Over-production and over-consumption are 2 huge impacts of the bulk production method that is so widely used in the apparel industry. So is there a better way to produce?
Whilst Made to Order production can’t completely replace bulk production, I’d argue that it could be much more widely used in the industry and therefore help to reduce waste and emissions overall.
In this episode, I talk through the main differences between those 2 methods, some of the challenges of embracing ‘make-to-order’ and the benefits of it for not only the brand, but also the world.
The MTO method is already widely used in the Bridal and Occasionwear space, so will likely be first choice if that’s your product. There are definitely some compromises that you’ll need to consider if you want to use it for ready to wear, but in my opinion there are plenty of benefits that help to outweigh this. Therefore if sustainability is high on your agenda as a brand, it’s worth doing the research to understand the process fully, and work out how and when you might be able to implement these apparel production practices in your business.
There are a couple of reports I’ve mentioned in the episode that are worth reviewing:
Fashion waste levels: https://sharecloth.com/apparel-overproduction
Burberry’s fashion write offs: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44885983
(and please remember, this is just one example of what is happening throughout both fast fashion and luxury market sectors)
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