Together we Can Change Fashion

Since we started Asphalte, back in 2016, we have been pushing for change in the fashion industry. We’re dedicated to offering you a better way to buy clothes. To do that, we had to find better ways to make them. And we did...

We cut waste and over-consumption by committing to our preorder model, partnered with the most responsible producers out there, focused on using organic and renewable materials, and made durability the keystone of our mission.

We work around the clock to create garments that last, that can weather the seasons in style, and that are made in Europe in fair conditions. That’s what we’re about and if you’re reading this, it’s likely what you’re about too.

We are devoted to being part of the change that needs to happen.

These aren’t just empty words. Since 2020 we’ve been fully transparent about the environmental impact and the traceability of every item we make. Want to know what goes into, say, our Perfect Jumper? No fret: it’s all there, on show, for you to see for yourself.

Sadly, while we aren’t alone in trying to change things for the better, we’re in a tiny minority.

The global clothing industry is, by and large, wasteful and irresponsible, with major players disregarding the welfare of the planet and workers alike. Fast fashion brands push people to consume more than they need, luring them with rock-bottom prices that can only be made profitable by cutting the corners that matter most.

So, how do you make clothes that cheap?

• Easy! You produce them in countries with minimal environmental protection and safeguards in place and where workers are poorly paid, using substandard materials and manufacture to keep your production costs extremely low. That’s why a high street Tee comes in cheaper than a drink down your local.

How do they sell enough of them to make a profit?

• Also easy! You release giddy-making numbers of items and dizzying ranges, push frequent discounts and - these days - you tag strangers on Instagram to let you know you've got a sale on the go. Fast fashion brands do everything they can to get us to buy things we simply don't need.

The result: in 2023, the average French person bought 50 new items of clothing a year...That’s twice as many as in the 1980s. Think that’s bad? According to the UK NGO, Wrap, Britain’s adults are hoarding 1.6 billion items of clothing they never wear, and a quarter of the average Briton’s wardrobe’s not seen the light of day in twelve months.

Long story short: we’re all buying far, far too many clothes. Ones that won’t last and are unlikely to stay on-trend for more than a single season.

In the fast fashion world, there’s easy money to be made through irresponsible production.

We’re happy with our choices, it’s the only way for us to make clothes. But what’s the upshot of all of this? Well, for a brand like Asphalte, it can be hard (and expensive) doing things the right way.

Because we use the best materials, partner with responsible, expert producers, avoid mass-market sales gimmicks and reject the day-to-day trend cycle, our clothes are more expensive than those made thoughtlessly at minimal cost.

We can only exist because you – our customers – understand why we’re doing things differently. Thankfully tens of thousands of you do.

Unfortunately, no matter what an industry upstart like Asphalte says, the fast fashion industry can plough on as it likes.

So, what can we do? Alone, not a whole lot. But when we join forces with like-minded brands, producers and designers that’s another story.

Thankfully there are hundreds of brands like us. Companies trying to swim upstream in the global fashion river, swerving containers full of ill-made pedal pushers and cut-price hoodies crashing past us down the rapids. Together, we might be able to stem the tide.

One way to fix fashion is to fix the laws under which it operates. That’s why we're joining forces with the fashion-focused French environmental lobbying group En Mode Climat, and donating €10,000 to the work they do.

Here’s where Julia comes in.

Julia Faure is the founder of En Mode Climat. The aim of the organisation can be neatly summed up in one sentence: "Change the law to make the fashion sector reduce its CO2 emissions”.

How can new laws force the change we’re all waiting for?

By reducing the volume of clothes sold...

• Increasing the prices of the cheapest products would drag fashion out of this disposable era.
• Limiting the drive to consume, breaking the hectic pace of new collections and systematic sales to reduce demand.

Nearshoring clothes production

• Introducing tariffs or customs barriers to favour clothes made in countries with a less carbon-intensive energy mix.
• Encouraging consumers to buy clothes from these countries through clear environmental labelling.

Repairs policies

• Encourage brands to make their products repairable and offer repairs themselves. If you think that sounds like a long shot, the French government has recently introduced some incentives to push for just that.

En Mode Climat gives a voice to the hundreds of small brands like us who want to make a difference in the fashion world. Thank you En Mode Climat.

If you'd like to find out more about their work, or how you can support them, head over to https://www.enmodeclimat.fr/.

If you want to read more about the shocking scale of clothing waste and the impact fashion has on the environment, we’d recommend a look at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Thanks for reading, and for being on board.

Asphalte

PS: While we were writing this article, we were struck by this recent cover and lead article. If you haven’t stumbled on it by now, it’s just another sad reminder.… https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/horrific-cost-fast-fashion-obsession-30570544

Sustainable Sourcing :

• WARP
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
• En Mode Climat