The third edition of Inhabitants of the Future focusses on fashion. Most of us (73%) believe that clothing is an essential part of our identity. Every morning we put on clothes we do not know who has made, with what materials, how long are they going to last and where will they end up when they cease to be of use to us. The fashion industry is the second most contaminating in the world and the future of fashion is more related than ever to the future of our planet. How will it change in the future? How would citizens like that future to be? Through Inhabitants of the Future BBKkuna, we give a voice to citizens to see how they see that future and how they project their own habits. 72% would like to only buy the clothing they need and 63% believe we will dress by respecting the environment more in the future. The majority (58%) voice their frustration for not having more information to be more aware when they buy.
This study places the voice of citizens in the centre of this debate about the future of a fashion which is sustainable, healthy and focussed on social well-being through a representative survey conducted on 1000 people from the Basque Country.
A SUMMARY OF THE MOST RELEVANT DATA
THE INDUSTRY OF THE FUTURE
The industry of the future is envisaged as green and sustainable. 72% want clothing to be manufactured by respecting decent working conditions. 70% rely on the green innovation of the industry and 44% want clothing production to be reduced. The majority (54%) want clothing in the future to be completely biodegradable and for brands (73%) to reduce the number of annual collections.
THE STORE OF THE FUTURE
They imagine the store of the future with a built-in repair service (53%), with more local clothing brands (50%) and with signs helping them to identify less environmentally friendly clothing (53%). One out of every three Basque persons want the staff to advise them about how to take care of the clothing. 46% of young people foresee a gender-free fashion in the future and with all the sizes there are in society.
THE FUTURE OF CIRCULAR FASHION
60% of the population of citizens demand more bins for placing unused clothing into and 35% trust that no one with throw clothing into the garbage in 2050. The majority (58%) want to able to leave, exchange or sell unused clothing in the store of the future. 43% want a place in which to place garments at the end of their usable life. The majority opt for buying more second-hand clothing in the future.
THE FUTURE OF FASHION AND THE ROLE OF THE STATE
The majority (54%) want fast fashion brands to be required to warn about the damage they cause to the environment and for clothing which has a negative impact on the environment to pay more taxes (67%). Citizens (75%) support the banning of animal farms that are used exclusively to dress us.
EMERGING TRENDS
As future emerging trends, 25% approve of renting clothes, 37% want the label of the future to show the garment’s carbon footprint, and 35% envisage the development of textile workshops for producing all the clothing of our local brands and 69% opt for a fairer distribution of the profits generated by the fashion industry.