Could 3D printing clothes be the future of fashion?
An outlandish concept that successfully tackles growing concerns of sustainability, is being able to download and print out our garments the answer to over-consumption? When you think about constructing a three-dimensional object from a digital file, being able to print an entire outfit might not necessarily be the first thing...
Current in Industry
Should we really be buying vegan leather?
Vegan fashion is on the rise, with the UK’s accessories sector seeing a 56 percent increase in ‘vegan’ items stocked year-on-year. But are these products really a sustainable alternative? Ever found yourself purchasing a ‘green’ clothing item from your local retailer? Veganism across the board has seen a huge surge in...
Beauty brands support LGTBQ+ communities for Pride Month
Pride is different this year, with celebrations cancelled or postponed. Even so, there are plenty of ways to show support by donating to charities or shopping with brands who give back. Time is up for performance activism. As young consumers, we are far more aware of the philosophical values of the...
Where are we in the ongoing fight against fast fashion?
Though the number of people shopping consciously has soared in recent years – with Gen Z at the helm – fast fashion’s demise isn’t nearly as tangible as you may have assumed. Here’s why. Over the course of the last 18 months, a plethora of headlines touting the death...
Fast fashion retailers accused of cultural appropriation
Mexico’s ministry of culture has claimed that Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl wrongfully made use of designs created by the country’s indigenous communities. A number of fast fashion retailers – namely Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl – have come under fire lately for using patterns distinctive to Mexico’s indigenous Mixteca population...
Wigs are booming despite a steep ethical price tag
The desire for authentic human hair wigs is growing rapidly thanks to pop culture, but the flashing lights of the red carpet are blinding consumers to the dark secrets of the hair trade. Outside of the Black community, wig-wearing among white women was almost exclusively reserved for fancy dress parties,...
Is bio-engineered fashion a future solution for ocean microplastics?
Scientists and fashion designers are working together to create clothing using food and drink, meaning plant-based alternatives to environmentally damaging fabrics could be coming very soon. Clothing made from synthetic materials currently dominate the fashion consumer market, with over 60% of clothing produced being made from plastics rather than organic materials like cotton and wool. You’re probably familiar with the textiles polyester, nylon, acrylic, and polyamide - which are...
Glossier renews Black-owned business grant program for second year
There is no shortage of Black owned brands within the beauty industry. However, funding for these businesses is severely lacking. Glossier is supporting Black entrepreneurs at the pre-launch, start-up, and growth stages of their beauty business venture. Last summer, the rapid resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement prompted companies to re-assess the value system and level of racial diversity within their practices. Most of us watched from our Instagram timelines...
A small step for China, a huge leap for cruelty-free
As of this month, imported ‘ordinary cosmetics’ will no longer be required to test on animals in order to be sold in the Chinese market, which is the second-largest in the world. In a landmark move, the Chinese government has just revised its cosmetics regulations, waiving mandatory animal testing for all imported and locally manufactured ‘ordinary cosmetics.’ This essentially means that any products without an active claim such as ‘anti-ageing’ (from...
Asda joins the pre-loved fashion fray
The retailer is set to begin selling vintage garments in 50 stores across the UK as pre-loved fashion moves from niche to mainstream. As an industry reliant on constantly updating lines, styles, and trends offered up every single season, fashion has always been incredibly fast paced, working at breakneck speed to meet consumer demands. Its requirement that the supply chain functions at an unhesitating rate has not been kind on the...
