The Future Of Sustainability In Streetwear

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Defining the future of sustainability in Streetwear

According to an overall point of view, streetwear is known as casual urban clothes that are fashionable and edgy. But that barely scratches the surface of a style, rooted in sub-cultures like skate, hip-hop, and sneakers, that has become a 185 billion-dollar industry. Blanks, the industry term referring to prefabricated garments like t-shirts, are most frequently used in streetwear.

They allow the brands to reduce their risk and upfront costs, which in turn helps them keep next to no inventory and not have to worry about item minimums.

And despite beginning as startups, many of today's most popular brands continue to use blanks for their merch for these same reasons.

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But with no surprise, the increased production comes at a steep environmental cost.

Estimated, there are over two billion t-shirts produced every year. With fewer than 1 percent (1%) of those made with organic cotton, and even less with recycled cotton, the impact is clear to see.

What this means is that over 99 percent of t-shirts are made of either GMO conventional cotton, fabrics that are plastic-based synthetics, or made of blends containing plastic.

These kinds of garments bring a host of environmental problems which pollute waterways and oceans, while also not being biodegradable nor easily recycled. Since there isn’t a natural path of decomposition, they more often than not end up in landfills or being incinerated, increasing the global waste and pollution problem we’re currently facing.

We were purposeful in our fabrication, being monofiber and containing only cotton. At their end of life, Version Tomorrow’s garments can be mechanically recycled using existing methods being also biodegradable.

Today, Version Tomorrow has expanded its reach and mission beyond its in-stock program to offer its production services and materials to any brand or creator. With a whole custom production platform, they have partnered with several well-known streetwear brands, such as Futurevvorld and Kith, to move the needle of environmental responsibility within the community.

Exclusivity and hype will always be the driving force in streetwear. But in the constant chase of highly anticipated drops, reducing consumption and waste does not have to be an afterthought. Streetwear thrives on a clan-like understanding of a brand’s creativity and cultural impact. So by partnering with streetwear pioneers, Version Tomorrow is bridging the gap in the conversation around sustainability in this subcultural style.

We ask that creators consider the end of life for their garments before they produce their merch. In our view, the only way this works is starting at the raw materials phase and having a product that is designed for circularity. With that in mind, we can create a new vision of luxury and redefine the terms of streetwear.

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