THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY

As a product of the modern age the fashion Industry is a multibillion-pound global enterprise, encompassing everything from design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, retailing, advertising and promotion.

http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

The 'production of clothing', before the mid 19th century, was done handmade and made to-order for individuals but by the 20th century and the birth of the sewing machine and other new-technologies,   

clothing became a global mass-production.

http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk

Because this is a highly-globalised industry, the production of garments has been "shared" around the world and has been separated into four levels - production of raw material; principally fibres and textile, the production of fashion goods by designers; retail sales and various forms of advertising and promotion. These are individual levels and have their own independent process's and job forms.

THE CHANGES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY 

Digital fashion has become an important sector of the fashion Industry. In 2015, according to the Euromonitor International, global online shopping is worth £175bn.

High-end brands have made it easier to engage with customers by the online and social networks at the click of a button. This has made shopping more convenient for customers with quick deliveries and the access of millions of worldwide products.

High tech synthetic fabrics and as well as the major interest of sustainability has affect the fashion Industry in many ways. Fashion and textiles is the most polluted industry in the world and the production of one single garment impacts the planets health. It can take more than 20,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of cotton, equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans.

Up to 8,000 different chemicals are used to turn raw materials into clothes, including a range of dyeing and finishing processes this has made the fashion Industry evidently linked to pollution of streams and rivers by the hazardous chemicals leaked from factories as well as being a contributor to bulging landfills. 
Companies have made an awareness by advancing eco-friendly dye technology such DyeCoo who has developed anwater-free and process chemical-free dyeing solution.

Some retail companies have been turning waste into a viable resource for the industry production, using patent-pending technology that turns old clothing into fibres for new clothing. 
Bionic Yarn is a revolutionising company for the sustainable aspect of the fashion industry. The earths ocean have unfortunately been clogged with millions of tons of plastic trash threatening the marine life, however Bionic Yarn has aided this devastation by making fabric from recycled ocean plastic. Its a tiny fraction of the fashions pollution problem, but its an ideal start. 

Links from photographs:
http://bionic.is
http://www.dyecoo.com
http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/dyes
http://luxurysociety.com/en/articles/2013/10/the-anatomy-of-a-digital-fashion-week-campaign/