The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Fashion's New Distance From Terry Richardson Is Too Little, Too Late (The Business of Fashion)
"While Terry Richardson has become the poster child for fashion's sexual harassment problem, photographers, editors, stylists, casting directors and others are known to routinely engage in misconduct in an industry where power dynamics disadvantage young women."
H&M Denies Burning Good, Unsold Product (Racked)
"A new report by a Danish television channel claims H&M has burned 60 tonnes of new, unsold apparel since 2013. In a statement, H&M denied that it destroys usable clothing, and suggested that the clothing was incinerated because it had been damaged by mould or contained unsafe levels of lead."
After Weinstein Scandal, a Plan to Protect Models (The New York Times)
"Assemblywoman Nily Rozic announced an amendment to the state's current anti-discrimination laws. If passed, it would extend protection to models who currently fall through the existing statutory safety net. The rule would make designers and photographers liable for abuses experienced on their watch."
How Ethical Trainers Won the Fashion Seal of Approval (The Guardian)
"Veja trainers are designed in the classic mould of minimal footwear, and made using a better supply chain and more sustainable materials than its competitors. They hold their own alongside the Célines, Guccis and the Nikes at the high church of cool, Dover Street Market."
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Stella McCartney Is Weaving a New Way Forward (Fast Company)
"McCartney's latest venture is a collaboration with Bolt Threads — a start-up that has created Microsilk — which is bioengineered to mimic the chemistry and strength of real silk created naturally by spiders. The resulting material will be a triple win if it can be produced at enough scale to be used in fashion."
How Technology Is Shaping the Future of Sustainable Fashion (Fashionista)
"From start-ups using bacteria to dye fabric to industry veterans using chemistry to separate recyclable fabric components, many new discoveries in sustainability are cropping up. Stella McCartney is not the only one looking to Silicon Valley for ideas that could help catapult her company forward."
Traces of cotton from Xinjiang were found in nearly a fifth of samples from American and global retailers, highlighting the challenges of complying with a US law aimed at blocking imports that could be linked to forced labour in China.
The fashion industry continues to advance voluntary and unlikely solutions to its plastic problem. Only higher prices will flip the script, writes Kenneth P. Pucker.
The outerwear company is set to start selling wetsuits made in part by harvesting materials from old ones.
Companies like Hermès, Kering and LVMH say they have spent millions to ensure they are sourcing crocodile and snakeskin leathers responsibly. But critics say incidents like the recent smuggling conviction of designer Nancy Gonzalez show loopholes persist despite tightening controls.