Can Luxury Be Ethical And Environmental?

Luxury goods and living are often associated with excess and waste. According to the Harvard Business Review, This is a problem, as a massive 60% of consumers now consider ethical and environmental factors when making purchases. For them, luxury goods often don’t figure. This is why there has been an enormous shift in the luxury living industry to embrace real environmental and ethical sustainability - and that shift has, arguably, been a successful one.

The smart home

Luxury posits itself as being at the forefront of high-quality and convenient goods. That dovetails perfectly with smart devices, arguably at the tip of the luxury movement. Replacing old appliances is an excellent way to enhance sustainability in the home - newer models and materials are, typically, more efficient, and there’s a net reduction in consumption (provided the new models have been constructed in a low-carbon way). Bringing more high-tech smart devices into the home will improve the modern look and create convenience in a way that helps to fine-tune the day and, as Forbes notes, reduce overall consumption.

A drive forward

Goods in the luxury market can be sustainable, then, and they can be successful, too. Business Of Fashion notes how Gen-Z, the youngest and most socially progressive generation to date, is hugely in favor of luxury goods and goes out of their way to purchase those that are ethical in their sourcing. As a considerable change in the fashion industry is showing, these consumer trends are making an impact that is creating a definitive change in how goods are manufactured and distributed by fashion companies the world over.

Sustainability in all

Luxury has a lot to gain from being environmentally friendly. As Harper’s Bazaar outlines, some of the most important and defining fashion trends available right now are bound by their environmental credentials. Stefania Vaidani, Nynne, and House of Dagmar are all making huge waves in the fashion world that the big fashion houses are now scrambling to keep up with. By using sustainable and fair-trade materials from around the world, change is being made and exploitation reduced.

Luxury, then, can be ethical. In fact, for many companies, it has to be. The latest luxury goods consumers will refuse to accept anything less than an assurance that they’re buying is sustainable. This will create long-term and permanent changes in how goods are produced and distributed.