Beyond Fashion Forward: Weaving Ethics, Sustainability, and Accountability into the Fabrics of the Fashion Industry
How Italy and France are Tackling Fashion’s Future from Opposite Ends
For a few years now, I’ve noticed within myself a kind of fatigue—a weariness toward fashion consumption. Over the past five years, I’ve consistently gotten rid of more things than I’ve acquired, as if driven by an inner urge not just to declutter my space, but to quiet my mind. To a point, whenever I am about to make a purchase, or even when I am asked what I want for birthdays and holidays, I think mostly about only three things:
Does it take up unnecessary space?
For how long will it retain its value?
Can I live without it?
And to be honest, most fashion pieces struggle to meet these criteria.
Still, from time to time, I find myself wandering through shops out of curiosity, running my hands across racks of garments that feel increasingly uncomfortable to touch—synthetic, poorly made, and carelessly produced, no matter the price tag. They come from faraway places—often developing countries. And I can’t help but trace their invisible footprints: from a crowded factory to a bustling port, to a vast storage facility, and finally to a sleek boutique shelf. Within the blink of an eye, they’re paraded on an influencer’s feed. And then—just like that—it’s over. Another trend consumed and discarded.
Behind that fleeting moment lies a chain of labour, exploitation, and environmental degradation. Italy and France are tackling these issues from different ends of the fashion spectrum: Italy’s luxury industry faces judicial scrutiny for labour abuses in its exclusive supply chains, while France’s government has enacted bold legislation targeting the mass-market ultra-fast fashion giants responsible for overproduction and waste. Together, their efforts frame a comprehensive challenge to the fashion industry’s status quo — and point to radically different levers for reform.
The Italian Illusion of Luxury
When we think of luxury fashion — artisanal, timeless, meticulously crafted — Italian brands often define the standard. Names like Loro Piana, Gucci, Armani, and Saint Laurent are synonymous with craftsmanship and exclusivity. But recent judicial investigations in Italy have pulled back the curtain, revealing that luxury's pristine image is sometimes upheld by invisible labour exploitation.
In 2024, Milan’s Public Prosecutor began probing Italian fashion houses — including subsidiaries of LVMH and Kering — for subcontracting to suppliers in Tuscany and Lombardy that underpaid immigrant workers, many from China or South Asia, who worked in unsafe conditions and slept in factory basements. Loro Piana was among the brands named in reports, but they are far from alone.
The irony is sharp: luxury pricing has long justified itself through promises of sustainability and ethical labour. But this illusion collapses if the supply chain itself mirrors the same exploitative structures used by fast fashion — only hidden behind a €5,000 cashmere coat.
France Takes on Fast Fashion
In contrast to Italy’s legal reckoning, France has taken a legislative approach — and fast fashion is squarely in the crosshairs. In March 2024, the French government announced plans to ban advertising for ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu, with additional penalties for excessive production, unsold inventory, and carbon-heavy distribution models.
This move is not just about consumer choice; it’s about systemic change. France is positioning itself as a leader in responsible fashion policy, tying environmental harm to overconsumption and signaling that industrial-scale production at breakneck speed is incompatible with climate goals.
The French model recognizes that we cannot rely on individual behaviour change alone. While education and awareness are important, regulation is what ultimately shifts markets. France’s stance signals a broader EU ambition to legislate against the environmental cost of overproduction — something the fashion industry has long externalized.
The Invisible Threads of Influence
And then there are the influencers — the engine of fashion’s digital visibility. For many, especially younger creators or those from marginalized backgrounds, fashion content has become the most accessible way to enter the creator economy. A fast outfit change, a trending song, and a few well-lit seconds on TikTok can open doors to monetization and visibility.
The demand for constant newness — hauls, try-ons, brand partnerships — traps creators in the same consumption cycle, even as they, too, may feel a growing sense of unease. Many of them are not the villains of the story; they are surviving inside the only system available to them.
Ironically, the same algorithms that reward excess and novelty also increasingly punish nuance, repeat wears, or slower content. As long as virality and profitability hinge on disposable aesthetics, even well-meaning creators remain caught in the loop.
A Stitch in Time: Localized Ateliers and the Path Forward
So, what’s the alternative? Can fashion be ethical, sustainable, and desirable — without becoming elitist or inaccessible?
There’s growing momentum behind localized, small-scale ateliers — independent makers, repair shops, and slow fashion studios that prioritize ethical sourcing, long-term wear, and human-scaled production. These players don’t just reduce carbon footprints; they offer an antidote to mass production by embedding care, skill, and transparency into every piece.
Still, scaling this model beyond niche markets is not without challenges. Price points are higher, supply is slower, and education is required to shift consumer expectations. But perhaps the future of fashion is not about scale in the traditional sense — it’s about recalibrating value: valuing durability over novelty, people over platforms, and transparency over illusion.
Beyond the Rack
Fashion is both personal and political — a mirror of our time. What we wear touches everything: labour rights, climate change, gender expression, body politics, and digital culture.
The cases unfolding in Italy and France show that both luxury and fast fashion must confront the same fundamental questions: Who makes our clothes? Under what conditions? At what cost to the planet and people?
Sustainable fashion isn’t just about what we wear—it’s about how we see, consume, and connect. The reform of fashion will not be televised, but perhaps it will be stitched—quietly, locally, and ethically—by hands that are finally treated with dignity.
Beyond fashion forward, there’s fashion accountable. That’s the thread worth following.