Sustainability Pulse #99
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — October 25, 2024
This week, we're diving into some of the most impactful trends shaping the future of fashion. From Gen Z's move towards 'under consumption' and second-hand shopping to the incredible stories of female investors saving M.M. LaFleur, the focus is on a more thoughtful, sustainable approach. A lot is happening, including partnerships turning denim scraps into notebooks, a looming global treaty on plastic pollution, and eBay's expansion of its Circular Fashion Fund to support start-ups worldwide.
Read this week's stories
My Journey to Make Vintage Shopping Easier
As someone always looking for ways to make buying vintage fashion easier, I was thrilled when Phoebe Gates contacted me about Phia. About 75% of my closet is from resale platforms, so finding a tool that simplifies the process was music to my ears. Phoebe and her co-founder, Sophia Kianni, have created an extension that scans all major resale sites to find exactly what you're searching for, making it easier and more affordable to shop sustainably.
Phoebe reached out because she saw my passion for sustainable fashion and believed that Phia could be a game-changer for people like me. Their platform aims to take the hassle out of finding designer pieces and vintage gems online, offering users up to 70% off retail prices by automatically searching across multiple resale sites. The browser extension is currently in beta, and being part of the early group of users has been an exciting experience.
If, like me, you're passionate about buying vintage and want to make your wardrobe more sustainable, Phia is worth checking out. It's a tool that saves time, helps you find great deals, and supports the secondhand fashion movement. Early access is available through this exclusive link: Phia Early Access.
'Under consumption' trend grows as Gen Z prioritizes second-hand shopping
The trend to make more considered purchases is also driven by growing awareness of the environmental impact of overproduction and waste. Young consumers understand the need to reduce their carbon footprints. In that instance, sustainability is a form of accepted social responsibility, rather than just a trend.
How a group of women investors saved M.M. LaFleur from the brink of collapse
When the clothing brand was going a financial crisis, it called on a growing network of female investors. Now it wants to pay the favor forward.
Community Clothing partners stationery brand to create notebooks from denim scraps
Patrick Grant’s Community Clothing has made its jeans production zero waste by partnering with sustainable British stationery brand Mark+Fold and Cumbria based handmade paper maker The Paper Foundation, to create a range of notebooks.
Governments have just 5 weeks to end plastic pollution. A global, binding treaty is the only solution
Dame Ellen MacArthur is the founder and Chair of Trustees of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a world record-breaking sailor, and a circular economy advocate. Christiana Figueres is the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an author, a co-founder of Global Optimism, and co-host of the climate podcast Outrage + Optimism.
eBay expands Circular Fashion Fund to deliver $1.2m investment for start-ups
Now in its third year in the UK and second year in Australia, eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund is set to launch in the US and Germany – with the aim to deliver a $1.2 million investment in business start-ups to scale circular fashion solutions by the end of 2025.
With Nothing Underneath secures 2.5 million pounds in funding
The womenswear brand, founded in 2017 by Pip Durell, former Tatler editor and Vogue stylist, is inspired by men’stailoring and offers “paired back, laid back, timeless, effortless clothing,” starting with the perfect shirt, from its‘Boyfriend’ style, borrowed from the boys offering a relaxed fit in a longer length to the ‘Weekend’ with a comfortable boxy and oversized silhouette.
How Fashion Retailers Are Driving Sustainability in Spain
Major fashion retailers in Spain are leading efforts to reduce textile waste through an innovative pilot project, setting the stage for future EU regulations.
How Fast Fashion Is Damaging the Environment
Retailers and governments alike have begun putting real effort into limiting fashion’s huge pollution of the earth. Brands like Patagonia are offering services to consumers to fix their garments free of charge as an attempt to get them to consume less. Adidas, for example, is experimenting with more personalized clothing to limit returns and textile waste. And Ralph Lauren has pledged that by 2025, 100% of its key materials will be sustainably sourced.
Wearing us down: How the economy will affect sustainability in fashion
Delphine Devos, owner of second-hand clothing business Delirium Thrift in Montreal, has a keen eye for fashion and loves shopping for clothes that make her feel most authentic. But while scrolling on TikTok, she saw something that upset her.
Why the UK fashion industry is doubling down on circularity amid challenges
The CFIN reports that 71% of U.K. fashion organizations have included circularity in their five-year strategies, though only 63% have moved beyond pilot phases. That includes John Lewis, which reported $68.32 million in pre-tax profit last year.
Amazon planning ultra-cheap site to counter Temu, Shein
HOW CHEAP IS TOO CHEAP?
Amazon is preparing to launch a low-cost storefront as it ramps up its fightback against Chinese deep-discounting rivals Temu and Shein.
Nature Baby launches circularity initiative for baby clothes
Customers can return their pre-loved Nature Baby garments to the store for a credit for their future purchase. In turn, Nature Baby will resell these items at a lower price.
The Debrief | How Dupe Culture is Challenging Traditional Luxury
E-commerce correspondent Malique Morris joins senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and executive editor Brian Baskin to explore how brands are offering affordable alternatives to luxury goods, and reshaping consumer expectations in the process.
The Sneaker Resale Market Is Broken
Oversupply of once-hyped sneakers like Jordans has caused resale prices to plummet, pushing smaller platforms out of the market and sending the more prominent players scrambling to adapt.
Read More (Under Paywall)
Is your favorite beauty brand killing the environment? This website will tell you
Good On You gives fashion and beauty brands a sustainability rating. The biggest offenders might surprise you.
Are back-to-back hurricanes the price we’re willing to pay for trash fashion?
Fast fashion brand Shein posted major growth—the same week hurricanes left Florida in devastation.
Evrnu creates textile waste production-based yarns, fibers
Evrnu®, a B-corp-certified materials science company based in Seattle, Wash., has developed Nucycl®, an alternative to cotton, nylon and polyester, created from cotton production waste.
TrusTrace, Xoriant and Carbon Trail launch product claims solutions for brands
TrusTrace, a global SaaS company with a platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, has announced a strategic collaboration with platform engineering firm Xoriant and environmental impact data leader Carbon Trail to deliver a comprehensive solution that supports international brands that want to implement more product marketing accountability.
White Stuff snapped up by Hobbs owner TFG
As part of the transaction, White Stuff founders George Treves and Sean Thomas will both step down from the board and leave the fashion retailer.
Europe’s Textile Recycling Sector is a Breeze Away from a Domino Effect
Europe’s textile sorting and recycling sector is in an “unprecedented crisis,” according to two regional lobbying groups.
The European Recycling Industries (EuRIC Textiles) and Municipal Waste Eu
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Step Into the Zero-Waste Woven World of Stem, the Brand That Nabbed Denmark’s Wessel & Vett Fashion Prize
Sarah Brunnhuber wants to dismantle the industry’s status quo. A weaving mill will be the ace up her knitted sleeve.
Vera
I really hope you're enjoying The Sustainability Pulse, my weekly newsletter looking at sustainability in the fashion industry. If you find the tips and insights useful, please share these articles to help spread the word.