Where We Create, Build & Inspire
Scribe is a student-run publication based in the GTA that covers everything from social issues to culture and lifestyle. This spring, we tell stories from the mindset of a 20-something and the conversations shaping their world.
Scrolling through Instagram, vibrant ads flash across the screen, with 10 dollar T-shirts, trendy jackets, and accessories promising instant wardrobe transformation for a fraction of the cost. It’s easy to imagine slipping into one of these outfits, perfect for the weekend, only to sit in the back of a closet for a year until it’s ultimately passed on to who knows where. For many, this constant consumption cycle is a normal part of the fashion landscape. But with sustainable fashion now a growing movement, some are beginning to ask, what’s the true cost of these inexpensive, fleeting trends?
The impact of fast fashion, a $1.84 trillion industry as of 2025, creating cheap, mass-produced clothing made to meet the latest trends is becoming more apparent daily. Globally, fast fashion produces 92 million tons of textile waste annually, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
Despite these alarming figures, designers like Claire Scott are spearheading a new wave of sustainable practices in the fashion world. Scott, the creator of Claire Upcycled, is redefining what it means to wear clothing that aligns with both artistry and ethics.
For Scott, fashion was never part of the original plan. A visual artist at heart, she spent years perfecting murals, illustrations and paintings. Yet, her entrepreneurial spirit pushed her to explore wearable art as a new venture. Starting by screen-printing on shirts, Scott quickly realized that the fashion industry wasn’t typically great for the environment, which she did not want to contribute to. Fast fashion’s devastating impact on the environment and labour rights weighed heavily on her. Learning about the harmful practices within the industry, she knew she couldn’t keep producing clothes in this unsustainable way.
“As an artist, you know it is our duty and our responsibility to change the way people think in society, with our expression,” Scott said. “And so, I was like, I can't keep putting this stuff out there. It's not making me feel good I don't want my brand to be supporting, these kinds of things.”
So began the transformation of her business. She put out one final collection and then transformed her brand into a sustainable zero-waste clothing company and Claire Upcycled was born. The brand began as an effort to marry Claire’s passion for art with her desire to create an ethical, sustainable fashion brand that could make a statement about activism through wearable art.
What began as a creative experiment soon blossomed into a thriving business. Scott’s work now focuses on sourcing discarded clothing, which she reimagines by adding her original artwork. Through this process, she ensures that each piece is one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly and avoids contributing to the fast fashion cycle.
Fashion with purpose
Sarah Jay is a Toronto-based sustainable fashion advocate with over 20 years of experience. She, like Scott, didn’t get into fashion with a focus on sustainability, it was something she learned about from being immersed in the industry. Early in her career, she also had the dooming realization of the true cost of fashion, deciding to commit to sustainability.
As a part of her commitment to this initiative is her work as the executive producer, for Fashion Revolution, a Canadian non-profit focused on making a safe industry for all involved in the fashion cycle. The company was started after the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse where the dangerous, hidden, side of fashion had become the forefront of everyone’s mind, a disturbing light was cast, and people could no longer turn a blind eye.
The collapse happened in the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where 1,138 people died and over 2,500 people were injured. Bangladesh is the second highest global textile exporter, where about four million people of the 69 million population labour force, work as garment workers.
From this tragedy grew people’s desire to learn where clothes were made, not just the made-in-said-country tag, but by who and how. Sustainable fashion doesn’t just look at the environmental costs of the clothes but ensures that the conditions of the person making the garment can produce sustainably, not just in an environmental aspect, but for ethics sake.
“It’s important to understand that there's lots of different ways that one can be sustainable from a design or business perspective. Sustainability can include the decisions of what you're going to produce and how much. It can include decisions on where you're going to produce it and how, (and) it can include considerations of materials and sourcing,” Jay says. “It can also refer to philosophies of design like zero waste. It can refer to a commitment to upcycle existing materials and not make use of virgin fibres or new materials.”
In contrast to these ideologies comes the ruthlessness within the industry. Fast Fashion, which is the rapid production and sale of inexpensive clothing that copies popular styles. The industry relies on people's want for cheap clothes, and fast. The business model focuses on quantity rather than quality, not considering the environmental impact, or working conditions while also ripping off smaller designers.
Sandra Leutri, a sustainable fashion expert from Humber Polytechnic’s Office of Sustainability, sees the dangers of fast fashion frequently. She often encounters people who, despite the growing awareness around sustainability, continue to gravitate toward fast fashion.
“I feel like people are being hit from multiple angles when it comes to fast fashion. If you have the influence of media, especially social media and influencers, and then you also have the affordability and accessibility part of it as well. So, I don't think it's inevitable, but I do think that it's hard to get away from it, and I'm saying that as someone (whose) entire job is sustainability,” she says.
She explains how consumers can not fall for the fashion industry’s tricks. With clothing priced lower than ever before, it’s easy for someone to buy a new outfit without considering the environmental or ethical cost. But, as she points out, the negative consequences are far-reaching, and they affect not only the planet, but also the workers who manufacture these clothes under exploitative conditions.
“So much about sustainability is all consumption, right? Like how much are people buying? And then where is that? Where's the clothes going after that? So focusing on durability, staying away from trends, and really focusing on pieces that can be worn in multiple outfits,” she says.
