Sustainable fashion - an oxymoron?

Sustainable fashion - is it just an oxymoron or the goal to be achieved? According to EU Strategy for Circular Textiles, fast fashion will be out of fashion by 2030. Why do we focus on fashion in the context of sustainability? The impact on the environment is, in fact, enormous. It takes a lot of water to produce textile, plus land to grow cotton and other fibers. To make a single cotton t-shirt, 2700 liters of fresh water are required and according to estimates, it is enough to meet one person's drinking needs for 2.5 years. Textile production is estimated to be responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution from dyeing and finishing products. The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions - more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. The way people get rid of unwanted clothes has also changed, with items being thrown away rather than donated. Less than half of used clothes are collected for reuse or recycling, and only 1% of used clothes are recycled into new clothes, since technologies that would enable clothes to be recycled into virgin fibers are only now starting to emerge. The question arises: Are the environmental (and also social) costs of providing us with cheap clothing worth it? As consumers, we all cast our votes. We all make the decisions. However, there's a noticeable attitude-behavior gap among consumers. While our knowledge of the environmental impact of fashion sector is growing, our behaviors are changing slowly. During the industry's transformation, we notice paradox of co-existence of ultra-fast fashion and local craft. At the same time, this transformation opens up space for new ideas, innovations, startups, and business models that can help the sector transition to a circular economy.