On-demand fashion gives much-needed clues on how to green notoriously wasteful industry

Ballooning inventories are to blame for much of the fashion’s sector carbon footprint. Could on-demand production solve such problems?

The rise of fast fashion has greatly contributed to our landfills. Every year, the sector leaves 92 million tonnes of waste in its wake. File photo: Owen Humphreys/PA

The fashion sector is in crisis. It’s hard to get through a month without hearing about another fashion company issuing profit warnings — even Swedish-owned H&M, for a long time seen as the industry’s success model, is hurting. In January, it lost 12% in market value and abruptly changed CEO. The firm has been struggling with weak sales and stockpiling for years, mostly as a result of inefficient supply chains.

Crisis talks and bankruptcy are also rocking other high-street favourites, from Victoria’s Secret, which has closed more than 100 stores over the past years, to Superdry, Gap, TopShop, Kookaï and Scotch & Soda.