The fashion industry is coming up with new looks in garments and accessories across the globe. Behind the glamourous mirror of the fashion industry, there is a dark side to some challenges. Let’s be of environmental exploitation, labor exploitation, and related to resources. Due to the increasing awareness of the effects of global warming, the fashion industry is trying to focus on ethical and eco-friendly sustainable products. The fashion brands in this journey face various issues from production to designing and more.
Namrata and Saubhagyaa share with you some challenges faced by Vincitore Lifestyle:
- Sustainable Supply of Raw Materials- The production flow of any fashion company depends on the supply of raw materials. The cost of transforming and treating the raw materials for new fabrics and design lines is becoming a big challenge for the fashion industry. The scenario will not change unless technology becomes part of recycling fabrics and garments. Another challenge is the dependency of garment manufacturers and suppliers for raw materials. Due to various reasons, manufacturers either do not get raw materials on time, the degraded quality of the materials, or the issues with material sourcing and shortages.
- Environmental and Health Issues- After the oil industry,the fashion industry ranks high in environmental challenges, like the cotton industry. Cotton production needs pesticides that prove to be health hazards for people. Cotton cloth manufacturing requires a good quantity of water, leading to droughts in nearby areas. Another issue is poisonous waste from textile dyeing. It is flushed directly into rivers used for personal purposes by locals and irrigation for food crops. The textile industry is extensively responsible for carbon emissions. Though many companies are upcoming as eco-friendly brands, they are taking it challenging to deal with environmental issues.
- Technology in the Fashion Industry- eco-fashion or sustainable fashion means recirculating or recycling clothing. The concept refers to the designing and producing such that a manufacturer can circulate in their most usable form. When no longer in use, they can decompose naturally. Due to the lack of technological solutions, the factories do not recycle most garments and struggle to utilize recyclable products. The fashion industry must show its interest in automation and technology for efficient and cleaner production.
- Labor Issues- the poor working conditions of garment workers are another challenging issue in the fashion industry. Employing labor at low wages and compelling them to work for long hours results in manufacturing substandard products for a company. With awareness in the masses about the conditions of the workers, the fashion industry is now facing negative feedback and constant disruption. The workers and consumers demand better working conditions and higher pay. With this transformation, fashion brand manufacturers can overcome the problem.
- Transportation Cost- The planned logistics system, the more streamlined the distribution. But, the increased cost of transportation is becoming a big challenge for garment manufacturers. It is requisite for the fashion houses to maintain their logistics within a specific range. Like, eco-fashion brands need to collect the raw materials from various sources and transport the finished products to the consumer markets through multiple channels. The increasing prices of petrol and diesel are raising the challenge. Though the fashion houses can look forward to the countries with cheaper labor for producing their designs, they again get stifled under a heavy burden on transportation costs. Keeping the logistics and the finished designs in the range are becoming a challenge for the fashion industry.
- The consumers- The fashion industry needs to consider millennials and Gen Z populations. They must look into the factors like methods used to grow and treat the raw materials or the working conditions of the laborers. The new generation wants sustainable and eco-friendly products but at reasonable prices. If the fashion industry wants to face the challenge of consumers’ sentiments, they need to be more focused on producing affordable and sustainable clothing for everyone.
Namrata and Saubhagyaa believe that the fashion industry should use knowledge and technology to manufacture more sustainable clothing. That can help them solve the challenges and improve business productivity and performance.
They at Vincitore Group prepare the fashion students for a changing global economy, consumer preferences, and rapid technological advancement. They help them find a solution for every challenge.
