Clothes Sharing in Cities: the case of fashion leasing

Abstract

The fast fashion business model has rapidly pushed material through the system, resulting in increasing amounts of textile waste and huge environmental impacts. Clothing items are produced effectively, sold in enormous amounts, and used over a very short time before being disposed of. Consumers are part of this problem; their activity is essential to keep up sales figures. Sustainable fashion needs many alternative approaches that encourages consumers to consume fashion more slowly. The sharing economy presents new opportunities for the fashion field while enabling functionality or fashion change without having to shop for new items. Fashion leasing establishes a living wearing network that can share sustainability knowledge locally. This local phenomenon can grow through social media, showing alternative fashion uses and encouraging consumers to act differently. Fashion leasing can be seen as an emerging urban phenomenon offering social pleasure and more active citizenship.