‘Built for years, not for seasons’: Why Patagonia believes going out of fashion is good for business

euronews (in English)

While many clothing companies chase trends and aim for sky-high sales, Patagonia - which has made Earth its sole shareholder - swims against the tide.

Transcript

00:00We keep talking about the notion of, how do we become more responsible?

00:04How do we look at sustainability in a different way?

00:06And I think the reality is that the way the climate crisis continues to accelerate and

00:12the way that we're pacing in order to achieve our targets is very scary.

00:15And I think the way that brands are reacting in terms of what they're making,

00:20how they're instilling quality, how they're having a relationship with

00:24our customer in terms of what they buy, why they buy, where they buy.

00:29And thinking about quality as part of the narrative on the onset needs to be reinforced

00:34because there's too much, I'd say, product that's being made for obsolescence.

00:40Fast fashion plays a role.

00:43Knowing the impact that the apparel industry has, 10% of all CO2 emissions come from apparel.

00:48And so literally, how do we educate our customer to buy less, buy better,

00:54choose quality, extend the life of the products that they own?

00:57And in many cases, the most responsible product is the one they already have.

01:01How do they repair it?

01:02How do they care for it?

01:03And how do they extend the end use?

01:05We have a campaign running right now called Unfashionable.

01:08And essentially, where we are reinforcing our values that our product are built for years,

01:13not for seasons.

01:14We're not chasing the latest trend.

01:15We're not chasing the latest craze or something that's happening in terms of

01:19color or print or pattern or influencer.

01:22That's not what we're about.

01:24And the impact that the fast fashion industry is having on designing for

01:27obsolescence at the onset to chase the trend is destroying the planet.

01:32We often say that we don't call the fashion industry out.

01:34We want to call them in.

01:36How can we educate them and help them make this transition to being more responsible

01:40and instilling more of a quality mindset into the things that they're making?

01:44And fashion can exist in a responsible way if they're thinking about it in terms of

01:48minimizing their impact and being more responsible as it relates to their supply chain

01:53and what they source and why they make what they do.

01:56And that longer relationship with the customer is an opportunity for them.

01:59We know that customers align with brands that also are symbiotic with their own values.

02:05And so being transparent about what we do, whether it's in product or it's product activism

02:10or our sports or in viral activism, those things are really important in terms of

02:14making sure the customer knows that there's an opportunity for them to engage.

02:18One, it's what they buy and how they buy.

02:20But then two, how do they, as we say, how do we get our customer on this activism journey

02:26to want to be involved in saving the home planet?

02:29And that can start with consumption, but it can also start with action.

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