Category: Sustainable Fashion

Date: 03-05-2019

Response to “Building a Sustainable Company: The Story of Eileen Fisher”

Eileen Fisher’s story is quite inspiring for me. It always seems like such a cliché when some successful entrepreneur claims that they want their company to maintain sustainability as they are thriving – it sounds to me more like just some slogan for constructing. But as far as what I see from the article, Fisher is not like that. Not only is she devoted to promoting sustainable fashion, but she is passionate about making a difference to the world at a larger scale as well.

What interests me much is the “Don’t knower approach” mentioned in the article, which reminds me of the first stage of design thinking – to empathize. The two notions have different meanings of course, but they share the knowledge of not bringing your assumptions when listening to others. As a designer herself, Fisher surely knows well not to be too self-confident about everything. Designers need to learn from their customers, as well as their colleagues. This also corresponds with what’s mentioned later in the article that Fisher encourages everybody to be the leader and contribute their intellectual power.

Another point that gets my attention is the following quote, “If we work during personal hours, then why can’t we deepen our personal side while at work? Work can be a place for personal growth and learning. If we can create environments where people can help each other grow, work itself can be a little more fun.” It strikes me that by focusing on her employees as individuals, Fisher expands the definition of sustainable fashion. Sustainability could mean more than environmentally friendly products and water-saving manufacture process. Generally, constructing a healthy working environment where people feel cared about and respected could actually be another level of sustainability. That is rooted deep in the value of the brand, which could not have been so if it weren’t for Fisher – a human being of love and passion for a better world.

Eileen Fisher  is a clear example of a sustainable company that is really engaged in following a circular economy model. From the selection of materials, such as organic cotton and linen, the use of green techniques to dye the clothes, the design of the garment, to the worskspace, the recycling process, this company has implemented sustainable measures at every stage of the chain. Most companies should follow this model as Eileen Fisher is the proof that a company can be both successful and sustainable. Something that I found interesting is how the owner, Eileen Fisher, transferred some shares to the employees so they could also own part of the company. This way the employees become more valuable for the company as they understand how the company works and how it can improve. It is in their best interest therefore to look for the well being of the company as they are owners too, rather than simple employees. In the text, for instance, they mention how certain employee suggested to reduce the use of plastic and the company actually took measures regarding this issue, so this company seems pretty open to suggestions as they are really interested in changing the way fashion is done and every small change could reduce a lot the impact it  has on the environment.    

I checked Eileen Fisher’s official website and noticed their desings are quite simple, minimalistic and loose. They do not try to impose the perfect fit like most brands do, so the clothes seem really comfortable. However, they do not have a lot of variations of colors and patterns but I guess this might be due to the dying techniques they use as they use less water and less  chemicals. I think some people would not buy their clothes as they prefer more colorful clothes with crazy patterns, given that fashion is not only about comfort and functionality, but also a way to represent ourselves, to create an identity, as we saw in the last reading. Therefore, I think this is something the company could work on, like they did before by designing leggings, jeans, tank tops, etc in order to attract the young.  Regarding the price, it seem high but it might actually be a fair price for the quality and sustainability involved in the production of these clothes, but the question is if more and more people are willing to pay these prices, if they are willing to switch from fast fashion to sustainable fashion.  

I was aware of the Eileen Fisher brand of clothing, but never knew the scope of her mission for sustainability and social responsibility. Upon reading of her brand’s initiative and the feats accomplished, it seems like EF has gone into just about every aspect of the fashion business and sought plans to make them more sustainable. From choice of fabrics to dyeing to second hand selling to worker benefits to empowering women, Eileen Fisher has really gone all out in ensuring that her brand leaves a positive impact on the industry and consumer. This is the first brand that I am aware of that has had such a profound commitment to moving towards better practices. 

I find it incredible that Fisher has such passion towards sustainability as well as empowering people. Not only does she aim for lessened impacts on the earth, she is a strong proponent for women’s empowerment and encouraging employees to take more leadership. Fisher seems like the complete opposite of a competitive, for profit CEO. She is willing jump through as many hoops as possible to become more sustainable, even if it means spending large amounts of money on new developments, as shown in her drive to find a solution to chlorine usage in wool. Rather than seeking the spotlight, she encourages her employees to make contributions that can strongly impact the brand positively.

It is wonderful that Eileen Fisher is such as accessible brand, because the more people shop there, the more the brand is able to reach its sustainability goals. It was a smart move to take initiative to include younger consumers in their target market because sustainability should not only be for a certain age range. Young people have more and more buying power with much more influence on the fashion industry. Bringing more younger women into their brand will only make it more widely known and more popular to buy sustainable clothing. While the brand now targets a younger crowd, it is still good that EF has maintained their classical silhouettes that do not follow the fast changing trends. With similar designs over the years, consumers don’t need to constantly buy more and can keep their EF merchandise for a much longer time. Ultimately, EF has an incredible vision and initiative that should be emulated in many other clothing brands, and I hope they are able to reach their Vision 2020 goal.