H&M: We must make fast fashion more sustainable

Speaking on a panel with Paul Smith, head of sourcing and product technology at Missguided, and Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion Enter, Brun told delegates attending the second day of Drapers Sustainable Fashion that it is vital the fashion industry takes a holistic approach to sustainability.

“We are on a journey to transform the industry into a circular model- it is not about can we do it, it is about how to do it. It is about taking a holistic approach on circularity and pushing the agenda on setting goals that are ambitious enough. For H&M is it not a choice, it is our responsibility to change it.”

Smith said Missguided’s focus on placing small orders helps the etailer minimise waste when launching a new product: “We work on a test-repeat-maximise model so we go in with a small order and quickly see how that sells and if there is a substantial demand, we will maximise on that.

“We have done a lot of work on minimising packaging, it is to the bone. All plastic dispatch sacks are made from 100% recycled material.”

Discussing how retailers can ensure the fair treatment of suppliers Holloway said it is key to build a strong client/supplier relationship, and called for retailers to not solely rely on audits to ensure suppliers are performing ethically and sustainably: “I’ve been on both sides of the fence [as a former senior buyer] We don’t need lots of auditing [as a manufacturer], we don’t need a stream of people coming into our factories making sure we are doing the right thing, if retailers have a relationship with their factories they will know that are doing the right thing.

“You have to trust each other, this is about being joined at the hip and having grown up conversations."

Both Brun and Smith agreed that the price of fast fashion will see a gradual increase.

"Prices will go up in a controlled and sustainable way," said Smith. "Globally the prices of everything are increasing. We have managed to maintain pricing because we are not running a store estate. We have also been very speculative in the past, because our quantities are small and once it is gone it is gone. Our business is growing, we are growing globally so our order quantity is growing."

Brun said: “Sustainability is an investment and is definitely something that brands are investing in. The cost of making that investment will have to be felt somewhere in the business, it is up to brands to decide where those costings go.

"If sustainability is a luxury for the few then we won't be able to transform the industry, we won't be able to turn a negative impact into a positive impact. With our size comes our responsibility. Our size and scales enables us to democratise sustainable fashion.”