Sustainable fashion is the concept of creating fashion items in a way that reduces the environmental impact and promotes social responsibility throughout the whole production process. It aims to create fashion items that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable.
What’s been going on in Sustainable Fashion this week? Here it is:
1) Nominations for The Earthshot Prize have been announced, including US-based Circ®, who have developed a ground-breaking solution to enable the recycling of polycotton fabrics. Next up is Colorifix Limited, a UK company that has identified genetic codes for colour in the natural world to create sustainable dyes that reduce the fashion industry’s use of water and harmful chemicals.
2) eBay UK and British Fashion Council have announced the launch of their second Circular Fund – which provides funding to support fashion business models that reduce waste in that sector. Last years winner of the first fund was the fabulous Layla Sargent at The Seam.
3) Textile Exchange, The Fashion Pact & Conservation International have collaborated on a new report to highlight how fashion, textile and apparel companies can reduce their impact on biodiversity. ‘The Biodiversity Landscape Analysis Report’ highlights the importance of protecting and restoring nature, given than more than a third of raw materials come from land-based eco-systems.
4) Gucci have won the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for #CircularEconomy at the 2023 Sustainable Fashion Awards in Milan, for designing its garments to be used more, remade and recycled. The brands ‘Denim Project’ incorporates regeneratively-grown cotton from Spain, combined with re-spun post-consumer recycled fibres.
5) The global wearable devices market is primed to reach $62.82 billion by 2025. Wearable payments tech pioneer DIGISEQ Limited, has partnered with ekko, the global embedded sustainability fintech, bringing ekko’s carbon tracking, offsetting and positive planet impact platform to consumers using DIGISEQ enabled wearable devices. Customers can choose to act positively through their wearable transaction, such as carbon offsetting, saving plastic bottles from entering oceans, or reforestation around the world.
6) The UK arm of ethical fashion brand People Tree has gone into liquidation. Sustainable brand Thought Clothing has also reportedly fallen into administration.
7) Samsøe Samsøe have launched ‘Blue Belief’ – their low impact denim range. All of its styles have been made from high-quality materials, with 75% less water, energy and chemicals than used in traditional denim manufacturing. Even the smallest details are made responsible, as pieces are finished off with recycled polyester for the trims as well as the back patches.
8) Urban Outfitters has opened a pop-up in London, showcasing its latest denim collection BDG. The pop-up also includes a ‘Swop-Shop’, where customers can swop any old pair of jeans for a new pair of BDG jeans for free. The returned jeans will be reused through ‘Urban Renewal’, ReWorked through repair or redesign, or recycled through their partnership with Upcycle Labs.
