Careers in Sustainable Fashion: Where is the Industry Headed?

By Jairo Ayala

Careers in sustainability are growing quickly, and the fashion/apparel industry is no exception. According to LinkedIn’s 2022 Global Green Skills Report, “Sustainable Fashion” was the fastest growing green skill globally with a demand increase of 90.6% from 2016-2020. Many traditional jobs within the industry, such as fashion design and merchandising, are increasingly applying sustainability to their practices. Similarly, more and more apparel brands are implementing practices that are socially responsible and better for the environment.

Over the last few years, sustainable fashion has become a fast growing global movement influenced by many disciplines including policy, education, research, psychology, business, and design. As the industry continues to flourish, careers in sustainable fashion are expanding and so are opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. This is great news for those thinking of pursuing a career in sustainable fashion, making a career pivot, and even current industry professionals.

Here are a few examples of careers in sustainable fashion and where we can expect them to go in the future.

Research & Education

Research and education are both key to advancing sustainable practices. A 2020 research report published in the European Journal of Marketing, identified and analyzed roughly 500 research reports on ethical/sustainable fashion that were published from 2008-2019. The study found that research in this area is steadily increasing with the majority of studies focusing on consumer behavior and supply chains. Furthermore, this report identified “sustainable consumption and production (SC&P)” as an emerging field of research. With the rapid demand for sustainable practices in the fashion industry, further developments in research are critical.

Many global fashion educators, such as the University of Arts London, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, focus on advancing education in sustainable fashion and addressing the gaps that exist in research. Similarly, organizations like the Ellen Macarthur Foundation create evidence-based research around circularity and work towards advancing knowledge around the benefits of a circular economy in academia.

More and more fashion schools are implementing curriculums that include sustainable design and are teaching the next generation of designers the importance of circular design. This creates many opportunities for those with an interest in scientific research or education to get involved in the sustainable fashion movement.

Policy, Advocacy and NGOs

Within the last few years, we have seen significant advances in policy aimed at addressing the exploitations of garment workers. The passing of The Garment Worker Protection Act (SB62) in September 2021, addressed wage-theft in the fashion industry and made California the first state to require hourly wages for garment workers. The passing of SB62 catalyzed developments in fashion policy and influenced the introduction of bills like the Fashioning Accountability and Building Real Institutional Change, or FABRIC, Act. With 195 current endorsements, The FABRIC Act aims to protect nearly 100,000 American garment workers while investing in domestic apparel production.

Developments in policy are possible thanks to many NGOs actively advocating for transformative change and creating accountability within the industry. Additionally, the surge of non-profit organizations and online communities that advocate for change within the industry has been critical to the success of developments in policy. A few notable non-profits include:

If you are interested in policy, advocacy work, or are passionate about the well-being of communities, consider a career in sustainable fashion. There are many ways to get involved now, such as signing the FABRIC act and #PayYourWorkers petitions, or joining Remake’s Ambassador Program. Although notable advances have been made, there is much to be done to continue to transform the fashion industry at socio-political level.

Retail & Apparel Brands

As consumers demand for sustainability grows, an increasing number of apparel companies have begun to implement sustainability into their corporate strategies. Similarly, large retail and apparel businesses have begun taking a closer look at their supply chains and have developed target goals surrounding their carbon footprints. Despite these well-intentioned efforts, most large retail companies struggle to produce significant change in these areas.

According to Remake’s 2022 Fashion Accountability Report, only three out of 58 large retail companies showed notable progress in reducing their overall carbon footprint in line with their proposed target goals in 2021. Furthermore, greenwashing continues to be prominent among these larger companies and progress for authentic sustainability is slow.

Luckily, companies like Textile Exchange and Apparel Impact Institute, work towards improving supply chains within the fashion and textile industries. These organizations work closely with different sectors within supply chains, such as farming and material sourcing, to promote practices that ensure social and ecological well-being.

In response to consumer demands, many fashion brands, such as Nisolo and Reformation, have developed professional roles specific to managing partnerships within their supply chains and creating their sustainability strategies. Examples of job titles in this area include, “Sustainable Sourcing Manager, Sustainable Product Developer, and Sustainability Manager”. Careers in this area can be expected to continue to rise as retail brands search for innovative ways to meet their sustainability goals.

Entrepreneurship

Transforming the fashion industry will require more than focusing on large retail brands and improving supply chains. Innovative entrepreneurs and business models are needed to counter the negative effects of fast fashion and promote a culture of sustainability.

Over the last few years, practices like upcycling, resale, and zero waste have gained popularity. Similarly, communities centered around slow fashion and mending/repair have grown. Consequently, many entrepreneurs have developed brands, programs, and other businesses that implement these philosophies.

Some examples include brands like AGAATI, a platform that uplifts eco-artisanal design and provides customers with handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. Other organizations like Custom Collaborative, empower immigrant women by teaching them the skills to set up their own sustainable fashion brands. Designs made by creators at Custom Collaborative are made using 100% repurposed textiles.

Businesses like AGAATI and Custom Collaborative are perfect examples of how innovative entrepreneurship can provide consumers with alternatives to fast fashion and promote a culture of conscious consumption.

Green entrepreneurship is growing faster than overall entrepreneurship both in the U.S. and worldwide. If you are interested in building your own startup or sustainable fashion brand, check out our TFC Resource Library, a resource guide tailored for startups in sustainable fashion!

Communications and Marketing

Startups and apparel brands need communications and marketing teams to operate. Consumers are relying heavily on social media to discover fashion brands and a growing number of brands communicate their sustainability efforts to consumers primarily through their social media channels.

Many sustainable fashion NGOs and educational online communities, such as Conscious Fashion Collective and Conscious Life & Style, create blogs and other social media content aimed at educating the public on issues related to ethical fashion.

There are many opportunities for marketing and creative individuals to be part of the industry. Some example roles include:

Market Researchers
Brand Ambassadors
Social Media Strategists
Marketing/Communications Coordinators
Advertising Consultants
Content Creators
Freelance Writers & Journalists
Graphic Designers
Web Developers

The Bottom Line

With industry demands for green skills increasing and worldwide focus on improving our current fashion industry, the field is in need of passionate, innovative, professionals. Although demand for green skills is growing, there is a shortage of workers who hold these skills. This means there is much opportunity for people in relevant industries to join the movement and for students to pursue careers in sustainable fashion.

Join our platform and check out our job board for frequently updated job postings within the industry.