Vegan - but without a chance? On the role of veganism for fashion companies #vegan
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Hello folks,
after the great feedback on my last posts about the 4-day week and the relationship between the FDP and BSW and the share pension, today I'd like to talk about a topic that some of you may still remember: Veganism.
This time I would like to shed some light on the possible influencing factors on relatively smaller companies such as Beyond Meat and Oatley. As usual, I ask you to be respectful to each other in the comments. Before accusations are made by one of the camps: I don't deal with this binary relationship of meat yes or no when it comes to nutrition, but rather see myself as a "part-time" vegetarian 😊
First of all, I would like to try to answer the following questions:
- What is veganism and what might be currently driving the market around?
- What is the current situation of smaller companies in the vegan sector?
- Is there still a trend towards healthier eating and how does this include veganism?
So I'll start with the first question: what is veganism? Veganism is a phenomenon that people like me often encounter - because I am definitely interested in plant-based products. While researching this article, however, I came across various definitions and self-conceptions. Occasionally, the vegan camp didn't seem to agree on how far veganism goes.
I will therefore start with what is probably the lowest common denominator based on (1), (2) and (3): abstinence from animal substances, whether meat or fish, and all animal products such as milk, butter etc (see (1), (2), (3)).
The differences now begin with the definition of (1), because here veganism also refers to clothes, for example. Yes - the question of leather is clarified relatively quickly. However, the question is raised as to whether the above minimal definition is sufficient for a vegan lifestyle as a summary of the common key data from some sources. Although 90% of fibers worldwide are not of animal origin according to (4), reference is made to the use of wool products, among others. I mention this because the market for vegan fashion is perhaps not as niche as one might think (see (4)).
However, there are definitely problems in this sector too, because despite certain vegan labels on the clothes, the use of polyester as a base material (actually vegan) can lead to pollution via microplastics. If the polyester sweater is washed in the washing machine, microplastics could be released into the environment through the water cycle and thus run counter to the core idea of veganism of protecting nature without animal suffering. In addition, polyester is made from crude oil, but that's all for now in terms of basic understanding of this topic (see ibid., (1), (4), (5)).
Fashion manufacturers may therefore have to pay relatively close attention. Source (6) mentions adhesives of animal origin. This could perhaps mean that a shoe with glued-on ornaments might actually use vegan fabric products or artificial leather, but that auxiliary materials do not. Depending on the vegan label, it would therefore be conceivable that this shoe could receive the "vegan" label if it is interpreted generously or b) if it does not receive it in total if the guidelines are strict. For me, the point here could be whether only a single part of the shoe is being assessed or whether a general label has been awarded. A similar problem is also conceivable with patches on pants, etc. (see (6)).
What could the public perception of veganism in clothing look like and what are the problems here?
In particular (4) shows various celebrities who have apparently discovered vegan fashion for themselves. In addition to Pink, Thomas D. from Fanta 4 is also included in this list. Some celebrities have already launched their own fashion lines for clothes and shoes on the market. In order to maintain this vegan standard, in addition to the "The Vegan Society (...)" seal, there is also a commitment not to allow the entire production process without testing on animals or genetically modified ingredients. Sounds understandable at first, but is not regularly checked by the state or transparently (see (4)).
Another problem with vegan fashion is one that dates back to the early days and in particular characterizes the first step of replacing existing material. This is a point of criticism that I also addressed several times in my last article, albeit in relation to food. Specifically, there is leather and pineapple leather, for example. The latter is supposed to replace leather, but even sources that are positive about veganism point out a problem with this: It probably won't last as long as its original natural product. However, the advantage would be that leather could now also be made from cacti or even mushrooms. (5) cites Adidas and Hermés as examples of companies that would use this ingredient for parts of their products (see (5)).
Does anyone actually make vegan fashion for shoes and how are these companies doing?
In addition to better-known brands that may occasionally make a foray into vegan fashion or convert parts of their product range to vegan basics, there are also core brands in the vegan sector. Well-known examples in this sector are Veja and Stella McCartney, although according to (7) there are now many more brands (see (7)).
- Veja
- Patagonia
- Stella McCartney
So that this article doesn't get too long, I would now like to refer to one of the companies and give my opinion on it. It sounds so simple, but of course it's not. The fashion industry is characterized by a cautious attitude when it comes to its own figures. This sometimes leads to a lack of figures, data and facts to be able to assess a company in detail. In order to remedy this, indices on transparency in the fashion industry have now been created. In my opinion, a cross-reading of these indices reveals a lack of transparency in the supply chain. This doesn't have to be a bad thing at first and can also serve to protect supply chains from being copied. However, the Fashion Transparency Index 2023 shows a value that has never been this high before: 52% (see (8)).
What is this 52%? The hope that DE will become European champion? That I will order pizza tonight?
No - it's actually a novelty in the fashion industry: 52% of the larger fashion chains have disclosed their first tier suppliers. In German, these are most likely first tier suppliers. A simple example: We are a fashion distributor without our own manufacturing and like to slap labels on remotely sourced goods. Only we have warehouses and sales outlets and nothing else production. A retailer who sells us jackets as finished goods could theoretically be a first tier supplier for us. He gives us the finished product (jacket) and we slap our label on it (single production step) and sell it to the market (see (9)).
Admittedly, this is a very simplified example that could perhaps still be discussed. However, it is already clear that if I tell someone where I buy, they could hypothetically do the same. Simple and common practice in some industries. In fashion, on the other hand, the final production step shown is simply the sewing on or attaching of a label in this example. People are familiar with the fashion market, know about the possibly low margins, certain marketing problems when sourcing from certain countries and the balancing act of e-commerce and local stationary retail. I would therefore guess that they are less interested in disclosing data (see (8), (10)).
In order to roughly characterize the market situation for Veja, for example, the source work is therefore a more fundamental and complicated matter than usual.
So that it doesn't get too long, Veja follows in the second part 😊
Are you vegan fashionistas? Does veganism necessarily have to be lived out in fashion? Let me know your opinion in the comments!
I hope you enjoyed it.
Your Bass-T
Sources
(1) https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
(2) https://praxistipps.chip.de/vegan-definition-und-erlaeuterung-des-lebensstils_113276
(3) https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Veganismus
(4) https://naturtextil.de/themen/diskurs-vegane-mode/
(5) https://sanvt.com/de/blogs/journal/why-vegan-fashion-is-not-always-sustainable-and-eco-friendly
(6) https://www.chip.de/artikel/Ragwear-und-Co-Nur-so-erkennen-Sie-wirklich-vegane-Kleidung_162797407.html
(7) https://justinekeptcalmandwentvegan.com/fair-fashion-guide-2/
(8) https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/transparency/
(9) https://www.huengsberg.com/edi-blog/edi/was-ist-ein-tier-supplier-teilelieferant-lieferantenpyramide.html
(10) https://www.businessoffashion.com/reports/news-analysis/the-state-of-fashion-2023-industry-report-bof-mckinsey/
(11) https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/handel-konsumgueter/trendmarke-veja-zwei-ex-banker-traeumen-von-der-mode-revolution/29512326.html