In a world where fast fashion dominates the fashion world, the word slow feels almost wrong, like it is not keeping up. But maybe that is the point. Maybe slow fashion is exactly what we need right now.
Less pressure to constantly buy something new. Less waste. Less of that weird guilt when you realize the shirt you impulse-bought last month is already falling apart.
Slow fashion is not about perfection, it is about awareness.
What is Slow Fashion
Slow fashion is a movement that challenges the throwaway nature of the current fast fashion industry. Instead of focusing on trends and mass production, it promotes mindful shopping, ethical manufacturing, and long-lasting quality.
The term was first introduced by Kate Fletcher, a leading figure in sustainable fashion in 2007 and gained more attention through Elizabeth Cline’s , which highlighted the actual cost of cheap clothes.
The Sustainability Assumptions Behind Slow Fashion
Slow fashion supports local designers, eco-friendly materials, and encourages consumers to buy less but with better quality. It is about making clothing in smaller batches, reducing waste, and valuing the people and processes behind the clothes. This stands in stark contrast to the current dominating fast fashion world, which produces massive waste, where three out of five garments end up in a landfill of waste. Slow fashion challenges this model by prioritizing durability, ethics, and environmental responsibility.
Where the Paradox Emerges in the Luxury Supply Chain
In many ways, slow fashion sounds a lot like luxury fashion. High-quality pieces and thoughtful designs. A price tag that makes you think twice before buying. It is easy to assume the two go hand in hand. But here is the thing: just because something is expensive does not mean it is sustainable. And when you look closer at how luxury items are made and moved around the world, the slow fashion label starts to feel a bit out of place.
A closer look reveals that many luxury brands still operate on seasonal calendars, overproduce to stay up to date and ship goods globally with a heavy carbon footprint. Some even burn unsold stock to protect brand exclusivity.
As for example the luxury brand Burberry, which was criticized a couple of years ago for burning approximately $30 million worth of unsold goods in year 2017. The reason? To protect brand value and exclusivity by preventing leftover products from being sold at a discount or falling into the hands of unauthorized resellers.
Greenwashing: When Sustainability Becomes a Marketing Tool
Luxury brands have started talking a lot about sustainability. Words like “eco-conscious,” “responsibly made,” or “green” show up on websites and campaigns, but what do they actually mean? Often, they do not mean much. This kind of greenwashing gives the illusion of progress without real actions.
Greenwashing is a practice companies do to appear more environmentally friendly, even though their practices, products and more does not represent that. And even poplar luxury brands have been accused to greenwashing before.
As for a recent example, in 2025 following the imposed tariffs of the U.S, Chinese producers revealed that several high-end labels, advertised as “Made in Italy” or “Handcrafted in France”, were actually outsourcing much of their production to factories in China. When this became known, consumers felt tricked: they paid luxury prices for supposed craftsmanship, only to learn brands had hidden their real supply chains. It proved that claiming exclusivity and heritage while hiding where products are made can destroy trust and undermine any sustainability claims.
The Role of Designers and Creative Direction in Slowing Fashion Down
If slow fashion is the goal, then designers are the ones holding the map. They decide what gets made, how often collections drop, and what trends get pushed into the spotlight. And if they choose to slow things down, others might follow. Because real change in fashion does not just happen on the shop floor. It starts in the first steps.
We are starting to see that shift in places like Chloé, where Gabriela Hearst has pushed for fair trade materials and long-term wearability, or at Dior, where Maria Grazia Chiuri is advocacy ethical sourcing and cultural storytelling.
The Rise of Circular Initiatives
Luxury brands are waking up to the fact that “make it, sell it, forget it” just will not cut it anymore. Several brands have launched repair workshops, buy-back programs, and even rental services to keep items in circulation longer.
For instance, a high-end dress that might once have been tossed to make room for next season’s drop can now be sent back for a complimentary refurbish or authenticated resale. Not only does this cut down on waste, but it also gives a second life to pieces that would otherwise sit in a closet or worse been thrown away. By embracing circularity, these brands begin to treat clothes like investments rather than disposable goods.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, true slow fashion in luxury means more than a high price tag or a sustainability slogan. It requires digging into every link of the supply chains and demanding real transparency. If we keep questioning where our pieces come from and how they are made, brands will have no choice but to slow down and give us something worth wearing for years. Because when awareness beats hype, that is when slow fashion can finally win.
