, whilst serving as examples of general good practice, these suggestions
cannot be considered blanket solutions for everything, particularly in the case of
Southeast Asia. Given the sociopolitical and economical diversity of the region, each
country, organization and retailer will require their own innovative solutions by
modifying practices above to fit realities on the ground. This will require the joint efforts
of governments, NGOs, brands, designers, manufacturers and retailers to unite facing
the new era of ethically sourced and environmentally sustainable fashion.
5.2 THE CONSCIOUS CONSUMER

Considerable part of this report has been dedicated to addressing structural issues and
solutions, from supply chains to governments, non-governmental organizations,
retailers and manufacturers. However, one cannot overlook the importance of the
individual; the buyers and concerned citizens, navigating the fractured landscape that
constitutes the fashion industry today.
Surveys targeting consumer interest have indeed revealed something important:

sustainable origins of fashion are often not enough to drive change in buying
behavior191. Rather, quality and aesthetics seem to dominate decision-making,
alongside concerns over price and quality in the context of Southeast Asia earlier. There
are a few reasons behind this problem; firstly, consumers in Southeast Asian markets
tend to be from emerging middle classes, and tend to have lower purchasing power as
opposed to Western buyers. Given that sustainable options are often more expensive
vis-à-vis fast fashion choices, they remain niche products on markets crowded by
unsustainable alternatives. To respond to this issue, one must look towards existing
secondhand initiatives from stores to clothing swaps and grassroot markets. Indeed,
given the popularity of secondhand shopping in the Philippines, or the underground
night markets of Thailand, not to mention clothes swapping and the proliferation of
sustainable innovation driven by designers in Singapore, one hardly needs to reinvent
the wheel. In many countries, solutions are already present – they only need to be
adequately identified and supported to encourage their mainstreaming.
Secondly, fashion is not only a matter of calculations evaluating price, quality nor
sustainability; it is a matter of culture and self-expression. Therefore, the relation
between production and consumption becomes a complex, interactive process, which
does not always follow economic rationalities. Primarily, fashion is a matter of culture,
reflected in the ways with which we assign symbolic value to clothing that we wear,
seeking to assimilate to surrounding cultural fields, but also a way to express our
191
62
perceptions of ourselves192. The methods that one chooses to express one’s cultural
surroundings, socioeconomic status (or, aspired status), current trends and
imaginaries of social media are all reflected in fashion. Hence, it should be discussed
and studied as a social phenomenon, as opposed to treating garments as a matter of
consumer rationalities. This is particularly true given evidence of sustainable
consumerism discussed previously, which revealed how individuals construct their
own fuzzy models of sustainability to navigate the complex landscape of the fashion
industry, characterized by information, misinformation, lack of transparency and
competing corporate interests, all clashing against one another. Moreover, when such
problems are combined with the complexities sustainable fashion consumers face,
simplistic efforts targeting recycling or fabric selection in consumer engagement are
likely to fall short, inspiring only limited commitment193. In other words, fashion mirrors
the social field it remains embedded in, and thus, is equally complex to understand.
Here, a question arises; how, then, can sustainable consumer behavior be

