The rising concern for the earth’s environment is leading us towards a turning point in the green fashion (or sustainable fashion) industry. Teenagers and young adults often blend with fashion trends, and they drive sustainability transformation. Meanwhile, the most current generation of youngsters isn’t different. There is something about teenagers’ and young adults’ sense of fashion and attractiveness nowadays. Often, we can see what may seem like too little fabric to wear or look seductively cool, like the female band “Seduction” in the 1980s.
We can also witness interesting fabric designs worn by the current society. Layer upon layer, dancing way back to the 1970s of Abba’s time, bringing back classy looks with a modern spin. Though both technology and society’s fashion tastes are changing, something is interesting about Generation Alpha (Gen Alpha). After all, fashion trends may not be influenced only by public figures, media, or price tags that decide who wears what. The widespread knowledge of climate change and critical thinking of this upcoming generation leaves us with an important question: how much natural cotton or natural silk can we also avoid due to sustainability concerns?
Generation Alpha is living at a time where fashion also means “going green” and “staying sustainable”.
Generation Alpha Revolutionizing Sustainable Fashion
Generation Alpha is a group of people born between the year 2010 to the present date. The term “Alpha” relates to the first generation to be completely immersed in digital technology. Therefore, they are also termed as iGeneration for being the youngest tech savvy society. They are distinguished for their out-of-the-box approach to everything and unique consumer habits.
At least 2 billion people from Gen Alpha will involve themselves in present and future fashion consumption.
While this generation will continue to grow in numbers, the efforts in SDG 12 will continue to increase. Gen Alpha will continue to adapt to greener industries aiming to fulfil the broad SDG goals by the year 2030. Gen Alpha, thus, is becoming more sensitive and attentive towards these goals, leading to increasing global efforts to promote sustainable consumption and production. This is exactly why Gen Alpha fashion trends can have a significant impact on sustainable fashion trends.
Sustainability Meets the Manufacturing Industry
In the manufacturing sector, extensive research has begun. The fashion industry is undergoing a major transformation, fueled by a growing awareness of sustainability and a push for responsible consumption. We are led to make sustainable choices in the fashion market as well as to adopt circular economy approaches. The modern concept of sustainable fashion with a focus on ethical production and eco-friendly materials is more recent, with generations such as both the Millennials and Gen Z are becoming increasingly vocal about eco-friendly products and garments. Specifically in advanced cities advocating circular economy solutions and cities that embrace eco-friendly shopping practices. All these habits and economic scenarios are revolutionizing the fashion sector.
Gen Alpha have improved access to sustainable textiles and garments every day. They are connected digitally to green markets, also playing a key role to influence the world’s environment and business models.
Research and innovation is not the only factors advancing the textile, garment, and fabric industries. Numerous sustainability compliances and policies are tightening the sector for more circular, ethical, and sustainable practices. For example, the European Clothing Action Plan, EU Ecolabel, REACH Regulation, and the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. The existence of these regulations will affect the fashion economy and Gen Alpha’s inclination towards sustainable solutions.
As illustrated, Gen Alpha is set to make a significant impact in the fight against climate change by tackling a minimum of 10% of the carbon emissions generated by the fashion sector. The fashion industry is the second biggest polluter globally, exceeding the emissions from both international air travel and maritime shipping combined. Let us explore the types of future textiles and fabrics available in the green fashion industry:
Top 4 Trending Eco-Fabrics Made Circular
The key terms to remember in the circular economy model are reduce, reuse, recycle, and redesign. We can effectively manage resources to minimize pollutants, prevent waste, and rethink production processes to ensure sustainability and solve global environmental problems.
A finished fashion product contains 98% fibres, from which 73% of fibres are transported to landfills.
Let us have a look at some great examples of the types of fibres and textile properties which are easily bio-degradable:
When Fashion Becomes Resilient, Biodegradable, & Iconic
Researchers have discovered that dried leaves can act as effective chemical compounds to bond with other multifunctional materials, producing bio-products. Scientific evidence shows that these leaves possess remarkably strong properties. Come discover more:
- Imagine yourself comfortably sitting on a bespoke furniture made with dead leaves from autumn trees.
