Sustainability Pulse #98
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — October 18, 2024
We've got some urgent and exciting developments in the world of sustainable fashion this week! From KPMG's analysis on how fashion is leading the charge towards circularity (but still has a long way to go) to Mercedes-Benz teaming up with Bucharest Fashion Week to make waves in the Eastern European fashion scene. There's also fascinating new partnerships in biotech, innovative reselling features on eBay, and much more.
This week, the theme seems to be all about bold new steps forward, whether it's luxury labels embracing circularity, tech-enabled transparency, or grassroots creativity reshaping the landscape. The question remains: how do we translate ambition into tangible impact?
Let's explore that together.
Happy reading and stay inspired, Vera
KPMG analyses fashion's circularity progress
A new report on the consumer goods industry's progress towards circularity recognises the fashion sector as a leader in environmental goal-setting, ambition, and collaboration.
But the wide-ranging study - by accounting and auditing giant KPMG - urges fashion companies to translate these qualities into larger-scale, tangible outcomes.
Mercedes-Benz announces a new strategic partnership with Bucharest Fashion Week, becoming the mainpartner of the most prestigious fashion event in Romania
Mercedes-Benz Bucharest Fashion Week will run from 15-17 October and will transform the centre of Bucharest into a place of global importance, putting it on the map alongside other fashion capitals such as Milan, Paris, London and New York. The event is centred around promoting Romanian and regional designers, connecting Eastern Europe with the rest of the continent, celebrating the region's fashion, art and culture.
AMSilk inks industrial fermentation partnership
German biotech company AMSilk has agreed with industrial fermentation specialist, Ajinomoto Foods Europe to produce industrial quantities of its bio-based spider silk proteins at Ajinomoto's manufacturing facility in Nesle, France.
AMSilk's silk proteins claim the same high-performance properties as real spider silk and can be used in applications including high-quality fashion, smart materials in automotives and medical devices.
Read More (Under Paywall)
EBay releases new reselling feature with Certilogo digital ID
EBay Inc. announced a new feature called "resell on eBay" that will allow users to more easily list clothing for resale.
The feature will work using technology from Certilogo, which provides digital ID and authentication for apparel using artificial intelligence (AI). EBay acquired Certilogo in 2023.
Standout designers from Hudson Valley Sustainable Fashion Week
Last month's organic runway show at Rose Hill Farm was twice as large as last year's inaugural effort
Fashion with a conscience: Embracing sustainability in Auburn
When it comes to fashion at Auburn University, it has become customary to purchase outfits from websites like Shein, H&M, Amazon, or Zara to keep up with the ever-changing trend cycle.
According to Katherine Anne Davis, social media specialist for the Office of Sustainability, making minor changes to one's wardrobe can make a big difference.
Pro-environmental self identity as a moderator of psychosocial predictors in the purchase of sustainable clothing
This study explores how pro-environmental self-identity moderates the relationship between psychosocial predictors (e.g., attitudes, social and moral norms, perceived behavioral control) and sustainable clothing purchasing (SCP) intentions and behaviors. Using a longitudinal design, researchers assessed 250 participants' attitudes and behaviors over a month, revealing that moral and social norms strongly influenced intentions, while affective and cognitive attitudes had mixed effects. Gender differences were significant, with women showing varied responses based on their self-identity strength. Findings suggest a nuanced role of pro-environmental identity, emphasizing the need for targeted public campaigns to promote sustainable fashion consumption.
Natavan Aliyeva: Bold heritage meets sustainable fashion in Baku
Natavan Aliyeva is reshaping Baku's fashion landscape with her bold, street-inspired designs that celebrate Azerbaijani culture while embracing sustainability and modernity
Costa Rican women flip fish skins into sustainable style
Two years ago, both Mauren Castro, 41, and Marta Sosa, 70, were stay-at-home mums dependent on their fishermen husbands to provide for their families of four and six, respectively.
Digital Passports in Fashion: The New Era of Transparency and Accountability
Digital passports are digital documents that provide an in-depth record of a garment's entire lifecycle, from the sourcing of raw materials to its final assembly and distribution. These digital passports can be accessed via QR codes or embedded widgets on garment labels, allowing consumers to verify claims about sustainability, ethics, and quality in real time.
A conscious way to shop for beauty
Good On You is among a wave of platforms hoping to bring greater transparency to customers. It's easier said than done
The future of fashion is calling
The eBay Circular Fashion Fund is going global! They are looking for innovative businesses that advance circular fashion.
Participants can secure up to $50,000 in funding and pitch their models to eBay's global leadership team. The winner will be named 'eBay Circular Fashion Innovator of the Year' and could receive an additional investment of up to $300,000.
In partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), we are showcasing businesses that are transforming customer experiences and promoting circular inventory.
Shein Adds More Banks to Arrange London Listing
Shein has added more banks to help arrange its potential initial public offering that could value the online fashion retailer at £50 billion ($65 billion), potentially one of the biggest listings in London in recent years, people familiar with the matter said.
Italy opens greenwashing probe into Shein website
Italy opens probe into Infinite Styles Services CO Limited
Company is operator of Shein websites
Antitrust agency says some claims could mislead consumers
Exclusive: BP abandons goal to cut oil output, resets strategy
BP (BP.L), opens new tab has abandoned a target to cut oil and gas output by 2030 as CEO Murray Auchincloss scales back the firm's energy transition strategy to regain investor confidence, three sources with knowledge of the matter said.
Inside Luxury’s Italian Sweatshops Problem
An Italian probe linking luxury labels including Dior and Armani to labour exploitation — with the supply chains of up to a dozen more brands under the microscope — has exposed a seedy practice deeply embedded in the luxury system, creating an unpredictable PR crisis at a precarious time for the sector, a BoF investigation has found.
Altuzarra and P180 to launch online rental
The brand is partnering with a firm co-founded by former Wolverine CEO Brendan Hoffman to change the wayconsumers engage with luxury fashion.
Guess launches recycling initiative with SuperCircle
The program, called Guess Again, allows customers to mail in textiles of any brand.
LCA study shows wool can be recycled up to six times
A recent study has provided insights into the closed-loop mechanical recycling of post-consumer wool fabrics, focusing on fibre length retention and recyclability. Conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Leeds and Italian wool company Manteco, the study explored how wool fibres from used garments can be effectively recycled while maintaining the qualities necessary for producing high-quality yarns and fabrics.
Sustainable materials firm Modern Meadow names new CEO
David Williamson will take on the top spot after previously serving as president and COO.
Autone raises US$17m in Series A funding round
AI-driven inventory management platform, Autone, which helps fashion and other retailers optimise demand forecasting and reduce waste, has secured US$17m in Series A funding.
Temu faces another class action lawsuit over text message marketing
This is the second recent case in which the fast-fashion giant is alleged to have sent advertisements to people on the National Do Not Call Registry.
Steve Madden offers e-commerce credit for recycling old apparel, footwear
The brand has partnered with Trashie on a recycling and take-back program.
AAFA pushes again for Facebook, Instagram to join the notorious markets list
One association member said Meta’s social platforms “pose the most significant threat” to its IP and brand integrity of any global platform.
Zac Posen has revived Gap — and with it, his own career
The fashion designer has repositioned the once-stale Gap as one of the trendiest brands for Gen-Z and Millennial consumers.
Social media influencers tell you to buy, buy, buy. Stop listening to them.
Never mind that most of the lifestyles portrayed online are unattainable (and often staged). We still grow jealous of the wealth and fame that influencers flaunt.
Halloween costume swaps aim to reduce textile waste, save people money
"This is a lever of change that has immediate impact."
Brazil cotton prices fluctuate slightly in early October
Brazilian cotton prices noticed minor fluctuations in early October due to low market liquidity as most of the 2023-24 crop has been processed.
Despite this, increased profitability is encouraging producers to expand the area for 2024-25 by 2.9 per cent.
Global production forecasts from USDA and ICAC predict slight increases, though consumption may slightlyoutpace supply in the upcoming season.
The Rewear Chair is an "organised and stylish" take on the humble laundry chair
The Rewear Chair was developed as part of a campaign for eco-cleaning brand Ecover, which aimed to highlight the environmental impact of everyday activities like laundry.
The overlooked child labor problem in fashion’s supply chain
Child labor tends to occur deep in raw materials supply chains, which means it can go unnoticed. What can brands do?
Can the Fashion Industry Break Free from Plastic Addiction?
Every year, the fashion industry consumes a staggering 342 million barrels of oil to produce synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon, and acrylic. This accounts for a significant 1.35% of the world's total oil consumption. Plastic-based materials contribute a massive 73% of microfiber pollution in Arctic waters.
How Australia’s economic slump is impacting fashion
While the country boasts some power fashion exports, the situation hasn’t been all rosy as of late. Is the future any brighter?
How Americans’ overconsumption of goods is affecting the planet [column]
Fast fashion — trendy, inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers — is only a fraction of that overconsumption.
THE CIRCULAR FASHION INNOVATION NETWORK (CFIN)
The Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) is an industry-led programme led by the British Fashion Council (BFC) and UK Fashion and Textile (UKFT) in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to accelerate the UK towards a Circular Fashion Ecosystem.
Register your interest to receive more information about the CFIN.
Vera
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