At GFW Clothing, sustainability isn’t a marketing buzzword; it’s a commitment that shapes every decision we make. We’ve built our business around a core principle: make clothes people actually want, in quantities that make sense. This is why we produce mainly to order and keep limited stock, because overproduction is one of the fashion industry’s most damaging habits.
This became all the more urgent after attending a compelling talk at the Hay Festival 2025 by fashion sustainability pioneer Kate Fletcher. In her session, Fletcher’s Almanac, she challenged the audience to stop viewing nature as the background to fashion and start seeing it as the main event. It was a visionary discussion that made clear the time for half-measures is over.
Credit: Kate Fletcher
The True Cost of Fast Fashion
Let’s not sugar-coat it: the fashion industry is one of the most polluting on the planet. It’s estimated that 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated globally each year. That’s a garbage truck full of clothes burned or buried every second. The drive to churn out vast quantities of cheap, trend-based clothing, often under unethical labour conditions, has made fashion faster, cheaper, and more disposable than ever.
And it's not just low-end brands. Major fashion houses, some with stores lining the world's most exclusive shopping streets, are part of the problem too. Brands like Burberry, H&M, and Nike have made headlines in recent years for destroying or dumping unsold stock, whether by burning, shredding, or literally dumping it in deserts like the Atacama in Chile, where mounds of unworn clothing rot in the sun.
The aim is to protect brand value, to keep shelves full, and to keep costs down for consumers. But it’s a house of cards, one built on overconsumption, greenwashing, and environmental disregard.
When “Organic” Isn’t Enough
Even materials that seem sustainable, like organic cotton, are often caught in the same wasteful cycle. Kate Fletcher pointed this out clearly: “Organic cotton may reduce pesticide use, but if it’s still part of a system that overproduces and under-values clothing, we’re not solving the real problem.”
That hit home for us. A sustainable fabric in an unsustainable system is like putting a bandage on a broken dam.
GFW: A Different Approach
At GFW, we don’t pretend to be perfect, but we are intentional. Here's what we're doing differently:
- ✅ Made-to-order and limited batch production to avoid waste
- ✅ We design shirts that last, across seasons, trends, and wear
- ✅ We listen to you, making only what our customers want, not what we guess might sell
- ✅ We operate in transparency, not trend-driven tokenism
We want our customers to look great, feel great, and know that their clothing wasn’t part of the problem.
No Greenwashing Here
Sustainability should be about substance, not image. Too many brands use “eco” language to soften their footprint on paper while continuing the same damaging practices behind closed doors. We’re not interested in empty slogans.
Instead, we want to be part of fashion’s future, one where nature is not a casualty of style but a partner in the story.
As Kate Fletcher reminded us: “Fashion can be a language of the Earth.” That’s a conversation we’re proud to be part of.