BITES // 09.07.23 // ETHICAL FASHION
Every month we collect six of the best pieces of content published on the web and share them with you because we believe that the most extraordinary thinking is inspired by looking to unexpected places. BITES is a reading list for those who want to bring a little of the outside in.
OVERVIEW -
The fashion industry is way behind on its sustainability goals, especially around “circularity”, which is when a garment is repeatedly reused, repaired and recycled before it’s “discarded.” While fast fashion brands like H&M and Shein can provide consumers with access to the latest fashion trends at an affordable price, they also have significant negative impacts on the planet. Of 200 major brands, only 7% regularly use recycled materials, with some upcycle standouts being Patagonia, Levi’s, The North Face, Madewell, Lululemon, and Gucci. By and large, most brands are still focused on pumping out new products, using virgin materials, and not educating consumers about discarding used items. But sustainable fashion is on the rise as consumers become increasingly aware of the negative impact of fast fashion on the environment and society.
1. AI TRACKS FASHION SUPPLY CHAINS
Altana, a fashion logistics company, is using AI to track the ethics of clothing from the beginning, essentially creating a “Google Maps for supply chains”. Altana hopes that their AI technology will help consumers to ensure their clothing is ethically made. Altana collects billions of data points from public internet scraping, commercial datasets, and non-public records. After collecting the data they use AI to sift through the information and provide detailed insights about where materials derive from, whether forced labor is used, how textiles are transported, and what brands use those materials. This technology can help suppliers, retailers, and brands comply with evolving laws around ethical sourcing and manufacturing. The company received a seal of approval from the US Customs and Border Protection agency and signed a multi-year deal. The goal is to use Altana’s system to track whether imported goods were made by Uyghur forced labor in China’s Xinjiang province. Since the passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, the US Customs and Border Protection have already blocked 812 clothing shipments worth $34 million since last June. Using Altana, expect that number to grow exponentially.
2. ITALIAN FASHION STICKS TO “MADE IN ITALY”
Italy is home to thousands of small manufacturers that cover 50–55% of the global production of luxury clothing and leather goods. Smaller Italian companies have in the last two decades had to juggle the handover from one generation of the family to the next with more complex issues such as expanding in new markets. For decades, jealously guarded Italy’s high fashion scene with brands wanting independence, but they’ve started teaming up to protect their supply chains and the Italian roots of smaller companies, showing a new spirit of collaboration. But, the Italian groups are facing competition from French luxury giants such as LVMH and Gucci owner, Kering. LVMH recently took a majority stake in Nuti Ivo Group, an Italian company that has specialized in making leather products since 1955. Controlling luxury supply chains has become important for brands. Brands are wanting to ensure their products get to the shops on time and avoid any reputational risks linked to sourcing of raw materials or labor conditions. Prada and Zegna acquired a minority stake in knitwear company Luigi Fedeli e Figlio, based in Monza, Italy. The family-owned company, which has a focus on cashmere and jumpers, was founded in 1934 and is distributed in 13 own-brand boutiques and around 400 multi-brand stores worldwide. This collaboration reflects closer working ties that show how Italian luxury brands are confident in what they’re making.
3. ANGELINA JOLIE AND CHLOÉ AIM TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT
Angelina Jolie’s new fashion brand, Atelier Jolie, will be partnering with Richemont-owned French luxury house Chloé for the first Atelier’s collection. Chloé indicated that the upcoming collaborative capsule will be “an exercise in modern femininity” looking to “celebrate authentic women-to-women connections.” The collection will be designed with Chloé’s creative director Gabriela Hearst and Jolie. With the help of Chloé’s existing network, the collection is able to focus more on evening wear pieces that take inspiration from Jolie’s own wardrobe. The designs are said to honor “both brands’ to improving social and environmental sustainability with greater transparency and accountability.” The apparel line is said to include a higher percentage of low-impact materials. Most of the looks will be made using deadstock material and will also showcase and spotlight female-led companies and local artisans from a Fair Trade enterprise. The partnership will work to continue to empower women across the field, focusing on fluid silhouettes and tactile details. The apparel line is said to include a higher percentage of low-impact materials. Earnings from this collaboration will be invested in establishing apprenticeships for tailors and artisans at Atelier Jolie.
