Successive and…similar Fashion Weeks. That’s a known fact. We are passing from one fashion to another with the seasons, fashion trends that are getting away rapidly as what can be seen in our modern society.

This phenomenon -namely Fast wear or Fast Fashion to describe a cheap fashion with disposable or ephemeral clothing and cluttered wardrobes- is in sharp contrast with a new one…the ‘Slow age’ and its Slow and ethical fashion.

This new-found infatuation for ethical and sustainable trends is more and more entrenched in our daily lives. So that everyone seems to take an ethical approach, in particular ‘traditional’ fashion show where are gathered the most major and famous brands. From the luxury brand to the latest trendy-designer, these fashion shows have turned into private and ultra-selected clubs whose main purpose is obviously to enforce their brand on a market already saturated.

To succeed in traditional or ethical fashion is a real challenge that often ends in failures. But brands know only too well how to use trends to increase their sales.

Obviously the ethical label makes products attractive to sell. Famous brands now benefit from this new trendy concept to adapt their marketing strategy and gradually change their image to the customers who are not well aware of this effort.

Indeed brand image has been broadly damaged for several years: chemical pollutions and releases from denim factories, child labor for footwear manufacture, cut-price and poor quality clothing made in relocated factories…this understanding that fashion was pollutant too and had a serious environmental and human impact has become a new source of concern.

We are far from a complete boycott of these fashion brands which are regularly under the spotlight of Greenpeace or WWF (see the Detox Campaign). But changes have gradually started. We even talk about ‘Green washing’ which consists in giving an eco-friendly image to the audience with the help of expensive advertising campaign and communication policies.

But to be honest, where is the eco-friendly and ethical streak when brands only create a small range of ‘green products’ beside their main collections made from pollutant materials (synthetic fibers, artificial and toxic dyes, usage of pesticides for cotton growing, sanding denim, water for dyes -10 liters of water per 1 kg of textile-…)? If the European countries have made considerable efforts, this is not the case for the textile industries in the developing countries (China, India, Korea, Brazil,  Cambodia, Mexico etc.) where the famous brands have mainly relocated their manufacturing process for lower production costs.

Hypocrisy? Publicity stunt or true will to swing to another fashion? There is no time left for doubt…or choice.