9 Must-See Sustainable Fashion Documentaries
This post is about the 9 life-changing sustainable fashion documentaries you must watch!
Sustainable fashion documentaries offer an eye-opening glimpse into the garment industry and highlight the urgent need for positive change.
These films often feature personal stories, shocking facts, and critical looks at fast fashion‘s environmental and social impacts. Get the tissues ready.
9 Must-See Sustainable Fashion Documentaries
Here are some of the most compelling documentaries that explore the world of sustainable fashion:
Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy
Director: Nic Stacey
Key Topics: Consumerism, marketing manipulation, environmental impact
Why Watch: This Netflix documentary is one of the latest ethical fashion documentaries. It uncovers how global brands like Amazon and Apple use psychological tactics to fuel overconsumption. Through interviews with industry insiders, it reveals strategies designed to keep consumers buying endlessly, from subtle colour choices on buttons to engineered product obsolescence.
The film also addresses the environmental consequences, such as textile and e-waste, with striking visuals of discarded goods and landfills. Buy Now! is a thought-provoking call for conscious consumerism and sustainability.
Watch on Netflix
The True Cost
Watch the entire film here.
Director: Andrew Morgan
Key Topics: Fast fashion industry, environmental impact, garment workers
Why Watch: This groundbreaking documentary critically examines the human and ecological costs of the fast fashion industry. It highlights the harsh realities faced by female garment workers in countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia and the environmental degradation caused by the production of cheap clothing.
Featuring voices like Stella McCartney and interviews with factory workers, “The True Cost” is a compelling call for more sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
Sweatshops: Deadly Fashion
Director: Joakim Kleven
Key Topic: Three young Norwegian fashion bloggers spend a month in Phnom Penh living the life of Cambodian sweatshop workers.
Why Watch: Frida, Anniken, and Ludwig, fashion enthusiasts who spend heavily on clothing and promote trends, have never considered the lives of those who make their clothes. Now, they swap their privileged lifestyles for those of Cambodian garment workers, who live on $3 a day and work in factories.
This film calls for better regulations and accountability from factory owners and fast fashion brands to ensure the safety and rights of workers.
River Blue
Directors: Mark Angelo, Roger Williams, and David McIlvride
Key Topics: Water pollution, textile industry, environmental consequences
Why Watch: “River Blue” explores the devastating impact of the fashion industry on the world’s rivers, focusing on the production of blue jeans. The documentary follows international river conservationist Mark Angelo as he investigates the toxic chemicals and waste that pollute major waterways, leading to severe health and environmental consequences.
This film underscores the urgent need for sustainable practices in fashion to protect our water resources.
Watch on Amazon.
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things
Watch the entire film here.
Directors: Matt D’Avella, featuring Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
Key Topics: Consumption habits, sustainable choices, daily lives
Why Watch: Although not exclusively about fashion, “Minimalism” offers a unique perspective on how our consumption habits, including fashion choices, affect our lives and the environment. The film follows people from different walks of life who embrace minimalism to create a more meaningful, sustainable lifestyle.
It’s a great way to understand the broader context of sustainable living and its impact on fashion.
The Next Black
Director: David Dworsky
Key Topics: Future of fashion, new technologies, sustainable practices
Why Watch: This documentary explores the future of clothing by featuring innovative designers, companies, and sustainable practices that aim to revolutionize the fashion industry.
“The Next Black” goes into new technologies and ideas that could pave the way for a more sustainable future in fashion, making it a must-watch for those interested in the intersection of fashion and innovation.
Fashion’s Dirty Secrets
Featuring: Stacey Dooley
Key Topics: Environmental costs, fast fashion brands, water consumption
Why Watch: In this revealing documentary, journalist Stacey Dooley investigates the environmental impact of the fast fashion industry, mainly focusing on water consumption and pollution.
The film uncovers the shocking facts about how producing cheap clothes leads to severe water pollution in countries like Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
It’s an eye-opening look at the hidden costs of our clothing choices.
Machines
Director: Rahul Jain
Key Topics: Garment factory, brutal conditions, human rights
Why Watch: “Machines” offers a raw and unfiltered look at the daily lives of workers in a textile factory in India. The documentary exposes the brutal conditions and exploitation of garment workers, highlighting the human cost of the global fashion supply chain.
It’s a powerful reminder of the fashion industry’s need for better working conditions and ethical practices.
The True Cost of Cheap Fashion – Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act
Watch the entire episode here.
Host: Hasan Minhaj
Key Topics: Fast fashion brands, social impacts, consumption habits
Why Watch: In this episode of “Patriot Act,” Hasan Minhaj talks about the fast fashion industry, revealing its negative social and environmental impacts.
With his unique blend of humour and investigative journalism, Minhaj explains the actual cost of cheap fashion and encourages viewers to make more sustainable choices.
9 Must-See Sustainable Fashion Documentaries
These documentaries are essential viewing for anyone interested in the sustainable fashion movement. They provide critical insights into the fashion industry’s environmental and social impacts and highlight the importance of making more ethical and sustainable fashion choices.