4. HERSCHEL AND ALLBIRDS EMBRACE SUSTAINABILITY
Herschel Supply is getting into the eco-friendly fashion world with new sustainable materials with the release of its New Classics. The New Classics line offers a redesign of 60 past silhouettes from Herschel’s catalog featuring the brand’s signature Little America Backpack and the release of a new Seymour Backpack silhouette. The classic silhouettes have been updated with signature features like padded floating laptop sleeves, EVA-padded shoulder straps and organizers, and expandable water bottle holders are still part of the designs. The New Classics line embodies the sustainable foundation Herschel is creating for its future. Allbirds has unboxed its new M0.0NSHOT sneaker, which has a legit 0.0 carbon footprint thanks to the use of carbon-negative merino wool, sugarcane-derived green EVA, and even a logo made with methane-capture bioplastic. The new shoes are expected to hit shelves in Spring 2024. This new pair of “net zero” sneakers focuses solely on the impact, both positive and negative, from making the shoes themselves. Allbirds already buy carbon offsets as part of its company-wide sustainability goals and released the first net zero carbon sneaker. Allbirds has put the methodology together as an open-source project through its ‘Recipe B0.0K.’ This toolkit provides a comprehensive guide to every stage of the M0.0NSHOT process, covering aspects such as materials, manufacturing, transportation, end-of-life considerations, and carbon footprint calculations.
5. SECONDHAND SHOPPING AND RESALE BOOM
With the activewear brand’s new “Girlfriend to Girlfriend” resale program, customers can now buy and sell all of their gently-worn Girlfriend pieces. The platform, which works through partner program Treet, was created to promote secondhand clothing use and greater sustainability in fashion. Sellers list and ship their own items and can earn 80% of the listing price or 100% in store credit. America’s first circular retailer Manymoons, formerly known as Borobabi, is setting an industry standard. The model is already successfully proven for children’s clothing, and now expanding to women’s clothing and accessories, Manymoons leverages technology to create a circular economy. Its commitment to ethical sourcing, reuse, and regenerative disposal techniques demonstrates how waste can be removed from the supply chain, while offering parents an alternative to traditional ownership. And, TikTok appears to be building a dedicated team tasked with boosting sales of pre-owned luxury items like bags and collectibles such as sneakers. They’re hiring a “Head of Pre-Owned Luxury” operation lead in North America to develop a go-to-market strategy and build a team of sellers focused on pre-owned luxury items.
6. EU HOPES TO TAX FOR TEXTILE WASTE
The equivalent of 26 pounds of clothing and footwear per EU citizen is discarded each year of which more than three-quarters is incinerated or goes to landfill. The EU wants the textile industry to pay for the processing of discarded clothing and footwear under new rules aimed at cutting the environmental footprint of fast-fashion brands. The Commission will require fashion companies to either collect an amount of textile waste that is equivalent to a certain percentage of their production, or pay a fee towards local authorities’ waste collection work. Similar laws have already been enacted in France and Spain, where textile companies are already obligated to put in place systems for collecting textile waste by 2025 under separate rules. H&M also said it backed the measures and aimed for 30% of its clothes to be made from recycled fibers by 2025. Euratex, the textile industry body, said that it was working on pilot projects with small fabric manufacturers in 11 textile producing regions to create a closed loop system with clothes better designed for recycling.
TAKEAWAY-
Sustainable fashion, also referred to as eco-fashion or ethical fashion, refers to the movement and practices aimed at reducing the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry. Adopting sustainability is a key to survival for fashion brands today because consumers are becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchases. With the increasing awareness of the impact of fashion on the environment, it is essential for clothing brands to prioritize eco-friendliness and build robust corporate social responsibility strategies. Becoming a more sustainable brand is in line with customer demand. It will also help businesses save money long term and will be necessary to fit with incoming government regulations.
