The coronavirus is completely transforming our relationship with fashion and clothing. While we reflect on the ethical footprint [1] of our everyday purchases, our favourite brands are being forced to take sustainability more seriously. The pandemic has shown us how globally connected we all are — for better or worse. If fashion wants to thrive post-lockdown, then companies must connect the stories of those making clothes to the people buying them and how that aligns with the needs of our planet.

Fashion's embrace of sustainability has been slower than expected, but with shoppers becoming more conscious of our consumption, popular brands are responding more quickly to demand. What is lacking is brand transparency. Fashion Revolution Week [2] 2020 marks the seven-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse [3] in 2013. The collapse of the factory, which made clothes for brands like Primark, Mango, and Matalan, took 1,134 lives because factory owners and big brands neglected the health and safety of garment workers.

Currently, history is repeating itself as those same companies are among retailers that are cancelling £2.4 billion worth of orders [4] — leaving over two million garment workers without a job and many without pay at a time when we all need extra support. "I can't sleep at night. I have 2,000 workers but they are all supporting another 10,000 family members. What will I tell them about their jobs and their pay?" said Mostafiz Uddin [5], chief executive of the Bangladesh Apparel Exchange and managing director of Denim Expert, in an interview with The Guardian.

Will COVID-19 be the unlikely catalyst to expand the conversation around sustainability from just being planet focused to planet and people focused? To not only encourage us to see the environmental cost but also remind us of the human cost of our purchases? What we're learning from the global health crisis is that whether we realise it or not, we already live in a circular system. While we're all navigating these uncertain times together, we have a unique opportunity — especially as shoppers — to form a new, healthier relationship with fashion. One where we can be proud of the clothes we're wearing, because no human or natural resource was exploited in the name of style.

Fashion's future is about redesigning a circular economy with the human interest and the community at the centre of it — and that future starts now. As shoppers, we have the power to make sure the industry takes this moment to make a real, positive change by aligning ourselves (and our pockets) with brands that reflect our values. But it's not only fashion's supply chains and our connection to consumerism that could see a positive change from the pandemic but also how we shop every day. From a boom in online shopping to a rediscovering of boutique brands, a digital Fashion Week schedule, and a total shakeup of influencer culture, ahead are six ways COVID-19 is already redefining our love of clothes.

Fashion Week Is Going Digital

The British Fashion Council announced that London Fashion Week will officially go digital and gender neutral [6] until at least June 2021. This means everyday shoppers will have better access to previewing new-season collections, which democratises the fashion conversation beyond industry insiders, buyers, and press.

A Shakeup of Influencer Culture

Big brands will no longer have the budgets to splurge on gifting designer goods and luxury holidays to influencers. Instagram stars [7] will have to rethink how they connect with us as shoppers, and hopefully that means a shift towards more relatable storytelling and less aspirational exclusivity.

Online Shopping Gets a Huge Boost

Brick and mortar will take a heavy hit, as many of us will be a bit apprehensive about shopping in physical stores. This means online shopping will see a major boom — maybe it's a good time to set up your online side hustle [8]?

More Conscious Spending

With millions of people furloughed, out of work, or unable to work, we might see another recession [9]. And while this means less disposable income, we'll become more conscious about where we invest our hard-earned cash. It's a good opportunity to rethink our love of fashion by purchasing pieces we love and we know will last — including looking at where our pieces are made and the materials used — so we know what to expect from the lifespan of our clothes [10].

Fast Fashion Is Forced to Slow Down

Major fast-fashion retailers that previously relied on unquestioned textile waste and underpaid labour to make a quick and fast buck are currently losing millions of pounds to order cancellations [11]. Sustainability and transparency are starting to align with good business, and brands must consider slower and more considered supply chains to protect themselves from further financial losses.

As shoppers, we should shift our attention to smaller, boutique brands so they can survive the financial backlash of COVID-19 and we can support a healthier garment industry post-lockdown. We should also demand better from fast-fashion brands that continue to commit human-rights and environmental injustices. If major retailers want to be on the right side of fashion's future, then they must incorporate the stories of garment workers into their brand message.

Upcycling and Repairing Become More Popular

Life in lockdown has encouraged many of us to rediscover the joy of making and repairing things [12], instead of throwing them away and buying something new. We've all been reminded how precious resources are, and hopefully this will translate into the popularity of upcycling and revamping much-loved garments.