In an era where sustainability is increasingly positioned as the antidote to the environmental devastation wrought by the fashion industry, a question persists: can fashion be both sustainable and beautiful, without compromise?
More often than not, the imagery associated with sustainable fashion conjures visions of minimalism and practicality, a far cry from the seductive glamour of fashion runways. The prevailing aesthetic of eco-conscious fashion can feel ascetic, austere, even devoid of the sensuality and escapism that define mainstream fashion. Does sustainable fashion necessarily demand a visual tax in exchange for environmental or ethical responsibility?
Historically, beauty in fashion has been intertwined with exploitation. From the silk trade built on colonialism to the sweatshops that fuel fast fashion today, the pursuit of beauty has often relied on an undercurrent of hidden labour and environmental degradation. In fashion, luxury has never been purely about the fabric or the silhouette; it has often been about the ability to distance oneself from the processes that made the garment possible. The seductive, glossy images of high-end fashion are, at their core, built on the myth of distance from the labour involved.
Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction famously argued that the aura of a piece of art or clothing is diminished by the processes of mass production. When fashion became synonymous with industrialization, it divorced beauty from ethical considerations. The result? Beauty became an aesthetic detached from its origins, accessible only to those who could afford to ignore the invisible costs.
In contrast, sustainable fashion seems to embrace visibility in a way that beauty – at least in its traditional sense – avoids. Designers committed to sustainability often opt for ‘raw’, ‘authentic’ visual cues: unpolished fabrics, natural dyes, minimal embellishment, and earth-toned palettes. These choices are often steeped in a narrative of honesty and purity, signalling a rejection of the excesses of fast fashion. Yet, in doing so, sustainable fashion has often embraced an aesthetic of restraint that is sometimes perceived as modest, functional or bland.
Despite these challenges, there are designers and brands that are refusing to surrender beauty in the name of sustainability. Marine Serre, for example, combines futuristic, upcycled materials with bold, eclectic designs that exude glamour. Collina Strada plays with playful, maximalist fashion that embraces colour and pattern, proving that sustainability need not be synonymous with minimalism or sacrifice. Munthe, created by Naja Munthe, was created as an artistic and craft-focused alternative to the contemporary fashion industry.Bode uses reclaimed textiles to craft pieces with rich textures and storytelling, offering a form of maximalism that celebrates sustainability without compromising on luxury or creativity.
One of the greatest challenges to the sustainability movement is the pressure for perfection; there is often a binary established between ‘perfectly sustainable’ and ‘completely unethical’. This creates an environment where sustainable fashion becomes a luxury in itself, only accessible to those who can afford to pay premium prices for verified eco-certifications, labour rights, and organic materials.
The obsession with perfectionism in sustainable fashion can alienate consumers and fashion makers alike. In trying to achieve moral purity, sustainability risks becoming a performative exercise where only the most elite can afford the ‘perfect’ eco-friendly wardrobe. We forget that sustainability exists on a spectrum and that beauty doesn’t need to be synonymous with unattainable ideals.
Rather than resigning ourselves to the notion that sustainable fashion is inherently less beautiful, we must imagine a new vision: one where beauty, creativity, and ethics are not separate, but symbiotic. Sustainable fashion can be vibrant, joyful, and indulgent, a celebration of the planet’s resources rather than their depletion.
