Beyond wanting to buy clothing that doesn't make a person feel guilty, more consumers are showing a desire for alternative, creative fashion that is made in limited numbers. The rise of upcycling among new designers and businesses is likely due to a youth-driven consortium within the fashion industry which is poised to support brands that create things in a positive way. With this, the process works well for younger, smaller brands who find it easy to buy deadstock or vintage garments for the purpose of upcycling in place of expensive fabrics that often require minimum orders. Moreover, a smaller-scale brand with upcycling baked into its DNA means it's easier to maintain and less expensive to produce, unlike bigger brands who may have trouble adopting these processes due to the traditional setup of their supply chain.

This uptick in younger sustainably minded brands could possibly stem from design schools, too, which have been adding more sustainability-focused courses into their curriculums, training their students to adopt new ways of thinking about fashion systems. Programs teach young designers to think critically about how fashion is made and consumed, and to reconsider both its processes and outcomes.