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4 Mins Read French-based luxury fashion corporation Kering has announced it has backed San Francisco’s VitroLabs, a biotech startup that has created a platform for growing highly scalable, cultivated animal-derived leather that is environmentally superior to its conventional counterpart. VitroLabs just announced the closing of a $46 million Series A funding round led by Agronomics with participation by […]
5 Mins Read Techstyle and agrifood innovation platform The Mills Fabrica has released a new report detailing the role and impact of single-use plastic packaging in the fashion and food sectors. Rethink Packaging is designed to act as a guide for brands looking to address the issue, by taking into account the full life cycle of existing packaging […]
4 Mins Read Scandinavian brand Ganni is proving that the circular fashion economy never goes out of style. Having already launched its Ganni Repeat initiative, it has now integrated a peer-to-peer resale platform designed to make secondhand shopping a seamless experience. Ganni Repeat includes a partnership with repair service Sojo in the U.K. and a rental platform that […]
4 Mins Read Online retail giant Ebay has launched a new marketplace. Ebay Imperfects offers a way for clothing brands to sell new but not QC-passed pieces to consumers looking for a bargain. The initiative will save shoppers up to 60 percent on retail prices and prevent countless items being sent to landfills. The North Face, Fila, and […]
4 Mins Read By: Samantha Sharpe, Monique Retamal, Taylor Brydges, University of Technology Sydney. If things don’t change fast, the fashion industry could use a quarter of the world’s remaining global carbon budget to keep warming under 2℃ by 2050, and use 35% more land to produce fibres by 2030. While this seems incredible, it’s not. Over the past 15 years, clothing production has […]
4 Mins Read By: Denise Baden, University of Southampton It is often implied that all we need are technological solutions and more renewable energy to solve our environmental issues. But history teaches us that as technology progresses and we become more efficient, we simply consume more. This has associated environmental problems, such as plastic waste, water pollution and mining for […]
4 Mins Read Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) just confirmed it has closed an $85 million Series B funding round. Evolution VC Partners led the round, with Tattarang, Lewis & Clark Agrifood, Collaborative Fund and others participating. BMW iVentures and Ralph Lauren Corporation were confirmed as return backers. Funds will be used to scale production of various proprietary circular materials. […]
4 Mins Read The European Commission has taken mass consumption to task by proposing new rules for product quality. Moving forward, all clothes, furniture and smartphones sold within Europe will need to be demonstrably longer-lasting and simpler to repair. The latest additions build on existing Ecodesign rules, which have generated significant energy and consumer savings in the E.U. […]
3 Mins Read Global resale platform Vestiaire Collective has acquired fellow industry peer Tradesy. The two secondhand platforms represent a global commitment to promotion of a circular fashion model. Both companies were launched in 2009, in Paris and Los Angeles respectively, and by female founders. The two have striking similarities, share a mission to end fashion waste and […]
4 Mins Read As consumers become increasingly conscious of their fashion choices, the industry is scrambling to switch to more animal-free and vegan leather to retain their share in the quickly shifting market. According to a recent report, the global vegan leather sector will balloon to US$89 billion by 2025, with the majority of the growth led by […]
4 Mins Read Comfort is key when carrying a baby, so it can be hard to retain your consumer ethics when all you want is that perfect pair of slouchy harem trousers. Suddenly, a sponsored advert pops up on social media, showing exactly what you want, but it’s from a known fast fashion offender. What do you do? […]
3 Mins Read New Zealand eco-footwear startup Orba says it has created the world’s first biodegradable eco sneakers. The shoes are designed to fully fall apart and decompose at the end of their life, leeching no toxins into the soil. They have been created to address an alarming issue, that of billions of shoes ending up in landfill […]
4 Mins Read Changing Markets Foundation Launched a new website during London Fashion Week, held last month. The virtual computer game-style site shines a light on greenwashing and outs major offenders, via a virtual laundrette. The stunt was supported by Extinction Rebellion, People Tree founder Safia Minney and climate campaigner Bel Jacobs. Greenwash.com follows on from Changing Market’s […]
3 Mins Read The latest bid to bring sustainability to the fashion industry comes from Alchemie Technology, a British textile dyeing operation that has developed waterless processing tech, alongside smart finishing procedures. Both significantly reduce resources used and emissions generated. Dubbed a ‘cleantech manufacturing solution’,Cambridge-based Alchemie aims to disrupt the fashion industry with the wastewater-free dyeing innovations it […]
4 Mins Read Used clothing sales are expected to reach $77 billion by 2025. The figure is predicted to be directly impacted by popular resale sites and apps. Retailers have identified the surge in resale activities and are looking to cash-in with trade-in initiatives and secondhand platforms of their own. The move is considered commercially astute, consumer-positive and […]
3 Mins Read Portugal has announced a ban on the term ‘vegan leather’. Similar prefixes have been banned alongside vegan, with ‘synthetic’ and ‘pineapple’ cited for illustrative purposes. It comes as the country deems such terms misleading to consumers and technically incorrect. A new Leather Decree has been released, defining what leather is and how it can be […]
10 Mins Read As an aging millennial in a world of Gen-Zers/Zoomers, I need to say something. You have GOT to stop shopping on Shein. And when I say that, I include all fast fashion companies, whether they hide their environmental disregard or not. Yes H&M, I’m looking at you and your ‘Conscious’ range. Social media has put […]
5 Mins Read It’s time to take the “either/or” out of inclusivity and sustainability. Consumers are demanding fashion brands to tick more than one box, telling them it’s not enough to preach about transparent supply chains and ethical sourcing if blind spots still remain when it comes to exclusive marketing, racist brand culture and non-diverse sizing and fit. […]
4 Mins Read Sustainability is taking over the entire fashion industry, and underwear brands are no exception – there’s nothing pretty about unethical or environmentally-unfriendly bralettes or briefs. So we’ve put together a list of our favourite underwear labels, that are not only ticking boxes for being ultra-cute but are also taking the health of the planet and […]
3 Mins Read Misleading eco claims from U.K. fashion brands are set to be punished. Those found flouting consumer protection law will be liable for revised advertising costs and potential court action. The move is being made to prevent inaccurate and false environmental claims. The fashion industry has been chosen for greenwashing investigations due to its global scale […]
3 Mins Read Turning mushrooms into leather is proving to be big business for MycoWorks, the Bay Area startup that has produced vegan leather for a number of brands including luxury French fashion house Hermès. Now, MycoWorks has raised $125 million in its Series C funding round to scale. The new funding for MycoWorks will go to scale […]