Sustainable Fashion news and archive

Background: The Gore-Tex brand and the tricky business of PFAS functionality

The crackdown on PFAS in functional clothing has been widespread in recent years, particularly as their harm to both the environment and humans becomes more broadly researched. It has forced leaders in the outerwear and sportswear industry to rethink their approach to implementing practical features into their designs, and has seen many facing...

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Environmental objectives of luxury groups: Who is aiming for what?

By 2040, Chanel is expected to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain. With this goal, the company aligns itself with the Paris Agreement signed in 2015, which aims in particular to keep global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels by 2100. But what about the other luxury giants? FashionUnited...

Fashion

Chaco teams up with the Fishwife for a collaborative take on its Z/1

Sandal footwear brand Chaco has partnered with Fishwife, the female-founded and led tinned seafood company known for its bold branding and ethical sourcing, to create a mermaid inspired collaborative collection. The partnership introduces a refreshed take on Chaco's signature Z/1 sandal, reimagined through Fishwife's vibrant visual language. The...

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Solena Materials secures $6.7 million investment scale production of sustainable protein fibers

Biomaterials company Solena Materials, which is currently developing novel protein fibers for high-performance apparel, has raised 6.7 million dollars in seed funding. The investment round was supported by investors including Sir David Harding, SynBioVen, and Insempra. Leveraging AI-driven protein design, the Solena Materials engineers custom...

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Africa's secondhand clothing market balances economic promise and pressures

Africa has become a critical player in the global secondhand clothing market, offering a fast-growing outlet for pre-owned apparel exports while highlighting tensions between economic necessity and industrial ambition. Driven by affordability, style diversity, and sustainability concerns, the continent’s demand for secondhand garments—often...

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Shein versus Vestiaire Collective: the ideological (and economic) battle over fast fashion

France - Two irreconcilable visions of have fashion clashed. On one side, Shein, a Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant, advocated for fashion “accessible to all”. On the other, Vestiaire Collective, a French pioneer of high-end second-hand fashion, denounced a toxic promise based on social exploitation, textile waste and the endangerment of an...

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Fairs|REPORT

In Hong Kong, Fashion InStyle aims to make ‘Made in Asia’ rhyme with sustainability

As the global economy was disrupted by rising US tariffs, many Asian fashion players met in Hong Kong from April 27 to 30 to attend the Fashion InStyle trade show and the first edition of the Next@Fashion InStyle space. FashionUnited was on site to gauge the pulse of ‘Made in Asia’. It was crowded in late April at the huge Convention and...

Fashion

Kane Footwear deepens sustainability drive with One Percent for the Planet collaboration

Kane Footwear, the US-based brand known for its focus on post-activity recovery shoes, has expanded its environmental commitments through a new collaboration with non-profit organisation 1 percent for the Planet. The initiative includes the release of a limited-edition shoe, which will generate an additional contribution to the charity,...

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ByBorre introduces Textile Room: Digital platform for customisable textiles

Amsterdam-based textile innovation studio ByBorre launched the Textile Room, a digital platform that offers designers worldwide access to configurable fabrics. The Textile Room features 20 directly customisable textiles within the studio's AO3 and 3D-knit structures. Designers can configure colour combinations, pattern repeats, and texture...

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Plant-based colourant manufacturer Sparxell wins ChangeNow ‘Coups de Cœur’

Sparxell, an LVMH-backed, plant-based colourant tech firm, has won ChangeNow’s ‘Coups de Cœur’ recognition award in the fashion category, and has further been named among the organisation’s Change100 winners for 2025. The list, a round up of the top sustainability startups to watch this year, evaluates solutions based on their positive impact...

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Fashion |STUDY

Glimpact study reveals 90% of a garment’s environmental impact happens before it’s made

It's no secret that the fashion industry is a rather dirty one. The ecological impact of apparel production has been closely followed over the years as climate change awareness continues to gain traction. For example, textile production is estimated to contribute approximately 20 percent of global clean water pollution, primarily due to dyeing...

Fashion

Eton named debut production partner for redesigned uniforms for the United Nations

Swedish menswear brand Eton has announced that it is the first production partner for the redesigned uniforms for the United Nations tour guides at the organization's headquarters in New York. A new initiative, the project sees students from the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås create the uniforms. Marking the United...