Sustainability Pulse #37
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — May 28nd, 2022
Fashion Brands Face EU Sustainability Crackdown
The 27-member bloc outlined an ambitious policy strategy Wednesday that aims to curb the industry's environmental impact and address labour abuses.
Remake recently spoke with former employees of URBN who reached out with significant concerns regarding URBN brands, specifically Anthropologie.⠀
At this point, the question isn't what are they doing wrong- but what are they even doing right…from where we're sitting, it looks like nothing.
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Model Tindi Mar Doesn't Just Talk About Sustainable Fashion—She Lives It
Mar takes in the waters at Los Guayabos, the intentional eco-community where she lives outside Guadalajara, Mexico
Los Guayabos was established by six intrepid families just over 40 years ago. "It's easier to achieve change and to come up with solutions together, collectively," says Mar.
Why stealing designs from emerging designers and indie fashion brands will *always* be wrong
Fashionistas have always been the ultimate arbiters of the ‘it’ bag, trainers and dresses. Will the high street brands that get it wrong be ostracised by their loyal customers?
It's long been understood that as soon as designer fashions strut down the catwalk, there will be high street brands ready to 'take inspiration,' create a 'tribute' or - more blatantly - rip them off. Since fashion began, women would take illustrations and images of couture creations to a dressmaker and recreate the latest looks on a budget. Now it's known as 'getting the look' and finding high street pieces reminiscent of mega-expensive designer items. It has become an acceptable way to get dressed.
According To Repair Shop, The Future Of Sustainable Fashion Is Darning
Sam Bennett started 2020 with a resolution: The creative would no longer buy new things, unless there was a real necessity for the item or if it was unavailable secondhand.
How North Macedonia's fashion labels aim to reduce textile waste
The ever-changing fashion trends end up wasting a lot of clothes... A few companies are trying to challenge that.
North Macedonia's fashion industry has come a long way in the past few decades. Designers such as Marjan Pejoski, Toni Maticevski, Elena Luka and Risto Bimbiloski have made a name the world over with some of their designs making it to Hollywood.
Doodlage: Designer Kriti Tula's Virtue to Fast Fashion's sin
Late last year, images of Chile's Atacama Desert flooded social media and news channels, causing an alarming concern for environmentalists all across the globe. Mounts of discarded fashion waste filled up acres of the area — from t-shirts and Christmas sweaters to boots; the place was quickly dubbed as "fast fashion's graveyard." Globally, an approximate 92 billion tonnes of textile waste is thrown away with more than one million of it produced and dumped in India. And while fast fashion's other sins — that of wage discrepancies and unfair labour — have been topics of great debate and scrutiny, its impact on the ecosystem as a whole is often rendered secondary.
Can Art and Science Team to Finally Curb Fashion's Waste? SXD Believes So
Often, zero waste gets lumped with the granola-hemp-fabric-not-stylish stereotypes of sustainable fashion, but Shelly Xu speaks to the contrary.
FTC Imposes Multi-Million Dollar Penalties for Deceptive Consumer Reviews; Best Practices Reminders on Endorsements and Testimonials
After sending out a warning last year to over 700 companies, the Federal Trade Commission reminded them that it was important to check whether they are abiding by FTC regulations when endorsing products on social media and having positive reviews posted. If they violate these regulations, they could be slapped with civil penalties of up to $46,517 per violation.
State of Fashion Technology Report 2022
In 2021, fashion companies invested up to 1.8% of their total revenue in technology. In 2030, that figure is projected to reach 3.5%. Behind this increase is a strong belief by many that innovation can give them a competitive edge- in customer-facing activities and, more importantly, behind-the-scenes operations. For example, when technologies such as robotics, advanced analytics, and store apps are used, they can help automate processes while supporting sustainability initiatives and providing an unmatched customer experience.
You Can't Buy Your Way to Happiness: How to Avoid the 'Retail Therapy' Trap
Shopping lifts your mood, but impulse buying and even addiction can hurt your wallet.
Retail websites know that, and many are doing whatever they can to win your purchase. You've seen it: a limited-time discount or a flood of marketing emails. Some sites engage in the ethically questionable practice of "dark patterns," designs that use deliberately tricking wording and design choices to get you to make a purchase you probably wouldn't have otherwise made.
10 Ethical Denim Brands Creating Sustainable Jeans for Conscious Consumers
Looking for a new pair of jeans but don't want to support the fast fashion industry? Check out this list of brands creating sustainable jeans that conscious consumers can choose from.
Sustainability wavers 'as inflation spikes'
LOUIS - Most consumers wish to act sustainably when making purchasing decisions but their willingness to do so is being weakened by the cost of living crisis, according to a new survey. The poll of 4,679 US shoppers, commissioned by Stifel Financial Corp and carried out by Morning Consult, found that 81 per cent felt it was important for companies to act sustainably.
However, less than two-thirds (64 per cent) were now willing to pay more for brands with leading sustainability practices, down from 67 per cent last year, amidst soaring inflation.
3 Sustainable Businesses Fighting Fast Fashion
SEATTLE, Washington — Shopping for secondhand, recycled and sustainable clothing is one of the best ways to reduce the growth of the fast fashion industry. Oftentimes, these sustainable clothing stores/brands are small in comparison to the fast-fashion giants of the world. World Bank data shows that small businesses account for 50% of global employment and are vital to job creation and economic growth worldwide.
How Will Web3 Impact Fashion?
Web 2.0 has allowed for the democratization of fashion, creating a new avenue for brands to communicate with their customers directly. It has also given a platform for all women to experience high fashion from the front row seat. What about Web3?
Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control: Inside Shein's Sudden Rise
The Chinese company has become a fast-fashion juggernaut by appealing to budget-conscious Gen Zers. But its ultralow prices are hiding unacceptable costs.
In April, Shein reportedly raised $1 billion to $2 billion in private funding. The company was valued at $100 billion—higher than the combined worth of fast-fashion titans H&M and Zara, and higher than that of any private company in the world besides SpaceX and Byte-Dance, the owner of TikTok.
Vera
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