Fashion is a fast paced industry, it’s also a very wasteful industry. The production of fashion contributes to 10% of global carbon emissionsand overproduces by at least 30% each season - that’s quarterly for those who aren’t versed in the industry standards. Every year, fashion brands release new fashion lines based on the season, so we have a spring, summer, fall, and winter collection. When you put all the waste together, it just seems unnecessary wasteful, but it hasn’t stopped the global market from going out there and buying the latest fashion because it’s what we’re primed to do. Society has taught us that we always need new, because newer is better. It’s a toxic cycle that unfortunately doesn’t do much for our world, or pocketbooks, for that matter. Yulia and Andrey Omelich hope to change that with CODOGIRL. Yulia and Andrey Omelich don’t seem like your conventional fashion mogul couple, but they founded CODOGIRLin the hopes of changing the way that fashion works. The couple has a financial background in investment banking, with joint experience in UniCredit and Barclays. What made them interested in the world of fashion? “We all want pretty things and sometimes those pretty things can cost a pretty penny,” says Yulia on the topic, “On top of that, fashion isn’t exactly eco-friendly, no matter how you spin it… There’s always going to be a huge carbon footprint that follows any article of fashion from conception to production, and even distribution and the logistics involved can also contribute to a growing carbon footprint. We want to change all of that by redefining how fashion works. You don’t necessarily need something brand new, we just want what’s new to us. In a world where rented fashionis becoming more acceptable, we want to make refurbished and preloved items a hot commodity.” CODOGIRL is recognized by the United Nations Climate Change(UNCC) as a driving force for more sustainable practices, and they have been a Signatory of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action since April 2021. Through the reselling of vintage designer clothing, CODOGIRL is bridging the gap between affordability and sustainability, and surprisingly enough, the Omelich’s background in finance does play a part in why they decided to go down this path. The idea is largely Yulia’s, who was “concerned by the trajectory of the fashion industry” and wanted to help women spend with their brain. According to her, “luxury fashion, if acquired right, can be an investment and there are ways to own it while being smart with your money and caring for the environment at the same time.”
CODOGIRL is a brand to keep an eye out for, especially with the way that the current trends are moving in. Millennials are referred to as the “green generation” or “conscious consumers” because they are taking the time to research the brands and products that they are supporting through their spending habits. Paired with the desire to build a better lifestyle that promotes sustainability, fashion better keep up, or it will be left in the dust.