Green, But So Murky

Fashion loves the term sustainable. Fashion schools are wary of it. You should be too. Here's why

- Sneha Krishnan

Go on, let those eyes roll. The subject of sustainability refuses to die, doesn't it? The very word is now so baffling, so loaded, that in fashion schools, academics are insisting that students not use it unless they know exactly that it means.

What does it mean, anyway? Certainly, humans are becoming more aware of their impact on the planet. We know, for instance, that the fashion industry is the world's second biggest pollutant. There are efforts towards changing that. The why is clear. The how? That's murkier territory.

● It's complicated.

Our environmental mess is too big to hide behind a single word. So, in fashion, sustainable also includes circular (recycling materials and processes), conscious (a green option where one is available), ethical (mindful of human and animal life involved), biodegradable (avoiding landfill pile-ups) and so on. The terms start to trip over each other pretty quickly.

● And it's connected.