THE REWARDS OF RESPONSIBILITY.

In light of last week’s sobering IPCC report on the state of our planet, in combination with the apocalyptic recent visual examples of the destruction we can now expect to see more frequently, the public response from the fashion industry - with which a significant portion of the blame lies - has been deafening in its silence. 

More than ever the way fashion businesses operate, at all levels from value to luxury, are under scrutiny, and the need to discover commercial solutions that can accelerate the transition away from the selfish business practices that the vast majority of brands currently rely on is ever more urgent and necessary.

IPCC 2021 : the human influence on climate change

Of course I accept that this transition will be the hardest project that any brand will ever have undertaken, no question. I write as someone who has worked within global brands when reports of this kind emerge.

As an individual, you may well feel an increased sense of duty.

You will probably experience a surge in motivation to “do the right thing”, and think you are in a position of influence to instigate change from inside the tent.

But believe me.

It’s extremely challenging to go into work the next day, and openly question the very model that your multi-billion dollar company is built on.

The model that pays your wages, subsidises your on-site gym, and (if you’re REALLY lucky) puts free milk in the fridge. It’s on a par with professional blasphemy, and in my personal experience that sort of chat does you no favours in the workplace. Best just keep your head down and crack on.

It is a fundamentally awkward position to be in, usually resulting in passivity and consequently a continuation of the conventional model. Also you’re probably up against urgent deadlines and have a diary full of meetings that serve to deliver on behalf of the model, so where’s the time to take a breath and rethink?

For me, I was only able to take that breath when I stepped off the hamster wheel for a bit, and started to consider what I’d actually been working towards over the last decade. At the same time, I had the timely influence of some literature that helped catalyse some broader thinking.

The literature I’m talking about is the book Let My People Go Surfing, by Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor brand Patagonia. 

Any genuine Sustainable Fashion Gurus reading this are probably groaning at how cliché this all sounds - (“global sportswear brand guy has head turned by Patagonia story - soooo original!”) - but I can honestly say this was the first small, but significant, step of my learning journey about an alternative way to build a brand in our industry.

And for those out there thinking similar thoughts but unsure where they can begin to cut through all the noise, then you could do a lot worse than starting here.

What was immediately striking about the book was the honest tone throughout.

An unforgiving foreword by author & activist Naomi Klein, who says early on “I don’t endorse multinational companies, even “green” ones like Patagonia.”

The continual declarations that nothing that Patagonia makes can be “a totally sustainable non-damaging product”.

The complete transparency regarding their company philosophies on all parts of their operation, among them design, marketing & distribution.

And the result is that within 250 pages, Chouinard lays out a genuine blueprint for how responsible corporate behaviour can go hand-in-hand with turning a profit.

For a cynical, business-oriented mind like mine, conditioned by 10 years of pursuing growth-at-all-costs for multinational companies, it was also compelling reading from a pure commercial point of view.

For one, they’ve been around for nearly 50 years already, and they strategise specifically to ensure they’ll be around for the next 100. What can be more commercial than that?!

But in particular what struck me as commercial is that Chouinard has built a brand that understands how to make itself bulletproof in the most challenging market conditions : and that is all down to purpose.

By putting an authentic purpose at the heart of their communications strategy from day one, and reinforcing it through decades of supporting environmental and political activism, Patagonia has established itself as a trustworthy pillar of unwavering stability.

Consequently this sets them up to survive, and even thrive, in times of crisis.

That’s why, even though they alienated more than 60 million voters in the US through their outspoken stance against Donald Trump’s administration on a number of issues, Patagonia still achieved record sales in each of the first 3 years of his presidency.

Being bold in your words, and aligning your actions accordingly, pays off.

Vote the Assholes Out : Protest Shorts by Patagonia.

There’s a huge amount more to the book than the very select few points that I’ve picked out, so go ahead and get stuck into it - it’s a brilliant story in its own right. And there’s probably no better time to do so than at this very moment with the industry standing at its most pivotal crossroads. 

As we now face into the realities of the threats to our way of life, it’s clear (if it wasn’t already) that drastic course-correction is needed for our industry, and to do that we need solid, proven examples of profitable businesses leading the charge progressively, responsibly & transparently - and Patagonia unquestionably fit the bill.