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.
The 'Natural' Beauty Industry Is on the Rise Because We're Scared of Chemicals (Vox)
"The big companies that are being forced to reformulate products because of consumer demand or that are losing sales to more nimble 'clean' indie brands seem to be at their wits' end. But brands and retailers are still trying to sell you things just like the traditional beauty companies are. Marketing themselves as 'clean' is an advantage in this market."
Revolve Had a Thin Model Wear a Top That Was Meant to Highlight Fatphobia (Teen Vogue)
"The retailer was selling sweatshirts by clothing brand LPA with the quote 'Being fat isn't beautiful it's an excuse' on the front — they have since taken the item down. Revolve clearly missed the mark by choosing to put the design on a skinny model and making the quote attribution barely readable."
The Environment's New Clothes: Biodegradable Textiles Grown from Live Organisms (Scientific American)
"Some researchers think some of tomorrow's apparel could potentially be bioengineered, which would break down into nontoxic substances when eventually thrown away. Such methods could reduce waste and pollution. Another major benefit is that many of the organisms can produce the precise amount of textile without generating excess material to discard."
BFC's Stephanie Phair Says London Is the World's Best Fashion City and We'll Weather the Storm (Evening Standard)
"She highlighted that the industry faced extraordinary challenges but said she would not run away from it. Ms Phair said she had ambitious plans, with several projects planned this year — including a partnership with Google — which would help put digital innovation front and centre."
Los Angeles Is Banning the Sale of Animal Fur (Independent)
"The draft bill must gain final approval by the council and then be signed by the mayor to be enacted. Supporters said they hoped adopting a fur ban in the nation's second largest city, which is one of the world's major fashion centres, would encourage similar bans around the globe."
As they move to protect their intellectual property, big brands are coming into conflict with a growing class of up-and-coming designers working with refashioned designer gear.
The industry needs to ditch its reliance on fossil-fuel-based materials like polyester in order to meet climate targets, according to a new report from Textile Exchange.
Cotton linked to environmental and human rights abuses in Brazil is leaking into the supply chains of major fashion brands, a new investigation has found, prompting Zara-owner Inditex to send a scathing rebuke to the industry’s biggest sustainable cotton certifier.
Over the last few years, the run-up to Earth Day has become a marketing frenzy. But a crackdown on greenwashing may be changing the way brands approach their communications strategies.