On the one hand, there is the little-known international campaign launched by the Portuguese footwear industry as part of the BiShoes4All project. On the other hand, there is the Woolmark campaign, which, since 2022, has been inviting people to reflect on fashion’s dependence on fossil fibres. And they are not the only ones to emphasise the value of natural materials
by Massimiliano Viti
A woman with a black, viscous substance dripping from her skin, reminiscent of oil as a metaphor for fashion’s dependence on fossil fuels. This is the image that unites two very different, even distant, communication campaigns, but which clearly have the same goal. That of making the end consumer more aware of their purchases, with a preference for natural materials over synthetic ones derived from fossil fuels.
The value of natural materials
Isabel Abreu, actress, creator and active voice on cultural and social responsibility issues, is the woman dripping with oil in the new international campaign launched by the Portuguese footwear industry as part of the BiShoes4All project. The aim is to promote conscious consumption through the choice of durable products over low-cost disposable ones. “The world screams too much. Hands no longer embrace: they accumulate. The heart has forgotten moderation. It is time to replace the disposable with the durable, illusion with truth. Mass production or conscious consumption? Your choice shapes the future,” says the campaign by Apiccaps, the Portuguese association that brings together footwear, leather goods and component manufacturers. The international campaign video has a substantial aesthetic, emotional and ethical impact. It does not promote the sale of Portuguese footwear, but suggests a new approach to purchasing, proposing a new attitude to consumers. Value what lasts. Produce less, but better.
Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel
Much more direct – undoubtedly along the same lines – is the message launched internationally in 2022 by the Woolmark Company, the global organisation that promotes, certifies and enhances natural wool. The slogan Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel appears alongside a video in which a woman takes off a petrol-dripping jumper to reveal another jumper underneath, this time white and made of wool. The same video shows a female body emerging from a swimming pool filled with a liquid that appears to be fossil fuel. This is because, explains Woolmark, ‘every 25 minutes, an Olympic-sized swimming pool of oil is used to produce synthetic clothing. Fabrics such as polyester, nylon and acrylic are a group of products that are highly dependent on fossil fuels’.
They are not the only ones
A similar image was chosen by the Changing Markets Foundation to present its Fashion’s Plastic Paralysis Report. Laundry hung out to dry with black liquid dripping from it. Its meaning lies in what the report reveals. In other words, fashion brands are doubling their use of synthetic fibres, one of the leading causes of microplastic pollution. These fibres are derived from fossil fuels and account for over two-thirds (69%) of textile production, a figure that is expected to rise to 73% by 2030.
Pressure on cotton
When it comes to natural fibres, cotton is one of the most under pressure, as polyester costs half as much. Cotton Incorporated, a non-profit company that provides resources and research to help companies develop and market cotton products, has coined a provocative slogan. Here it is: The Case for Cotton: A Natural Alternative to Synthetic Materials. It is a deliberate reversal, given that synthetic materials have become widespread as the cheaper alternative to cotton and natural fibres.
Other notable campaigns include those of the European platform Eucotton, which features “Europe Designs a Sustainable Future with European Cotton.” Meanwhile, Action for Climate Starts with the Source of the Materials We Choose is the slogan of Textile Exchange. All of them call on consumers to make informed choices that reward natural fibres, quality and the durability of the finished product. These are also the typical characteristics of leather. After all, Real Leather is Real Sustainability!
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