Sustainability Pulse #116
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring - July 14, 2025
We’re living through a strange moment in fashion. The original Birkin bag just sold for €7 million, while thrift stores are overflowing with Shein rejects that shed microplastics into our water.
Climate deadlines loom, but many brands still seem to treat decarbonization like a New Year’s resolution they’ll get to eventually.
This week’s stories explore both the hopeful shifts and the industry’s maddening contradictions.
From H&M experimenting with seaweed fibers to Chile launching a landmark cleanup of fast fashion waste dumped in the desert.
From Wyse London paying extra to encourage resale, to Coach under fire for leather linked to deforestation.
Meanwhile, the question at the heart of it all grows sharper: can we really break the cycle of overconsumption, or just find new ways to shop that let us pretend we are?
How to dress better for the planet – and your budget
Buying vintage and bespoke is great, but when you do need to buy off the rack, start with a few UK brands making sustainable and affordable garments
Consumers expect collective action to make sustainable fashion a reality
The EU, social media platforms and influencers can play a role.
Report: Fashion brands are ignoring proven climate fixes
Adidas, H&M, Inditex, Lululemon and Shein are leaving their best decarbonization tools on the table, researchers say.
IS TEXTILE-TO-TEXTILE RECYCLING NEARING MAINSTREAM ADOPTION IN FASHION?
Big-name brands like Chanel, Coach, H&M and Zara are bringing new attention to the latest recycled materials. Experts weigh in on what it will take for the rest of the industry to get on board.
Behind the Seams:
How Fashion’s Sustainability Champions are Funding their Future
Fashion Meets Bio Fusion With Ritual RAI’s The Last Bio Bloom Collection
PLEB interviewed Ritul Rai about her latest collection: The Last Bio Bloom, a fusion of bio materials and fashion.
A Colour to Dye For
Colour isn’t just a matter of taste – it’s a matter of toxicity. Synthetic, carcinogenic colour is killing us, and it’s killing the planet too.
Nowhere is this more relevant than fashion, where 800,000 tonnes of dye is used every single year and 90% of all clothing is dyed synthetically, using around two thirds of all dye produced.
Apparel stays resilient as personal luxury goods market contracts
Ultra high-end products and aspirational items are leading an otherwise struggling sector, according to a new report from Bain & Company.
What makes people stick with sustainable fashion?
New research shows that already having experience with buying sustainable fashion makes people more likely to stick with it, offering useful tips for brands and policymakers.
Coach’s leather could pose deforestation threat: report
An investigation by environmental nonprofit Earthsight said the Tapestry-owned brand is at risk of sourcing leather linked to illegal cattle ranching in Brazil.
SHEIN Carbon Emissions Soar: Can it Ever be Sustainable?
“Like many companies, we face the complex challenge of decoupling our growth from resource consumption,” the report reads.
Fashion brands drag feet on their green promises
Despite net-zero pledges, few clothing brands are taking steps to decarbonise their supply chains to make fashion more sustainable.
Wyse London launches second-hand marketplace, which sees sellers win extra credit
Wyse London Preloved will see sellers of authenticated products receive 110% of the sale value in the form of Wyse London credit, giving extra incentive and a chance to purchase something different from the brand.
The original Birkin bag is sold for €7 million: The history of Jane Birkin’sHermès legacy
The first-ever Birkin bag, made for and inspired by actress Jane Birkin herself, has been sold at auction for €7 million (roughly £6 million) by Sotheby’s in Paris.
H&M & Keel Labs: Using Seaweed In Sustainable Fas
H&M has collaborated with Keel Labs, launching a summer line that is manufactured from Kelsun fibre.
Kelsun is a fabric created from the regenerative organism seaweed.
The algae absorb carbon dioxide in the ocean, similar to trees on land.
Exploring the Ocean’s Textile Potential
Marine-based fibres are inherently renewable, biodegradable, and often have low environmental footprints compared to their land-based counterparts.
Field to fabric: Can bioregional fashion change how we dress?
A collective of visionaries across the UK are relearning traditional craft; a quiet revolution is happening and it might just be the antidote to fast fashion we desperately need.
The Future of Fashion – Exploring the World of 3D Garment Design
3D garment design is revolutionising the fashion industry by allowing designers to create virtual clothing using specialised software.
This process speeds up production, reduces waste, and promotes sustainability. It also enhances collaboration and realism in design.
Key tools like CLO 3D, Browzwear, and TUKA3D are shaping the future of fashion, making digital design accessible to all.
Strategic Sales Forecasting in the Age of AI and Sustainability
Sales forecasting in fashion retail is now a strategic function, powered by AI and real-time data analytics.
It helps align supply with shifting consumer demand, influenced by trends and external factors.
Sustainability is becoming crucial, with brands integrating ESG criteria into their forecasts.
Accurate forecasting drives profitability, reduces waste, and enhances customer satisfaction.
Norma Kamali is transforming the future of fashion with AI
The designer embraces generative AI to preserve and propel her legacy.
VC-Backed Startups That Stitch AI And Fashion Together See Strong Investor Interest
Investors’ interest in fashion-related tech makes sense, given that as a species, we’re estimated to spend an astonishing $1.8 trillion globally each year on attiring ourselves. That figure is projected to climb to $2.3 trillion by 2030.
From fast fashion to ‘conscious style’: Can we break the cycle of overconsumption?
In an era of climate anxiety, fast fashion, and endless scrolling, it’s easy to feel detached from the natural world. But could that disconnection be driving our desire to consume more – especially when it comes to what we wear?
People Are Sharing The Overconsumption Trends They Hate The Most, And Humans Really Are So, Soooo Wasteful
"Buying 42 Stanley cups in different colors like hydration's a fashion show." "Meanwhile, the whole point of a reusable cup was to REDUCE waste."
Patrick McDowell and Sparxell Redefine Luxury Fashion With Bio-Inspired Technology
Customizable and biodegradable cellulose-based fabric pigments and inks take sustainable fashion to the next level
Thrift Stores Are Filling Up With Fast Fashion, But Should You Buy It?
Fast fashion relies heavily on synthetic materials because they’re cheap and quick to produce, which means they’re easier to incorporate into the industry’s fast-paced production cycle. But synthetics are notorious for releasing microplastics, which is a problem at any stage of a garment’s lifecycle, but especially when they’re washed.
TikTok reveals how younger consumers are helping luxury brands drive growth
The report found that 47% of TikTok users “now define luxury as self-expression, not status, associating it with empowerment and individuality”, while one in four (26%) of TikTok luxury shoppers wait for creator reviews before buying, and a third (32%) discover brands through creators.
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