Should I stay or should I go now?

One of the biggest dilemmas for those looking to transition into sustainability within the fashion industry is which vantage point to do it from.

When business-as-usual gets too much, what do you do?

You know how it goes: "If I go there will be trouble, and if I stay it will be double." (The Clash).

Time and time again I hear from peers I've grown up with in this industry that they're leaving the jobs they're in. They can't do it anymore. The insane KPIs and sky-high revenue targets they have to hit - particularly at a time when things are tough - have just gotten too much. Their eyes have been opened to the need for a more sustainable future, and the business-as-usual focus on overconsumption and overproduction they're forced to feed into, feels too at odds with that.

More often than not, given my tenure in this industry, I’m hearing this from fairly senior stakeholders. I spent 12 years co-running a networking and community group called FashMash, bringing together those shaping the future of fashion. When we started it, that element of 'future', was all about the digital revolution. Most people were in early stage social media and e-commerce roles.

Today they have evolved to become chief digital officers, chief marketing officers, global innovation directors and more. Lots are focused on the technology side of progress - diving into things like the metaverse and beyond - while many others, like me, have moved to sustainability instead. But let's face it, if we were to do a survey of actually where the circa 3,000 members are presently, most, I imagine, would be in roles measured primarily on shifting product. That's speculative to a degree, but I’m exceedingly confident that most just simply will be. It is, after all, the primary objective of this business.

So what do you do when you get that moment of realisation that you don't want to be stoking said fire anymore?

There are different versions of this right now I think...

There's the one where you go back and train on the topic (of sustainability) to be able to redirect your efforts elsewhere. I know many people who have done this. Essentially I am one of them. One thing I always try and remind people here, however, is that there is a huge need for different skillsets within the sustainability field, and it doesn't always mean being deeply technical or a scientist to be able to contribute. Re-educating yourself from a foundational perspective is useful, but you don't need to completely redesign your CV and what you offer, just rather work out how to apply the experience you have.

Secondly, there's the version where you take what you know, that expertise you have already, and launch your own endeavour to drive change (or join someone else’s you believe in). Lots of people I know in the e-commerce space, for instance, have transitioned into running circularity-focused start-ups; taking their experience in perhaps logistics and applying it to a different type of business model. Others from design are now in material innovation. In each instance, their work is now really about convincing those in the industry (who they probably used to work with) to adopt their solutions. This one takes a lot of courage, but is a wide open field for opportunity. As always, it's about idea plus execution. (And some funding of course!)

Then there's the version where you just leave altogether. You quit because you just don't want to do it anymore. You take your gardening leave, and you probably actually spend it in your garden. You reconnect with nature and you most likely decide to step away from fashion full stop so as to do something more meaningful in another sector instead. I have met quite a few contemporaries who are currently spending time away to figure exactly this out. Fair play. There is some serious healing to do after playing much of this game. But this is the reality I'm always saddest about.

These are good people (clearly they have a conscience by virtue of their decision to leave, if indeed it was sustainability motivated), but they're also incredibly talented, experienced and influential people.

So what if they/you were to stay instead? What if you were to take that huge drive you have for change, as well as that influence, and apply it internally in these mammoth, conventional businesses? If you're a CMO (as one example of someone I spoke to on exactly this in recent times), what does it look like to push back on some of those incentive structures, to factor in other measures of success, to put more marketing budget behind circular initiatives? What if you were to become the internal activist on all this, the bug in the ear, as I like to call it, for change?

That's easier said than done of course, and appreciably there is a world where it just isn't ever viable, and indeed where it may not afford you your job (or your sanity, even your health) for too long. But where possible, we need everything and everyone we have to remain a part of this - it’s the collective that will lead to change. Whether you're in marketing, buying, merchandising, design, you name it, yours are incredibly unique skills - skills that those in sustainability don't have and we need by the way - but your inclination for change within that is key, for it’s the combination that’s crucial. And let’s not forget, replacing you with someone who doesn't care so much, is easy - the fact you’re there right now therefore, is in of itself a step towards progress.

So what do you think, are we better outside working in? Or can we drive change from within? I would love your opinions on this. 

UPDATE: As well as the handful of comments below, it seems this topic really hit a bit of a note on Linkedin, so do check out some of the responses there too.