- Or show off your new watch made from cactus or pineapple leaves as available at Treehut.
- Finally, there is a strut of stunning fashion accessories manufactured by a global Australian company, which responsibly sourced leaves from Thailand.
You can also explore more examples of biotech innovation creating bio-fabrics made from banana plant stems, fruit peels, and other deforestation-free resources. Presently, there is a growing number of start-ups and businesses driven by the demand for vegan leather and bio-fabrics. To design high end fashion furniture which also lasts, a thick pile of environmental friendly fibres can be ingeniously weave strand by strand to design a sturdy art piece.
Gen Alpha co-exists in a world where sustainability is embedded in e-commerce. Personalized vegan materials and access to are a must-have for their shopping experience. Their expectations have high standards with an interactive shopping experience provided by traceability information about the textile and fabrics. With these conveniences, together with Gen Alpha, all of us have more retail options. In addition, we are more prone to having a refined taste when selecting unique, sustainable materials to self-express ourselves.
Dress Smarter, Not Harder: Sustainable Fashion Revolution
Yes, we can enjoy smart textiles that are both durable and affordable!
Since 2012, countries like China and New Zealand have been exploring the use of rice straw as a sustainable material for making textiles because of its antibacterial and fire-resistant qualities. Companies found that rice straws can be easily processed to a fine fibre texture, suited to be weaved into elaborated fabrics. From time to time, advanced technology has made breakthrough innovations to utilize other types of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Microorganisms and bacteria can extract CNCs to produce smart textiles at an efficient processing cost. Finally, Oryzite came up with a brilliant way to recycle rice husk to produce apparel accessories like buttons. This shows the fast-growing movement towards smart textiles made from cellulose.
Stay Cozy in Faux Fur With 100% Recycled Fibres
One of the world’s leading faux fur manufacturers and suppliers has attained a positive reputation for introducing an alternative material to natural fur, which is often sold in luxury fashion retailers. High fashion taste consumers now find faux fur to be comparable to genuine fur materials, thanks to its complex production process and snug look. With the result of special finishing touches required to manufacture high-quality faux furs, faux fur often cannot matt easily. For example, here is a company which has a long history of producing such top-quality faux fur.
Gen Alpha Embraces Sustainable Fashion with Bio-Based Fibres
The majority of widely consumed fabric and textile materials cause microplastic pollution in our current situation. For this reason, advanced technology has developed Polyhydroxyalkanoates polymer fibres (PHAs) since year 2021. PHAs can serve as a great biosynthetic alternative to fossil-based fibres. We can consider ignoring conventional synthetic fibres and opting for PHA materials instead. Why not? Given that PHAs have benefits to mitigate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, PHAs can be used to produce bio-based fibre from biomass and carbon capture processes. Surprisingly, in March 2024, a global clothing company decided to delve into PHAs. Trendy global retails are undeniably to eventually retail bio-based textiles and apparel. Gen Alpha’s eco-centric values resonate with this trend.
Gen Alpha Revolutionizes Textile Shopping with Sustainable Choices
To put it another way, Gen Alpha and the present society together will not just embrace “sustainability” as a core value. Subsequently, a sustainability-conscious fashion ecosystem will push all consumers to leave behind organic materials, eradicate a pile of polyesters, or avoid natural materials. The possible positive impact of Gen Alpha increasing the green fashion market would eventually support the global movement to preserve biological diversity. Recalling the origins of natural cotton production, wisely managing land use for cotton crops can affect other ecosystems. While, the circular economy benefits of green fashion mitigates pollution or harmful environmental impact to global wildlife. To conclude, by choosing trendy sustainable alternatives, we can all consume fewer natural resources and be part of the driving force to protect our planet’s ecosystem.
We will definitely keep an eye on more trending materials! So stay tuned and share our article with other fashionistas.
Hi, I am Ariel Toh. Trained in sustainability research from academic institutes, I take meticulous detail to article write-ups. By working with like-minded professionals and companies, I believe we can harness “more sustainability” in the world. I share articles here which suit a wide-profile of audiences seeking valuable information.
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