01 / 20 GREEN LIGHT

Diversity, sustainability and authenticity. Three keywords that were in hot water the past year. The decade has passed and you’d think by now, people would have paid attention to the crisis the earth is facing. Not so much of the 20/20 vision you were expecting, weren’t you? The fashion industry continues to thrive despite the constant pressure from activists. On the bright side, the billion-dollar industry has been taking active stances for a more sustaionable future.

In 2019, Sudanese-Aussie super model Adut Aketch won model of the year at the British Fashion Awards. Once a refugee at seven years old, the model appeared in five Vogue covers in a month alone, starred in her first Valentino fragrance campaign and earned a spot on the esteemed Time 100 Next List. On top of that, Filipina model Hannah Locsin walked the runways of Gucci, eventually landing the homegrown stunner the lead role in the Italian brand’s Pre-Fall 2020 campaign. With open arms, diversity is being welcomed at long last.

Is fashion finally becoming sustainable? While there’s a lot of work to be done still, brands have become more proactive and conscious. Adidas has pledged to make more shoes using recycled plastic, H&M and Amazon have both published details about their supply chains, making the brand ethos more transparent and accessible in their production. Upcycling, reworking and reconstruction are all having a moment—coinciding with the new chain of e-commerce stores.

Anything that comes with good intentions will never fail and authenticity is what we should champion as we welcome the New Year.