Sustainability
How fashion can do better for people and the planet.
Highlights

Is Fashion Sleepwalking Into the Climate Crisis?

The extreme and deadly weather experienced around much of the world in July got little mention on big brands’ earnings calls, signalling that investors and executives still aren’t treating climate as an immediate business risk.

Case Studies & Reports

Case Study

Case Study | How to Avoid Another Rana Plaza

Analysis

Widespread Inaction on Sustainability Eclipses Progress at Fashion’s Biggest Companies

Case Study

Case Study | How to Talk to Customers About Fashion’s Dirty Secrets

Latest News & Analysis

Why Didn’t Fashion Show Up for Climate Week?

This week, New York played host to one of the world’s largest climate confabs, but there was little visible presence from fashion’s biggest companies. If the industry doesn’t pull up a seat at the table, it risks getting left behind.

Shein Vows to Cut Clothing Waste, but Can the Ultra-Fast Fashion Brand Really Change?

The Chinese company hopes to alleviate its environmental impact through programmes like EvoluShein, which focuses on producing garments out of recycled polyester and reducing waste from unsold clothes.

In New York, From Fashion Week to Climate Week

On the heels of New York Fashion Week, the city is set to host a major climate summit running alongside a meeting of the UN General Assembly this coming week with implications for fashion. Here’s what to watch.

How Much Will Climate Change Cost Fashion?

The industry isn’t planning for rising temperatures and intensifying flooding that could slash export earnings in just a handful of key manufacturing hubs by $65 billion by 2030, a new report finds.

Nike Under Fire Over Wage Theft Claims Ahead of AGM

In a letter sent late last week, a coalition of shareholders urged the US sportswear giant to enable payment of $2.2 million to garment workers claiming wage theft at two supplier factories.

New York’s New Cohort of Designers Wants to Clean Up Fashion

This season more than 30 brands on the New York Fashion Week calendar have a focus on sustainability.

A ‘Climate of Fear’ in Fashion’s Supply Chains

The killing of a union leader in Bangladesh this summer has heightened anxiety over the risks facing labour organisers amid a broader, often violent, crackdown on labour rights.

The 16th Annual Supima Design Competition Shines a Light on the Next Generation of Fashion Designers

Providing contestants with innovative materials, mentorship and access to a global network of designers, the annual competition is an opportunity for emerging designers to showcase their talent and build out their portfolio. BoF sits down with this year’s contestants to learn more.

What Uganda’s ‘War’ on Used Clothing Imports Means for Fashion

In late August, Uganda’s President pledged to ban used clothing imports. It’sthe latest sign that the complicated and controversial secondhand clothing trade is getting increasingly political.

Fast Fashion Firms Prepare for EU Crackdown on Waste Mountain

Within a year, the sorting centre run by garment re-use and recycling charity Moda Re plans to double the volume it handles to 40,000 metric tonnes annually.

Op-Ed | Fashion’s Sustainability Tools Prop Up a Broken System

Efforts to measure the environmental impact of clothes have a fatal flaw: They don’t account for overproduction, argues Beth Esponnette.

What American Fashion Wants From Sustainability Regulation

The industry’s biggest US trade groups are backing a Californian push for greater corporate climate disclosure. The move puts fashion ahead of many other sectors on a politically charged topic, but reporting alone won’t fix the industry’s sustainability challenges.

THE NEWS IN BRIEF

Apple Ditches Leather for New Products

The tech giant said Tuesday that it would no longer use leather in any new products, including watch straps — part of efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.

Gap Joins Pakistan Accord

American fashion giant Gap Inc. has joined the Pakistan Accord, marking a breakthrough in efforts to expand membership of the worker safety initiative.