Fashion and sustainability January 2023

Sustainability continues to play a major role for the fashion industry in 2023. In the first month of the new year, efforts included resale, buyback programmes, clothing swaps and secondhand initiatives, which FashionUnited lists below. This article uncovers if upcycling could become a possibility for everyone.

The European Fashion Alliance, founded last year to drive the necessary change in the European fashion industry, presented the results of its first summit. Sustainable trade fairs also had good successes and collaboration is driving innovation. While sustainable influencers are taking on fast fashion, the EU Commission is planning a law against greenwashing. This and more made January quite an exciting month.

Resale, secondhand, buyback, swaps

• Lucy & Yak introduces buyback scheme
• Clothes swap initiative 'No New' by Bandi enters its second year
• Jigsaw to introduce repair service in expansion of sustainable fashion model
• Rent the Runway partners with Amazon Fashion on pre-loved offer

Collaboration

• Fashion for Good sorting for circularity advances into the US market
• H&M, Inditex and Mango among retailers establishing textile waste association
• Renfro Brands partners with TrusTrace to accelerate sustainability
• AEO joins US Cotton Trust Protocol as new member
• Patagonia and Samsung developed a washing machine that reduces microplastics

Brands

• Sustainable shoe brand Rice launches vegan sneaker
• Ralph Lauren introduces cashmere recycling programme
• Mango unveils denim collection utilising 'circularity criteria'
• Stella McCartney shares latest environmental impact report

Events

• HKRITA Innovation & Technology Symposium 2023 targets net-zero future
• European Fashion Alliance outline first steps of long-term plan in new summit
• Video: Copenhagen Fashion Week is preparing the pathway to be the leading event on sustainability in Europe

Interviews

• CEO of Primark Netherlands talks the retailer's repair service and the strategy behind it
• How could fibre recycling become mainstream? In conversation with Lenzing’s veteran Michael Kininmonth

Also read:

• Fashion graduates, here’s how to land that dream sustainability job
• Frustration grows around supply chain audits and certifications
• Human Material Loop founder to test hair textile prototype in Aconcagua climb
• Sustainability round-up December 2022
• Sustainability round-up 2022