The particular brand of veganism that has led to fast fashion retailers selling vegan shoes and shampoo is often referred to as ‘white veganism’. It’s based on a view that veganism was invented in Britain in 1944, when the term was coined by The Vegan Society founder Donald Watson. But this overlooks the fact that eastern religions like Buddhism and Jainism have advocated vegetarian and vegan lifestyles for centuries. “The fast fashion industry as we know it is colonisation under a new name,” says fashion consultant Aja Barber. Research by British charity Oxfam shows that the richest 10% of people in the world produce 50% of carbon emissions, while the poorest 50% (mostly people of colour) produce just 10% but are worst hit by the effects.

The idea that brands can use sustainability to sell more clothes is inherently contradictory. Among the many brands trying to do so are Topshop, The Kooples and British retailer Marks & Spencer. The latter has a range of over 350 vegan shoes, spanning womenswear, menswear and children. But if a brand is encouraging fast fashion consumption, producing in factories where staff are overworked and underpaid, and using synthetic materials, are they really sustainable? The £19.50 or $25 price tag on a pair of vegan sandals certainly throws the supply chain into question.

However, any steps brands take to be more sustainable should be appreciated, no matter how small. According to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, leather from cows is almost three times as damaging to the environment as vegan leather, while wool is twice as harmful as polyester. Besides, sustainability takes time to implement, especially in established business models.

What’s worrying is when complacent companies use sustainability as a means to drive sales without any intention to develop their efforts further. Claire Bergkamp is Worldwide Sustainability & Innovation Director at Stella McCartney, one of the few luxury brands known for its long-term commitment to sustainable fashion. “It is great to communicate sustainability, but it cannot become a marketing tool,” she warns. “With environmental sustainability, a lot of it comes down to science. We need to approach this with rigour.”

Most commentators agree that veganism is not a long-term solution to the environmental crisis fashion faces, and nor is it viable in every community or corner of the world. Luxury conglomerate Kering is now advocating regenerative agriculture, meaning that it will develop a new network of farms that use grazing animals to restore biodiversity. In a similar vein, trend consultancy Stylus has suggested that tomorrow’s planet-positive diet will be “post-vegan”.