Sustainability Pulse #53
Sustainability Pulse #53
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — October 9th, 2022
Iran revolt is about much more than clothes
The West has its own ways of oppressing women.
Women's bodies have been a battleground between religious extremists and secular extremists in the West. The fight to dictate what women do with their bodies, whether in the name of the beauty mystique or sharia law is all about control, not freedom. In the West a woman may reveal her body as an expression of self-assurance; a Muslim woman may choose to cover her body for the same reason.
Boohoo brands accused of deceptive pricing
Boohoo and its brands BoohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal will pay US$4.75m to resolve three class action lawsuits which claimed they misled consumers with deceptively inflated prices. The lawsuits contend that the fast fashion brands used reference prices which were, “not original, regular, retail or former prices.” In short, prices on the websites were intentionally inflated to fool customers into thinking they were getting a good deal.
Can a Rwandan manufacturing facility boost the ‘Made in Africa’ movement?
In a 24,000-square-foot factory in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, more than 10,000 jackets and parkas are produced every day for high street retailers and brands across the US and Europe.
The World’s First Compostable Clothing Brand Just Landed a Deal on Shark Tank
The compostable underwear brand, KENT, recently scored a major deal on Shark Tank during the live season 14 premiere. KENT is a sustainable clothing company that focuses on using organic, vegan, and compostable materials to make briefs, tees, and reusable totes.
New ‘Circularity Solutionists’ podcast to air in October
The series is a collaboration between “Blu Cast by Tencel,” a podcast series created by the Tencel Denim team on Carved Blue, which shares in-depth conversations with the denim community at large, and the Fashion Impact Fund, a charitable trust. who supports women. Environmentally and socially the fashion industry is improving. The series, titled “Circularity Solutionists,” will air in October and spotlight female denim insiders who are promoting systematic change to reduce, reuse and recycle.
STELLA MCCARTNEY SS23 IS THE DESIGNER'S "MOST RESPONSIBLE COLLECTION TO DATE"
In signature Stella McCartney style, the ready-to-wear offering was made with 87% conscious materials, making it the designer’s most responsible collection to date. Debuting the luxury industry’s first-ever regenerative cotton garment, the showcase was a first in more ways than one.
The New Laws Trying to Take the Anxiety Out of Shopping
If passed, many of the bills could change what you — the consumer — see on your clothing labels, or even the design of what you find on store shelves. The movement also reflects a shift away from the idea that the burden should rest primarily on shoppers to buy better and buy less.
“Timeless by design” : Ralph Lauren’s CPO on brand’s sustainability journey
When it comes to circularity in fashion, it is probably the most impactful purpose led initiative that the industry can do, by extending the life of an item through repairing, reusing and recycling.
How a Kenyan start-up is up-cycling fashion waste
Brands and farmers partner to make regenerative cotton more accessible
The transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture is costly and loaded with risk, yet farmers are typically expected to shoulder the burden. A new coalition invites others to share the risk — from Reformation to Outerknown, brands are starting to bite.
Pop-Up Strategies That Power Unique Shopper Journeys
While trends change frequently, there are foundational elements of retail strategy that every brand must consider to successfully design a pop-up experience. The cornerstone of every pop-up design strategy must be focused on the target customer.
Can browser plug-ins push consumers to shop more sustainably?
A string of new web browser extensions hope to divert consumers towards more sustainable choices at the point of purchase. But there are hurdles to overcome.
This Robot-Powered System Extends the Life of Your Favorite Sneakers
Debuting in Nike Town London, B.I.L.L. (Bot Initiated Longevity Lab), is a robot-augmented system designed to clean and repair shoes with selected customizations.
The Importance Of Cyber Security For Luxury Brands
There are plenty of benefits to upping your cyber security. Not only will it benefit your customers, but it will give you the peace of mind you need to ensure your business is safe. Here are some of the key reasons you should make cyber security a top priority for your luxury brand.
Fast Fashion Isn’t the Problem
A recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Abby Hollis (B.FA., fibers, 2020) is an advocate for meaningful sustainability and intentional systems design. Through the lens of fashion, she explores supply chain innovation, product design, and consumer behavior change. She’s currently a product development manager at Sequoyah Collective and founder of Thread Threads, a digital archive of tactile human experience.
Designing the Future Of Sustainable Fashion
From fast fashion to luxury goods, apparel companies are getting serious—and seriously creative—about sustainability. Here are some of the most important innovations and initiatives greening the fashion industry.
Asia’s largest metaverse platform Zepeto ramps up global expansion
Asia’s largest metaverse platform, Zepeto, is stepping up its global expansion as it looks to compete against the Big Tech groups that are betting billions on creating avatar-filled virtual worlds.
Coperni’s spray on dress was a fashion show hit, but angered climate-conscious viewers
The spray fabric technology Coperni used was developed in 2013 by designer and scientist Dr Manel Torres of Fabrican3. According to their website, the sprayed fabric can be washed and reworn or redissolved, then reused in spray form, so not quite the ‘single use plastic’ some had assumed.
CEO Secrets: What's a modern boss to wear?
"Our post-pandemic lifestyle has taught me that I don't need to dress smartly for work every day," says Louise O'Shea, CEO of insurance comparison site Confused.com, "especially when we've all seen each other's realities when working from home.
Why is There (Still) No Industry Recognized Definition or Benchmark for Sustainable Fashion?
In a survey conducted last year, clean manufacturing firm Genomatica found that although consumers want to shop more sustainably, most were unsure where to purchase sustainably-made clothing or even what makes a product sustainable, to begin with. “It's somewhat difficult to make sustainable choices because I'm never really sure what sustainable means, particularly with clothing,” said a survey respondent.
Responsive vs. Responsible: Can Fashion Be Both?
Fashion's combined reliance on chasing trends and over-producing makes it difficult - if not impossible - to meet its responsibility to the environment. Can AI offer a way for brands to stay on the cutting edge without compromising their values?
The Myth of Sustainable Fashion
Few industries tout their sustainability credentials more forcefully than the fashion industry. But the sad truth is that despite high-profile attempts at innovation, it’s failed to reduce its planetary impact in the past 25 years. Most items are still produced using non-biodegradable petroleum-based synthetics and end up in a landfill. So what can be done? New ESG strategies such as the use of bio-based materials, recycling, and “rent-the-runway” concepts have failed. Instead, we must stop thinking about sustainability as existing on a spectrum. Less unstainable is not sustainable.
Why you’re about to see cheap Nikes at TJ Maxx
Nike is currently dealing with an overwhelming surplus of stock. In a call with analysts last week, the company announced that its inventory had grown by 65% in the first quarter. Chief financial officer Matt Friend said on September 30 that Nike would take “decisive action” by heavily discounting this merchandise and offloading it at discount chains like TJ Maxx.
Vera
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