According to new research from the global fashion platform, Lyst, sustainability is the primary driver of innovation from fashion brands. Lyst has released its 2021 Conscious Fashion Report, which examines fashion customers' growing sustainability practices as well as the changemakers.

Among its findings, Lyst said customers are becoming more educated about how clothes are created, and they are hungry for vegan and non-plastic alternatives. Science is assisting brands in being more sustainable by developing new materials, many of which are derived from nature. On Lyst, searches for garments manufactured from mushroom-based materials have increased by 38% year over year, while demand for plant-dyed pieces has increased by 131%.

Other survey findings encourage the expansion of clothes repair service technologies. Over the last year, Lyst searches for companies that actively offer repairs (such as Patagonia, Raeburn, Barbour, and Levi's) have increased by 146%, while demand for handmade, artisanal, and craft pieces has increased by 13%.

Lyst said that fashion fans want to make deliberate fashion decisions, and businesses are responding by producing items that can be worn for extended periods of time and offering repairs.

The hype-driven streetwear sector appears to be focused on social responsibility. According to Lyst, many firms have shifted away from overconsumption and toward more sustainable strategies such as slower drops and environmentally friendly materials in recent months.

Meanwhile, demand for sneaker collaborations has moderated (increasing 30% year over year versus 60% in 2020), but the desire for sustainably created footwear has increased. Lyst reports that searches for recycled sneakers are rising 55% year over year. Views for biodegradable footwear have seen a spike of 348%.

Nomfundo Mphuthi, strategy director at Lyst, said that their duty and mission is to inspire and encourage fashion fans to make informed purchase decisions. According to World Bank data from 2019, 40% of clothing purchased is never worn, thus they want to help clients buy better by providing hyper-personalized recommendations from the world's greatest online range.

Mphuthi added that they’re also adding additional sustainable brand partners, most recently Pangaia, and celebrating young designers and sharing their stories with their audience via the Conscious Fashion report and social media. Finally, they're still looking into ways to make their platform's offerings even more transparent.