Get our weekly newsletter with sustainable fashion reads, news, and resources โ including funding opportunities, awards, and jobs
Are we willing to pay for sustainability? ๐
Published about 2 months agoย โขย 3 min read
โ
Hey there, Reader!
In this week's CFC newsletter, you'll find:
๐งต Are customers willing to pay for sustainability?
๐งต Webinar on the social impact of circularity, how to build a sustainable marketing strategy, and more resources
๐งต California introduces the Fashion Act, Teen Vogue announces sustainable fashion commitments in their publishing, and more news
๐งต Conscious fashion job opps and environmental justice funding
โ
Are customers willing to pay for sustainability?
Ok, so just to get it out of the way before we explore this question:
Yes sustainability isn't always more expensive and is also about wearing what we have more, buying less, and choosing secondhand
And yes, the onus doesn't fall totally on individuals ("consumers") to fix fashion's woes!
All of that said, I know price is a big question for professionals and entrepreneurs in sustainable fashion creating better options that can cost more than similar alternatives.
If a designer or brand is sourcing responsibly, creating quality products, and paying living wages, it does have to be priced accordingly.
But is the end customer willing to pay for that increased cost?
The 2023 Bain Consumer Lab ESG Survey found that consumers were in fact willing to pay 12% more on average for "more sustainable" products globally (and 11% more in the US).
However the actual average price premium for more sustainable products in the US that year was 28%.
โ
The survey didn't account for fashion and textiles specifically, but it's an interesting data point on the sustainability price gap, that has likely grown in 2024.
This doesn't mean sustainable brands shouldn't charge what their products are worth โ many of these brands are charging very fair prices compared to other mid-priced fashion brands selling overpriced synthetic dresses made in exploitative conditions.
Instead it's an invitation to ask: what else is beneficial about that product? Why is it valuable or desirable beyond its' sustainability credentials?
Is it higher quality and built to last? How can you prove that?
Is it a healthier fabric and better for sensitive skin?
Is it solving a real problem people have with current options?
Is the sizing system more inclusive and/or better fitting?
โจ My quick tip: know your customer (not only by reading general customer research reports but also leading actual customer interviews and surveys), your purpose, and your product to craft marketing that resonates and can meet the sustainability premium gap.
What else are they looking for in a dress / kids clothes / handbag / shoe / shirt / pair of denim / loungewear?
โCFC Members: Don't miss today's event on how to build a conscious fashion marketing strategy!
Tired of throwing at the wall, trying anything and everything to see what sticks? In this free Conscious Fashion Collective training, you'll learn the foundations of a solid sustainable fashion marketing strategy, to attract an aligned audience filled with your dream customers or clients.
Circularity can reduce waste and regenerate nature, but it's key that it doesn't risk deepening global inequities. In this webinar from Innovation Forum, panelists from Eileen Fisher, United Repair Centre and Cardiff University will explore how we can build a people-centered path to a just transition in fashion.
In this episode of Make Good Fashion, Gina and Margot of Luxeire share how they build their sustainable women's apparel brand, tackled local manufacturing, and scaled to 7 figures with a direct-to-consumer model.
๐ Teen Vogue introduced The Last Stop series highlighting the communities facing the impact of fashion's waste crisis; the publication also shared several sustainability commitments of their own, from shopping guides to photoshoots
Amidst US federal funding cuts for environmental justice and climate work, Kiana Kazemi shared a few foundations and grants that are continuing to fund this work:
โThe Solutions Project: Funding grassroots climate justice movements, especially BIPOC-led organizations driving clean energy solutions.
โClimateWorks Foundation: $244.5M in 2024 grants for carbon removal, clean cooling, food/agriculture, and sustainable transportation.