The London Fashion eCommerce Summit brought together some incredible minds to chat about something we all care about—how to make fashion more sustainable. The panel, “A Guide to Sustainable Style,” tackled big topics like waste, circular fashion, greenwashing, and how to incorporate sustainability into brands’ everyday operations.
Moderated by Darya Badiei Khorsand, a PhD researcher in sustainable luxury fashion marketing, the session brought together experts from Dr. Martens, Pangaia, Reskinned Clothing, Give Your Best, and Stuart Trevor.
Here’s what we learned from this inspiring session.
The waste problem (and what we can do about it)
Fashion waste is massive—like, really massive. Sol Escobar, founder of Give Your Best, shared a shocking stat: £140M worth of clothing is sent to landfills in the UK annually. At the same time, millions of people are living in clothing poverty.
Her solution is simple: connect the dots. Platforms like Give Your Best allow brands and individuals to donate clothes directly to people who need them, turning what would have been waste into something useful.
Circularity: Resale, repair, and the power of durability
Dr. Martens’ Recommerce Lead Anna Wickes, shared how their resale program is thriving. Their boots are durable, so they’re perfect for secondhand markets—and customers love the idea of pre-worn boots that are already broken in. Plus, selling secondhand reduces carbon emissions by 89% compared to making new ones.
Francesca Lascelles from Reskinned agreed, adding that circular programs like resale and repair aren’t just sustainable but also profitable. “We’ve helped brands resell 70% of customer returns,” she said. That’s a lot of value recovered from items that might otherwise go to waste.
If you’re not thinking about resale, start now. Gen Z already has 40% of their wardrobes made up of secondhand items. The future is circular.
Anna Wickes - Recommerce Lead, Dr. Martens
Greenwashing: Why transparency is non-negotiable
Stuart Trevor didn’t hold back. “Most big brands are lying about their sustainability efforts,” he stated bluntly. Stuart, who now runs a no-new-clothes brand, argued that we’re inundated with promises of eco-friendliness from companies still churning out polyester at record speeds.
His advice? Support smaller, sustainable brands doing the real work. And for the industry? Transparency. Show the receipts—literally. Customers are getting smarter, and vague claims won’t cut it anymore.
Balancing sustainability and profitability
Joshua Juxon-Smith from Pangaia doesn’t see profitability and sustainability as opposites. “It’s about focusing on your customers and educating them,” he said.
For brands, circular models like resale can open up new revenue streams and attract eco-conscious shoppers. Francesca pointed out that resale often taps into a customer base that might not buy full-price items, creating opportunities without cannibalising sales.
Helping customers understand sustainability
Francesca shared how Reskinned translates impact data into relatable terms. For example, instead of saying, “60,000 garments saved from landfill,” they frame it as “three Piccadilly Circuses worth of clothing.”
Joshua added that brands need to meet customers where they are. Not everyone speaks “sustainability,” so breaking it down into everyday terms—like recycling or reducing water use—helps people connect with the message.
We're all figuring it out. Sustainability isn't something you solve overnight—it's a journey, and we need to give people the grace to learn along the way.
Joshua Juxon-Smith - Brand Experience Specialist, Pangaia
What we need to remember…
Collaboration is key. No brand can do this alone. The panel emphasised the importance of partnerships—whether working with platforms like Give Your Best or finding ways to share sustainability knowledge.
The key takeaway was that sustainability isn’t perfect, and it’s not easy, but it’s necessary. Whether it’s through resale, repair, or rethinking how we approach production, every step counts.
