Fashion ‘unlikely’ to meet Paris Climate Accord goals
According to Textile Exchange’s latest report, the industry is producing more than ever before and shifts from conventional materials to lower-impact, sustainable alternatives have declined. During the last few years, news of fashion’s pivot to more eco-friendly practices has repeatedly made headlines. Whether genuinely impactful or an obvious bid to...
Current in Style
Brands moving away from ‘free returns’ to curb fast fashion
Boohoo, Zara, and soon-to-be H&M are among the major retailers now charging customers to send back clothes in the post. Though shoppers are divided over the new policy, there’s no denying the environmental benefits of a move that targets throwaway culture. When attending a fancy event we don’t have the...
Opinion – Kourtney’s collaboration with Boohoo deserves criticism
The reality star has been mocked on social media for her new role as fast fashion brand Boohoo’s Sustainability Ambassador. But while it may be hard to believe, Kardashian’s latest collaboration is no laughing matter. Reality stars and fast fashion are no strangers to one another. Despite strides to unpick...
The sustainability potential of Bella Hadid’s Coperni moment
Proving just how far fashion’s relationship with tech has come in recent years, a viral video of Bella Hadid being sprayed into a dress marks the next step in environmentally-friendly fabrics. For the last few weeks, as models have sauntered down runways in the fashion capitals of the world, online...
The resale market is fast fashion’s latest greenwashing ploy
We’ve a long way to go before the fashion industry can be deemed sustainable. Is the option to resell our fast fashion items back to retailers a step in the right direction or a novel way for business as usual to continue behind the scenes? Buying second-hand clothing has never...
Opinion – We need to stop categorising unique traits as mental illness
According to popular online content, if you’re easily distracted, chatty, and energetic, you probably have ADHD. If you’re a little socially awkward and bothered by loud noises, perhaps you’re autistic. Why have we started demonising uniqueness to glamourise neurodivergence? And how is this damaging? It seems like every other week...
Should we normalise taking regular social media breaks?
Actor Tom Holland has announced he will be taking a break from social media for the sake of his mental health. Does his openness mark a turning point in our attitudes toward anxiety, depression, and the internet – particularly amongst young men? Celebrities announcing their withdrawal from Instagram and Twitter is nothing new. Especially when the hiatus is driven by a concern for mental health. But these very public admissions...
The Love Island to fast-fashion influencer pipeline is far from over
This summer, the UK’s favourite reality dating programme clothed its stars in second-hand threads from eBay to promote circular fashion. But following their exit from the villa, contestants have already secured record-breaking deals with fast-fashion companies. Love Island season presents the opportunity to witness good-looking people argue, neck each other, and regurgitate lines like ‘you’re my type on paper’ on national television while wearing multiple outfits a day – all...
Selfridges doubles down on sustainability commitments
The luxury department store Selfridges has published its first annual ‘Project Earth’ report detailing a number of ambitious targets that it hopes will ‘reinvent retail.’ Back in 2020, Selfridges committed to its sustainability strategy with ‘Project Earth,’ an impressive outline with the overarching goal of steering its business towards a net-zero future. Two years later, and – in the words of UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres – ‘our fragile planet is hanging...
What is the environmental impact of bright clothing dyes?
Just like all fabrics are not created equal, neither are the dyes that give them their colour. Achieving bright whites and neon hues are resource and labour intensive, causing some items of clothing to have a greater social and environmental impact than others. We’re now nearing the end of August and although most of us would like to believe in a never-ending summer, the fact is… winter is coming. Around this...
