• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, December 7, 2020

In the latest sign that fast fashion is in a fight for its life, Topshop has gone bust. And while much of the disruption is due to pandemic store closures, the underlying problem isn’t going away: Fast fashion is a filthy business. Younger consumers are looking for more sustainable ways to get dressed each day.

H&M is intensifying its sustainability efforts, determined to prove to younger consumers that it wants to do better.

Ads for its just-unveiled H&M Conscious Exclusive A/W20 collection give new meaning to the treasures-from-trash approach. In recent weeks, other efforts include hiring a new head of sustainability, an expanded partnership with Renewcell, a textile recycling company, and news that its Monki brand is the first to recycle blended fibers at scale.

These efforts may not be enough. A new report from the Circular Fashion Summit reports 36% of consumers vowing to spend less on clothing, in part because of the pandemic. And when they do buy, millennials and Gen Z consumers say they are working harder to make better-for-the-planet choices. 

Much of that is driven by the growing awareness of just how destructive fashion is. While fashion and apparel are a $3 trillion market worldwide, $500 billion in clothing is either never worn or wasted in the U.S. alone, according to the report. 

The number of times a garment is worn has fallen 36% in the last 15 years, and every second, a garbage truck full of textile waste is either dumped into a landfill or burned. Overall, 85% of all textiles wind up in landfills.

Younger consumers are looking for better choices in circular fashion, which tackles problems from many angles, such as reselling and renting used garments, subscription platforms, better recycling and improved manufacturing processes.

For them, the goal is buying less and buying better, which is the exact opposite of the fast-fashion business model.

In the report, 45% say they make efforts to avoid plastic whenever possible, and 43% say they expect businesses to be accountable for their impact on the environment. And 76% of young consumers say clothing labels are the most effective way to communicate a garment’s impact.

H&M’s new collection continues its efforts to make recycled items pretty, aiming for an edgy kind of glam. It includes evening gowns in “black and green jacquard taffeta, yellow jacquard or festooned with dusty green flowers.” And for menswear, there’s a classic tuxedo. 

Accessories include jewelry from recycled metals. Sunglasses are partly made from waste biomass, organic materials that can consist of crops and seaweed. Shoes are crafted from vegan leather, which wine by-products.

Two of its stores, in Stockholm and Berlin, are renting the items.

In its most recent results, released in October, H&M reported a 16% decline in net sales, covering a period when 900 of its 5000 stores closed due to the pandemic.

It says the rapid changes in customer behavior, especially around sustainability, have been accelerated by COVID-19.

“Demand for good value, sustainable products is expected to grow in the wake of the pandemic, and our customer offering is well positioned for this,” says Helena Helmersson, CEO, in its announcement. “We are now accelerating our transformation work so that we continue to add value for our customers.” 

Arcadia, the parent company of Topshop and Miss Selfridge, filed for bankruptcy earlier this week.