Sustainability Pulse #84
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — May 13th , 2024
Hey there, green warriors! 🌿✨
Ready for your weekly dose of sustainable fashion insights?
We're exploring some spicy topics and cutting-edge trends shaping the world of ethical apparel.
From the glitz and glamour of the Met Gala to the nuts and bolts of the global ethical fashion market, we've got your curiosity covered.
Plus, discover the latest in plant-based shapewear, innovative upcycled fashion, and urgent discussions around corporate sustainability strategies.
Keep reading for a deeper look into how your choices are not just about style but about making a positive impact on our planet. 🌍💚
Where were the politics on the Met Gala red carpet?
Fashion designers aren't usually shy about their politics. So why didn't they use the Met Gala to express their views on the Isreal-Gaza conflict?
Ethical Fashion Global Market Report 2024: Increase in FDIs and Growing Customer Emphasis on Sustainable Fashion Spurs Growth - Long-term Forecast to 2028 and 2033
The ethical fashion market is expected to grow strongly in the next few years. It will grow to $12.05 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%.
A No-Hype, Ranked List of Vegan Leather Alternatives
For a while, it seemed like a new, plant-based leather alternative hit the materials market every other month, promising to revolutionize the fashion industry. According to the Material Innovation Initiative, $980 million was raised by next-generation material companies in 2021—more than double 2020's fundraising efforts. Around 70% of these next-generation material companies were in the business of creating alternatives to leather. Choosing the right material became a minefield for sustainability professionals, brand owners, and shoppers.
The 'Ethical Skims'? Plant-Based Shapewear is Coming
"It really launched from the frustration of not being able to find a nude bra as a woman of color that matched my brown skin," said Shobha Philips, who founded the Los Angeles brand in 2015 and debuted the first tank tops, biker briefs and slips two years later.
The Elephant in the Sustainability Room
Addressing the Tension Between Growth and Environmental Goals in Corporate Business Strategies:
Key points from "The Elephant in the Sustainability Room" report by BSR:
- Companies are moving from setting environmental commitments to taking action, but progress is slow due to conflicts between business models and sustainability targets.
- A significant obstacle is a lack of supportive policies that align with sustainability goals .
- Alternative economic models prioritizing well-being and environmental sustainability over mere economic expansion should be considered.
- Businesses can adopt circular economy, regenerative practices, and sufficiency-based models for long-term sustainability goals.
- A collective approach and collaboration across sectors are needed to integrate sustainability effectively into business practices.
Future Fabrics: Sustainable textiles masterclass with Amanda Johnston
Amanda Johnston is an academic and former fashion designer who works on education projects for Sustainable Angle, which puts on the Future Fabrics Expos in London - the perfect person to take us through what's happening in the world of sustainable textiles today.
Upcycled Fashion Hits Its Stride
By Jen Mastrud
In honor of Earth Week, we want to shine a bright light on upcycled fashion. We have a little-known upcycling initiative here at Armoire, but it has a big purpose. A talented, full-time upcycle on our team, Sam Martin, is tasked with reinventing damaged garments to spare them from the landfill to produce 300 creations per month. Her designs have been popular in our rental inventory for years.
Rethinking Fashion: The Drive Towards a Sustainable Future in Europe's Textile Industry
The European Environment Agency's recent briefing, along with new EU legislative changes, signals a critical turning point for sustainability within Europe's fashion industry. This reflection delves into the data-driven insights provided by these resources and the broader implications they hold for consumers, producers, and policymakers.
Linen, Quiet Luxury and Headwinds: Textile-makers Brace for Uncertain Year
Against the backdrop of uncertainty, spring 2025 textile collections embraced a higher-end, reassuring push at Milano Unica.
Why Fashion Should Have a Plastic Tax
The fashion industry continues to advance voluntary and unlikely solutions to its plastic problem. Only higher prices will flip the script, writes Kenneth P. Pucker.
Hermes asks court to toss 'far-fetched' Birkin bag antitrust case
French luxury house Hermes (HRMS.PA), opens new tab , has asked a U.S. judge to dismiss what it called a "far-fetched" consumer lawsuit accusing it of forcing shoppers to spend thousands of dollars on goods before they can buy one of its famed Birkin handbags.
Louis Vuitton Prevails in Pooey Puitton Trademark Case in France
Louis Vuitton has landed a win in a long-running trademark case that it filed in France, arguing that a U.S. toymaker exploited its well-known word mark and Multicolore monogram to sell a poop-shaped toy meant to evoke Louis Vuitton's famed handbags.
EU adopts CSRD reporting delay, gives non-EU companies until 2026 to comply
Exempted companies will now have more time to focus on the implementation of broader sustainability reporting requirements before they start observing sector-specific standards.
How new technology is reviving old fashion
The Met Museum's new exhibit, 'Sleeping Beauties', highlights how the metaverse and Web3 technologies can breathe new life into archival fashion.
Better Cotton audits farms it previously certified following deforestation investigation
Watchdog Earthsight called the certifier's audit "so flawed as to be almost worthless."
What do Zara and H&M have to do with illegal deforestation?
A British NGO, Earth Sight, has tracked 816,000 tons of cotton linked to human rights abuses and deforestation in the Brazilian Cerrado for over a decade. This cotton was made into clothing and sold in Inditex and H&M stores in Spain, which mostly carry the Better Cotton sustainability label. Inditex is a top global textile company, and its subsidiaries include Pull&Bear, Bershka, and Zara. H&M operates worldwide through physical stores and online sales.
A Group of Artists Is Suing Fast-Fashion Giant Shein, Claiming It Used a 'Secretive Algorithm' to Identify and Steal Their Work
The lawsuit labels Shein 'a greater societal threat than TikTok.'
“I return already-worn clothes to Target and don't feel bad about it. The return policy has made me a customer for life.”
Because of Target's return policy, I'm a lifelong customer
Staff at Shein suppliers working 75-hour weeks
Despite promises to improve working conditions, employees at some of the Shein's supplier factories in China are still working 75-hour weeks, according to a report by Swiss advocacy group Public Eye. This follows a 2021 investigation that revealed excessive overtime at six sites in Guangzhou.
A Renewed Climate Commitment
Three years ago, Levi Strauss & Co. announced its sustainability efforts, which would focus on three core pillars: climate, consumption, and community. They started with climate as it is the biggest challenge of our time, and as a major apparel company with a global supply chain, they understand the need to play their part.
Opinion: Hitting the gym or going to yoga? Your workout clothes could be doing more harm than you realize
Alden Wicker is an award-winning independent journalist and author of "To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick — and How We Can Fight Back" (Putnam). She manages the website EcoCult and contributes to publications like The New York Times, Vox, Wired and The Cut.
Vera
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