Here's the breakdown.
In the fashion world, there has been an increase in brands moving towards more sustainable and ethical fashion. What exactly does that mean you might ask? Unfortunately, because the terms “sustainable and ethical fashion” aren’t clear cut, they are oftentimes used interchangeably. This allows for fashion brands to use them without accountability.
Abbott wants our customers to understand exactly what we mean when we say we are a sustainable and ethical brand. Sustainability applies to environmental concerns, while Ethical to socio-economic concerns.
Sustainable Fashion
The fashion industry’s impact on the environment is seen through water consumption, waste generation, and pollution. In addition, fashion revolves around continuous production which is fundamentally unsustainable.
For this reason, Abbott strives to be a MORE sustainable brand by being transparent, and by reducing the environmental effects of the product life cycle. At Abbott, we use alpaca as our choice of fibre for our scarves. Alpaca satisfies the requirements of being eco-friendly and carbon neutral. The fibre is found in 22 natural shades. This range of colour minimizes the need for dyeing, a process that contributes 17-20% of industrial water pollution (Kant, 2011). Also, unlike sheep fleece, alpaca doesn’t contain lanolin or grease; therefore, chemicals used to wash the fibre aren’t as harsh and intensive, and chemical baths are not required (CFDA). By using alpaca fibre, Abbott offers beautiful, luxurious scarves that have a minimal environmental footprint.
Ethical Fashion
Ethical fashion on the other end, is a term that refers to the treatment of people throughout the product life cycle. It ensures safe and healthy work environments, fair wages, fair treatment of workers, and absolutely no child labour.
Abbott’s scarves are woven by South American artisans who earn fair wages and live in healthy communities. We are committed to respecting people, communities, and resources throughout the supply chain. Abbott is committed to enforcing policies on child and forced labour and thereby is vigilant in overseeing our full supply chain.
Written by Lola Oduymei
