The Outside View: The Cool Factor of Sustainability

Society is quickly redefining what it means to be chic, fashionable, or edgy in our evolving world. The coolness of luxury used to be linked to excess and exclusivity. Bigger was better. Greed was commonplace to a certain extent and our clothing reflected that. There were no limits on what we could have in fashion — synthetic chemicals provided neon-colored dyes whose unnatural hues exist nowhere within a rainbow’s spectrum. Similarly, we designed polyesters to perform in ways no natural fiber ever could. When it became “cool” for denim to look lived-in, we even engineered and streamlined the destruction of brand new textiles. When we wanted to offer everyday, accessible cashmere or fur, no one said no — desperate suppliers filled the orders at rock-bottom prices no matter what it took. Trends galloped from runway to storefront, leaving us dizzy and manic. We couldn’t expect to continue that trajectory without losing balance or resources.  Of course, hindsight is 20/20: the excess in our closet mirrors the waste that’s been piling up in our atmosphere, waterways, and even in our backyards (though disproportionately more in those of the developing countries where the bulk of our apparel is produced.) We are in the

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