Sustainability is the future of fashion: Q&A with Keanan Duffty

Keanan Duffty is an award-winning designer, musician and educator whose work blends the raw energy of rock ’n’ roll with the sophistication of high fashion, all while championing sustainability.

Known for his collaborations with iconic artists like the Sex Pistols and David Bowie, he has worked with brands like Aveda, Reebok, John Varvatos and Dr. Martens. His collections, featured at New York Fashion Week and sold at retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods, embrace a pragmatic approach to sustainable fashion through upcycling and tech-driven innovations.

As an instructor at the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy, Duffty teaches graduate-level courses that blend fashion, innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, with a focus on purpose-driven design. His classes push students to use their talents to foster social change.

Duffty spoke with USC News for Earth Month, sharing insights on sustainable fashion and offering his perspective on the future of the industry.

What sparked your interest in sustainable fashion?

Duffty: In the early ’90s, I worked with a London consultancy that created the first widely distributed fashion collection made from “Green Cotton.” It was affordable and sold in major UK retail stores. The collection was eventually replaced — not for lack of interest, but because retailers favored higher margins. That experience showed me that while sustainability is an idealistic goal, it must also be practical — feasible in manufacturing, distribution and pricing — so that it resonates with consumers and has longevity in the market.

How would you describe your brand’s style and your approach to sustainability? How do these elements influence both your design process and business approach?

Duffty: I take a practical approach to sustainability, focusing on upcycling, recycling and repurposing fashion.

I ran a design studio in SoHo, N.Y., with a team of 15, specializing in upcycling iconic pieces like Levi’s 501 jeans and Lee 101 Storm Rider jackets — timeless garments that are well-known for their fit and versatility. We also sourced vintage Nike and Adidas athletic wear, customizing each piece by hand with screen printing and embroidery.

Our labor-intensive process ensured high-quality, one-of-a-kind designs, which we sold to top retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s and Fred Segal. By purchasing in volume and elevating each item, we positioned them as luxury products with strong margins.

How do upcycling and vintage fashion contribute to sustainability, and is there growing consumer demand for these practices?

Duffty: There’s already an excess of clothing in the world. Most people wear only 30% of their wardrobe and could go a lifetime without needing more. While some need clothing for warmth or protection, many have far more than necessary. We may not have what we want in our wardrobe, but it might be in someone else’s.

Swapping and sharing clothes is essential to sustainable fashion. Fashion is cyclical; styles come around again, usually with slight variations. So shopping vintage and repurposing is highly valuable from both a sustainability and cultural perspective.

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges for sustainable innovation in the fashion product life cycle?

Duffty: One major issue is the traditional design and sampling process, which is resource-intensive and wasteful. Fashion companies start with a sketch, then create an initial pattern followed by a muslin sample in raw cotton. Next comes a first sample in a similar or correct fabric, followed by fit adjustments and a second corrected sample. Finally, a pre-production sample is made before full-scale production begins. That’s four samples per style — multiplied by 12 styles in a collection, the waste and carbon footprint quickly add up, especially when samples are shipped internationally.

Digital design tools like CLO3D help reduce this waste by allowing designers to create and refine garments on digital avatars, eliminating the need for multiple physical samples. This not only cuts costs but also makes the process more efficient and sustainable.

How do shifting consumer behaviors influence sustainability in fashion and drive innovation?

Duffty: Fashion is inherently unpredictable. A product might have been showcased in a runway show months earlier, but by the time it hits stores, consumer preferences may have shifted. If an item doesn’t sell at full price, it gets marked down, sent to third-party discount retailers or remains unsold altogether.

Consumer behavior is one of the biggest wild cards in sustainability. Trends are driven by social dynamics — people want to be the first to have something, but if it becomes too popular, they might reject it. This constant flux makes managing demand, production and sustainability incredibly difficult. While brands can improve efficiency and reduce waste, they ultimately can’t control the whims that drive fashion trends.

Making sustainable fashion accessible remains a challenge. What needs to happen — at the brand, consumer and policy levels — to drive affordability and adoption?

Duffty: Fashion costs are closely tied to production volume — high-volume brands like Zara and H&M sell cheaply by producing at scale, while luxury brands like Prada control scarcity to drive demand. Sustainability adds complexity, factoring in cotton’s carbon footprint, transportation efficiency and factory practices like renewable energy use.

Making sustainable fashion more affordable requires consumer education. When people demand transparency, the industry must adapt. Governments also play a key role by enforcing sustainability and fair trade regulations.

For consumers, understanding what makes a product truly sustainable — beyond “greenwashing” — should become a standard expectation. Ultimately, this shift in consumer demand, supported by regulations, can make sustainable fashion more accessible and affordable for everyone.

How do you see the future of sustainable fashion, and how does your work at the USC Iovine and Young Academy contribute to shaping that future?

Duffty: Sustainability is the future of fashion, but it’s also part of a larger shift toward more sustainable consumption across all industries. The future will focus not only on sustainable production but also on changing consumer behavior and expectations.

At IYA, we take a forward-thinking, interdisciplinary approach to fashion, emphasizing innovation, entrepreneurship and digital fashion. This aligns with the broader push for sustainability by reducing the carbon footprint — especially with digital fashion, which eliminates the need for physical production. While digital fashion still has some environmental impact, it’s far lower than traditional manufacturing or fashion shows.

We also explore design possibilities using AI tools like DALL·E and Midjourney. While AI offers precision, it can’t replace the human creativity that drives true innovation. What makes IYA unique is our interdisciplinary approach, combining diverse perspectives to shape the future of fashion education. Our focus on digital fashion not only cuts the carbon footprint but also unlocks new creative possibilities for a more sustainable industry.