In November, the industry’s efforts to become more transparent were noticed – for example through certain standards, but also through clearer communication on the brand side, for example regarding the true cost of a piece of clothing. According to a study by the market research institute GfK, consumers, on the other hand, seem to be paying less and less attention to the aspect of sustainability when purchasing.
Various industry events are dedicated to sustainability and the circular economy and Black Friday is increasingly becoming Green Friday – more and more brands are taking part. FashionUnited also visited a textile recycling plant in Wormerveer, the Netherlands. Read through an exciting month.
Events
As in the previous month, a number of events in November brought new impulses. The 15th edition of the Sankalp Global Summit, one of the world’s largest platforms for inclusive development with a focus on entrepreneurship and impact investing, took place in Mumbai. The program was divided into six main thematic areas: Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, Circular Economy, Clean Energy and Decarbonization to Net Zero, Impact Entrepreneurship and Investing, Resilient Communities, and Gender and Livelihoods. FashionUnited followed the circular economy theme with three sessions as it was dedicated to the textile and clothing sector.
Also taking place for the second year in a row was the Spanish Future of Fashion conference, which has become a laboratory for ideas, reflections and conversations about sustainability in fashion. “Can a company be an activist?”, “Is it too late to change something?”, “What can I do as a consumer?”. These and many other questions were discussed and FashionUnited highlighted the five most important messages.
The Remake organization was dedicated to addressing the negative impact of record-breaking tours by some of the world’s most influential musicians, which abounded in 2023. The music industry not only contributes to environmental pollution by transporting music tours around the world, but also supports harmful fashion habits such as fast fashion and disposable fashion.
Green Friday
In November, “Green Friday” is increasingly coming to the fore, aiming to be a sustainable alternative to Black Friday. More and more brands are joining in – the US shoe manufacturer Crocs, for example, which started a take-back program for used models, or the Swiss brand Muntagnard, which offers customers a one-square-meter piece of land in Graubünden for free when they buy a MIUtec jacket to point out their circular concern.
Backpack expert Osprey called for a fundraising campaign and FashionUnited put together tips on how to make Green Friday a success. German Environmental Aid called on retailers to completely avoid discount days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
innovation
The Herzogenaurach sportswear manufacturer Puma has shown that a specially made version of the Suede sneaker model can be biodegraded in an industrial composting plant. The company released the results of its two-year Re:Suede experiment in a detailed report at the end of the month.
Mountain sports equipment provider Vaude UPM Biochemicals introduced the world’s first fleece jacket made from wood-based polyester at ISPO Munich. The aim of the collaboration was to demonstrate the feasibility of using bio-based chemicals in textiles and address the urgent need for sustainable solutions in the fashion and footwear industries.
Sustainability was also hotly debated at the Mare Di Moda stretch fabric fair in Cannes. The Lycra Company, an official partner of the event, brought several innovations to the French Riviera, including the ‘Adaptiv Xtra Life’ swimwear fibers, which combine chlorine, heat and cream resistance with long-lasting comfort and fit, as well as the ‘ Adaptive Black’ fiber, which was developed primarily for athleisure wear and reduces the shine of elastane in black colors.
The main focus, however, was on an elastane made from biological materials that Lycra is developing together with Qore, a joint venture between Cargill, a leading provider of agricultural and fermentation technologies, and chemical distributor Helm. Qira is the first organically-based spandex produced at scale, made from 76 percent renewable, inedible corn. The material will offer the same functionality in terms of stretch and rebound as current, comparable fibers. Initial quantities will be available early next year, while large-scale production and sales are expected to begin in 2025.
transparency
The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), known for its cotton standards Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) and Cotton made in Africa Organic, has expanded its offering to include the Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS). This is intended to offer both textile companies and cotton farmers a holistic new approach to respond to the growing challenges in the cotton and textile industry. FashionUnited spoke to Managing Director Tina Stridde about the introduction and integration of the new standard.
Non-profit organization Better Cotton launched a new traceability solution for the fashion and textile industry called Traceable Better Cotton earlier this month. This was developed over the course of three years and is intended to make the journey of cotton through the supply chain visible by recording the contributions of everyone involved on the Better Cotton platform.
The Swedish slow fashion brand Asket is the first in the industry to issue a receipt for the environmental impact of the purchase in addition to the traditional receipt. She wants to curb modern consumer habits, because the “Impact Receipt” contains a breakdown of the environmental costs and impacts of every Asket order. This details the CO2e emissions, water and energy consumption for each garment, as well as the impacts associated with packaging and shipping options.