Articles by Esmee Blaazer
Spotted on the catwalk: Mocha Mousse, the color of the year 2025
loading... - Fashion | In pictures
This year, suede bags and jackets are in high demand, with chocolate brown and cognac as trend colours. According to Pantone, we will mainly see a different colour hue next year. Mocha Mousse, a soft medium brown shade with a hint of nude and peachy pink, has been declared the colour of the year 2025 by the colour institute. Traditionally,...
Is ‘Black Friday’ still relevant?
loading... - Business | Opinion
Black Friday has finally arrived, but I’ve already had enough. Since last week, I've been inundated with newsletters full of offers, and while clearing out my inbox, I've wondered whether in a time of climate crisis, with the EU aiming for a circular economy by 2050 and enacting new laws to further enforce sustainability, a bargain fest that...
Who makes our clothes? Fashion Production Explained
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Ever wondered who actually makes your clothes and how fashion's supply chain impacts workers' lives? This deep dive unpacks how fashion production works and explores what’s needed for meaningful change in the industry. FashionUnited interviewed Kim van der Weerd, a former factory manager with a background in human rights, who advocates for a...
Most consumers know cheap fashion isn’t sustainable—so why do they keep buying it?
loading... - Fashion | Opinion
Despite growing awareness of the fashion industry's negative impact, consumers continue to purchase affordable, trendy clothes from fast fashion brands and retail giants. Why is that? How can these two realities coexist? The inspiration for this piece comes from a recent article published by Dutch investigative journalism platform De...
Totême opens first store in Denmark
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Totême has opened the doors of its first store in Denmark. The first images of the new store, located in the historic Egmont building in Copenhagen on Vognmagergade, were revealed on the womenswear brand's Instagram account. Totême, founded in 2014 by Swedish couple Elin Kling and Karl Lindman, is known for its understated luxury look. Over the...
The Gen Z dilemma: eco-conscious but addicted to fast fashion
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One of the most-read articles on FashionUnited in October was about unauthorised Shein outlets -- pop-up shops that pretend to be by the Chinese internet giant but are simply riding on the brand's popularity. Pop-up shops opened in Dutch cities such as Arnhem, Utrecht and Rotterdam, offering clothes at extremely low prices. These shops have been...
Spotted on the catwalk: WGSN and Coloro's colour of the year 2026 'Transformative Teal'
loading... - Fashion | In pictures
‘Transformative Teal’ has been declared the Colour of the Year 2026 by colour institutes WGSN and Coloro. According to the two, Transformative Teal is a fluid fusion of blue and green, reflecting the diversity of nature and an earth-focused mindset, aligning with the growing demand for ecological responsibility (in light of the climate crisis)....
The future of fashion: is less more?
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A confession. My original research question was, “What if the fashion industry simply made less clothes?” (Over)production, reducing speed and seasons could be the answer to almost everything?!, was my thought process. As in: for sustainability in the clothing sector and more broadly: in the pursuit of a circular economy (see text frame below)....
‘A circular economy for the textile industry offers opportunities, but also needs action’
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A recent report looks at the chances and challenges of a circular textile industry in the Netherlands, thus providing interesting input for other countries as well. The report titled ‘Towards a Dutch Circular Textile Industry’ was published by Invest-NL, an investment company that finances sustainable and innovative projects. While a circular...
Spotted on the catwalk: WGSN and Coloro’s colour trends for AW26/27
loading... - Fashion | In pictures
Trend and colour institutes WGSN and Coloro have revealed the five colour trends for the autumn/winter 2026/27 fashion season. In addition to Transformative Teal, there is the warm cream-coloured Wax Paper, a royal Fresh Purple, a rich chocolate brown shade Cocoa Powder, and a bright yellow-green tone Green Glow. WGSN and Coloro state that the...