Silk has been getting quite a drubbing lately; branded cruel and unsustainable, a number of brands - including ASOS -  have publicly announced that they will no longer use it, and will switch instead to what Peta helpfully point out, are cheaper alternatives, including  polyester. However, Peta also urges you to switch to a vegan diet, without once mentioning that the agricultural sector views caterpillars as pests, and kills billions every year…

Big brands would have us believe we can carry on shopping as before, and that they can carry on producing as before, provided we all shift to organic cotton, BCI cotton, polyester and so on – all of which, we are told, are less harmful to the environment than wool, silk, or conventional cotton. But is saving the environment really that simple?

What is the most pressing sustainability challenge facing the global fashion industry today? Two words: underpaying and overconsumption. We’re producing too much clothing, and paying too little for it.