Patagonia’s Biggest Step Towards Environment Reveals Conscious Fashion Is The Only Choice The Industry Has
You may never know this, but our planet is paying the cost of our stylish closet. With annual surveys that put the disclaimer of the ending world through alarming numbers, fashion industry is definitely serving to our style needs and taking up the largest share in landfills. Accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions, and close to 5,00, 000 tons of microfibres that litter our oceans, the fashion industry takes the second spot in the list of polluters. And while many brands have fashioned their way out, with conscious and environmentally-sound clothing, some are using green has a mere trend tag.
But one important step towards the survival of mother Earth has been taken by popular American retail brand–Patagonia. Last evening, the owner of the clothing company made some important announcements regarding the brand’s new shareholders and stakes. Billionaire retailer Yvon Chouinard has decided to give up his name to a non-government organisation, fighting the crisis of climate change. Making Earth its only shareholder, Patagonia has offered its 100 per cent of non-voting stocks to NGO–Holdfast Collective.
Hey, friends, we just gave our company to planet Earth. OK, it’s more nuanced than that, but we’re closed today to celebrate this new plan to save our one and only home. We’ll be back online tomorrow.https://t.co/fvRFDgOzVZ
— Patagonia (@patagonia) September 14, 2022
Being one of the very few names that strive to deliver purpose-driven products, the eco-conscious label has always been a trendsetter for its fellow names in the business. Many have already witnessed the biggest efforts by the American company that was founded in the year 1973, making it the torchbearer of conscious clothing. Retailing outdoor apparel and equipment, the label has contributed its share to the ‘save our earth’ mission through its thought-provoking marketing strategies and products that remain less of a burden to our land. The journey of Patagonia towards Earth-loved clothes started in the year 1993, when it became the first company to introduce fleece made out of plastic bottles. Later in 2017, the brand also worked towards offers that encouraged customers to bring their old clothes and win a credit note in return, followed by recycling hubs to keep the longevity of fabric intact. This also helped in reducing the pile of unused clothes that take up the largest spot in our closets. What also adds to Patagonia’s applaudable promotional schemes was teaching its consumer the joy of repair. Endorsing the idea of ‘patch of honour’ the brand educates the consumers to keep their torn/used clothes in play, by trying DIY patch work techniques, or sending them to the labels for repair, instead of filling the landfills in exchange of a brand new one.
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Instead of “going public,” you could say we’re “going purpose.” Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth.
Read Yvon's letter at https://t.co/TolGLfHEGG
— Patagonia (@patagonia) September 14, 2022
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Also Read: This Earth Day, Make A Note Of These Indian Eco-Conscious Brands To Shop From
Besides their years-long tie-ups with environment protection NGOs, and sales-led donation camps, the company genuinely has displayed its belief in the ‘less is more’ ideologies. This is a rare bread amongst the long list of fashion’s favourite giants. And while the company valued at about $3 billion, has always been a pioneer in making fashion both sustainable and less a threat to Earth, it still stands at a point where giving up is the only way out. A statement issued by Chouinard read as “We needed to find a way to put more money into fighting the crisis while keeping the company’s values intact.” Besides being an environment advocate, Yvon Chouinard believes in bringing the change that the world is hoping for.
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This step toward the planet is a sign that the crisis is much worse than one can ever imagine. Leading by example, Patagonia may have given up its shares to Mother Earth, but a million other fast-producing fashion houses are yet to lend their hand in the change. What also makes a company a servant to nature, is its conscious customer base. So, the baton is now in our hands.
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