“Sustainable fashion is more than just a buzzword.” This is the reminder of expert and My Closet manager and founder Genevieve Jimenez-Yalung, as she encouraged young designers to practice circularity in their artistic endeavors, most specially in their future brands.

Fashion, as a giant industry, has a USD 1.7 trillion value globally and a USD 1.7 million value locally. It has increased production by 400 percent since 2000 and employs over 300 million people worldwide.

In an intimate lecture before the Fashion Design and Merchandising students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Jimenez-Yalung, who is equipped with over 25 years of extensive experience in the luxury and retail industry, plus an unparalleled understanding of its market and consumer behavior, challenged the youth to look at the bigger picture.

She highlighted that with 90 million tons of textile waste produced annually, fashion serves as a major contributor to environmental pollution. It is responsible for 10 percent of global carbon emissions.

The field impacts certain areas such as climate change, habitat destruction, resource depletion, animal suffering, water and air pollution and food insecurity. It even affects human rights abuses.

“Sustainable fashion is a responsibility for all of us,” Jimenez-Yalung stressed. “We need to understand it from its core so that we can make a difference. There are three points: Ethically-made clothes, environmentally friendly process and less waste.”

She championed the significant contribution of circularity in this endeavor, which emphasizes designing for longevity, reuse and recycling.

“It aims to minimize waste and maximize the lifespan of the clothing,” she expounded. “It teaches us to love our clothes again.”

Jimenez-Yalung quoted English fashion designer, businesswoman and advocate Vivienne Westwood: Buy less, choose well, make it last.

“It encourages us to have a sustainable approach by having fewer items, selecting products that are of higher quality and using them for a longer period,” she explained.

“Therefore, lesser waste, lesser impact to the environment and we will have a more thoughtful relationship with the products that we own,” she added. “Responsible consumption over excess mindset.”

Jimenez-Yalung, who confessed to being a “certified fashion shopaholic and hoarder,” shared how she advocates circular fashion through My Closet Manager, a business model that aims to give multiple life cycles to products.

Through their smart organization services, she helps clients declutter, recycle and repurpose things they no longer use, and convert past luxury purchases into cash.

The question is: Is the Philippines ready? Jimenez-Yalung noted that there is a slow but steady increase in consumer awareness of ethical fashion, especially among the youth.

“Studies show that Gen Z is leading the charge for sustainability,” she said.

Gen Z, being the largest and most influential consumer segment, is emerging as the sustainable generation with a strong preference and willingness to spend more on eco-friendly products.

She likewise highlighted the acceptance of the second-hand or “ukay-ukay” culture, which promotes reuse and affordability.

“This provides a cultural foundation for embracing pre-loved items,” she added.

Government organizations are doing their part in researching and promoting eco-friendly resources. There is also an emergence of local brands that offer sustainable alternatives and encourage responsible consumption.

Jimenez-Yalung added there are, of course, challenges in this endeavor. The fact that sustainable products come with higher production costs juxtaposed with the dominance of fast fashion due to its trendy designs and affordability.

“Sustainability can be expensive, and it is not always the popular choice,” she admitted.

The expert, however, stressed there are ways for aspiring designers to face this impediment. Abaca, piña and bamboo can be utilized for eco-friendly textiles. There is likewise the strong tradition of local artisans which aligns with slow fashion principles.

“You can patronize indigenous materials that are integral in the country,” she advised. “You just have to be resourceful and mindful. As long as you have a purpose and as long as you are committed to that vision of yours, you will find a lot of available options to lessen the impact of the cost.”

At the end of the talk, the speaker highlighted the important role of young designers in this journey, especially in creating versatile fashion pieces, utilizing materials that have a lower environmental impact, as well as exploring virtual avatars and digital clothing.

“It is okay to challenge the status quo; it is okay to be the catalyst of change,” she said.