The rise of Claire Upcycled stands as a stark contrast to this. Scott’s choice to focus on sustainable materials and upcycled clothing speaks to the shift in thinking that sustainable fashion experts hope to inspire in consumers.
The fast fashion industry’s environmental toll is staggering. According to United Nations reports, the fashion industry accounts for approximately 10 per cent of global carbon emissions worldwide. The production of textiles involves the use of toxic chemicals, and the clothing produced often ends up in landfills after only a few uses. Meanwhile, millions of workers are exploited in low-wage countries, frequently subjected to unsafe working conditions.
Re-working everyday fashion
While the conversation around sustainability continues to grow, the shift from fast fashion to being more mindful, consumption is still in its infancy. But the momentum is gaining. Designers like Claire Scott are leading the charge, showing that fashion can be both artistic and ethical.
For those inspired by Canadian designers’ work who are looking for more affordable options, there are ways to embrace sustainability from home. More people are turning to DIY fashion, repurposing their existing wardrobe to create something new. The process can be as simple as altering a garment, adding embellishments, or even learning the art of sewing to fix pieces, giving them a longer life. It’s a great way to revitalize old clothes, ensuring they stay out of the landfill while expressing personal style.
An easy way to spice up your wardrobe while staying sustainable on a budget is buying second-hand. While the importance of mending the clothes you have now cannot be understated, it is still fun to add entirely new pieces to your wardrobe and the cheapest way to do that is buying second hand, or doing clothing swaps, says Audrey Henderson, communications specialist from Fashion Takes Action.
These practices may sometimes feel tedious, but it is important to remember why to do them. “I think that when we talk about the impacts of the fashion industry, we often kind of think about like, out of sight, out of mind, you know, the problem is very far away. We think about people producing clothing in the supply chain in other countries. And I think that some people forget how much it does impact us right at home,” Henderson says.
"There's room to love fashion, and love clothes, and be very critical of the industry as it stands." - SARAH JAY
A report from Fashion Takes Action in 2023 found nearly 500,000 tonnes of post-consumer textiles end up in Canada’s landfills annually. Modern clothing is typically made from synthetic materials like polyester and acrylic which can take over 200 years to decompose in a landfill, while the decomposition process produces methane, which is nearly 30 times more potent than CO2, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Leutri encourages people to check out online tutorials and local workshops that offer endless resources for those looking to start their fashion upcycling journey. By upcycling clothes, people not only breathe new life into their old garments but also actively participate in the larger movement toward reducing fashion waste.
Scott’s brand exemplifies this model, where garments are repurposed, redesigned, and reimagined to create something entirely new. “I'll take like scraps, and I'll also take shirts that have stains on them or holes on them and I completely like strip the shirt, so I cut up all the parts and ... basically what's left are just the cuffs and like the neck,” she says.
Scott emphasizes that sustainability can be hard work, but it is worth it. The model she follows not only provides her customers with unique, high-quality clothing but also ensures that the entire process, from sourcing to creation, has minimal environmental impact.
How designers are innovating
Another designer who loves the art of creation while keeping in mind the environmental aspect is Max Twum-Antwi, a Toronto-based designer. His love for fashion started after passing the time as a kid by designing shoes on Microsoft Paint, and his passion for creation grew from there. He grew to make his interests a career by creating his brand, A Boy Born On Monday.
He likes to innovate traditional ways of creation by adding his twist, which as a result are sustainable. “So, a good example is a t-shirt. When you make a t-shirt, you actually need four pieces, a front, a back, one for the right sleeve, one for the left sleeve. But I changed how the pattern is so I only make two sides basically. I make the front, and I make a back with the sleeves attached. So, I try to use as (little) material as possible by just changing how stuff are made. So, I do that with t-shirts, pants, and as much as clothing as possible,” he says.
His philosophy when designing, is creating something people would want to wear if they could afford anything, if there were no limitations or budget. Beyond that, what inspires him most are people.
“My first collection with the clouds, that was inspired by how everyone sees the sky. Everyone, not one person on the planet doesn't know the sky. But when you look at clouds, everyone sees a different cloud, even though you look at the same cloud. Like someone will see an elephant, someone will see a squirrel, someone will see like a dolphin. So, I wanted to make a clothing that has a logo, has like a motif, but a motif unique to everyone. But at the same time, relatable to everyone,” he says.
A behind the scenes video by Joe Twum-Antwi (@joseph.no_vision on Instagram) of designer Max Twum-Antwi wearing his new collection for A Boy Born On Monday.
He reminds people that fashion is fun. Getting dressed is about showing the world who you are on the inside and expressing that on the outside, and that should be celebrated. With that sentiment comes the reminder that sustainable fashion is not boring, it is just being conscious of where and how your clothes are being made.
It is easy to be turned off from the fashion industry while simultaneously loving the art which is clothes. As Jay says, “there's room to love fashion, and love clothes, and be very critical of the industry as it stands.”
The shift to a more sustainable fashion industry is well underway, with designers like Claire Scott and Max Twum-Antwi at the forefront of this movement. Their work shows that fashion can be both art and activism, offering consumers a chance to embrace creativity while also buying responsibly.
As the fashion industry evolves, people are beginning to see that style doesn’t have to come at the cost of the planet or the people on it.