mainstreamed at the individual level? One of the most effective ways to raise
awareness and influence consumers would be to focus on education. Given how
closely clothes are associated to our everyday lives, integrating sustainable fashion into
curricula (as part of the wider efforts seeking to integrate sustainability) would provide
a tangible example for students to grasp, especially at the lower levels of education.
Seeing one’s personal impacts to the world through the lens of clothing could provide
a new avenue for transforming sustainability from a niche industry to a majority one.
Education is also important given the proliferation of misinformation and
greenwashing. To navigate this fractured landscape of profit-driven corporations
seeking to influence the consumer, individuals themselves must have the capacity to
assess whether or not companies are performing as well in reality as they advocate
through marketing194. Therefore, education is one of the first and foremost methods to
encourage changes in the fashion industry, alongside more transparent
communication from retailers which highlights sustainability that is approachable and
enjoyable to the buyer195.
Reputable brands can also influence and educate the customers, assuming that they
are enforcing transparency of their initiatives and supply chains. Indeed, emotional
appeal and storytelling approaches regarding sustainable production (when combined
with actual data) could increase a customer’s engagement with the brand196, and
192
Crane, D. and Bovone, L. ‘Approaches to Material Culture: The Sociology of Fashion and Clothing’, Poetics,
vol. 34, no. 6, 2006, pp. 319-333
193
Bly,, S., Gwozdz, W. and Reisch, L. A., p. 133
194
Kusá, A. and Urmínová, M. ‘’Communication as a Part of Identity of Sustainable Subjects in Fashion’, Journal
of Risk and Financial Management, vol. 13, no. 305, 2020, p. 8 (pp. 1-16).
195
ibid. p. 9-10
196
Amritha, B. And Suresh, K., ‘Sustainability is the New Black: Exploring Website Communication Practices of
Indian Sustainable Fashion Brands’, Fashion Style & Popular Culture, vol. 7, no. 4, 2020, pp. 539-558
63
increase their knowledge of the state of the wider industry. On the other hand,
awareness can be raised through unconventional means; from art installations used
by Redress to public protests and online campaigns, sustainable fashion can gain
traction from initiatives driven by NGOs and people themselves. Therefore, one must
keep an eye out for the grassroots as well – revolutions occur everywhere, even if in
microscale. Such momentum can promote reforms in the fashion industry; this has
been witnessed over history in the case of underground movements from hippies to
punks and, paradoxically, anti-fashion movements that can become fashionable on
their own197. Given the magnitude of global issues with regards to the climate crisis and
social injustices, there is no reason why one should not consider sustainable fashion
as one of the largest trend-shifts ever to occur in the fashion industry – a shift it must
embrace if it hopes to survive.
197
Ertekin, Z. O. and Atik, D., ’Sustainable Markets: Motivating Factors, Barriers and Remedies for Mobilization
of Slow Fashion’, Journal of Macromarketing, vol. 35, no. 1, 2015, p. 54-55 (pp. 53-69)
64
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FASHION

- Chu Wong, Country Coordinator (Fashion Revolution Singapore)

THE TIME FOR

Therefore, the issue of sustainability

Generally, consumer interests extend well beyond environmental impacts to social

2.2 GREENWASHING: BEYOND THE LAUNDERED VENEER

The typology of greenwashing often involves misrepresenting products themselves, or

2.3 TRANSPARENCY INDICES

3.1 TRANSNATIONAL AGREEMENTS AND GOVERNMENT

Governments have excelled in driving progress without engaging in transnational

Figure 7. The 3% Mountain, picture by Redress68

While transnational agreements and government activities remain important, NGOs

Ellen McArthur Foundation is another important contributor to the sustainable fashion

Figure 8. Circular fashion system, stylized from Eileen Fisher77

3.4 AT THE GRASSROOTS: ARTISANS, DESIGNERS AND

Finally, customers as individuals are fundamental contributors to sustainable change.

Perhaps subconsciously, studies and research dedicated to fashion

The region also comprises important manufacturing countries. For instance,

Market research studies conducted by Nielsen have consistently highlighted a trend

IN GENERAL, HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT THE

BRIGHTER consumption, for there is certainly an

SOUTHEAST In the future, it is hoped that the

REVOLUTION. seeking to balance convenience and

The government has responded to the concerns regarding cascading impacts of

As a response to increased awareness, ready-to-wear labels and boutique shops

Locally produced fabrics and materials

Yet, drivers of change are emerging among the complicated assemblage of

However, approximately 90% of all labor involved in the garment industry

For example, Mith Samlanh’s Home-Based Production Project, launched in 2005,

Ethical production (e.g. fair wages for textile workers,

Environmental impact (e.g. carbon emissions, dye water

Current trends 2,42

Durability/Fabric quality 4,45

0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 5

Factors influencing clothes purchases. Figure 11 show that respondents tend to

Figure 12: Frequency of researching brand’s sustainability before purchasing

Researching brand sustainability. When asked about their frequency of researching a

Don't buy sustainable clothes 8%

Clothes swaps 10%

Offline second-hand shops 17%

Peer-to-peer shops(e.g. Carousell/Instagram posting) 18%

Large multibrand retailers (E.g.ASOS/Zalora/Lazada) 7%

Large brand retailers(e.g. Zara, H&M, Uniqlo) 13%

>50% more 4,5872%

(up to) 50% more 8,7156%

(up to) 30% more 11,927%

(up to) 20% more 27,523%

(up to) 10% more 26,606%

(up to) 5% more 10,55%

(up to) 2% more 1,376%

(up to) 1% more 0%

Sustainable sourced materials

Workers are paid a fair living wage

Safe working conditions

Transparency about supply chains

The most important sustainability factors. Disaggregating the broad term of

Figure 17. Proportion of participants that have participated in clothes swaps

Adaptation strategies. Environmentally conscious consumers are finding adaptation

“An increase of 10% in second-hand clothing sales could

“10,000 liters of water are used in the making of a pair

“By 2030, it’s expected that there will be 148 million

“The fashion industry (including apparel and footwear)