Fashion & Retail News
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Thursday, 03 December 2020Investment fund criticises Boohoo practices
EDINBURGH - Fund management group Baillie Gifford has criticised the sourcing practices of embattled fast fashion brand Boohoo but stopped short of selling off its holdings in the company. Instead, the company, which runs the £15 billion (US$20bn)… -
Tuesday, 01 December 2020Blockchain’s potential tested in new viscose project
AMSTERDAM – Dutch sustainability initiative Fashion for Good (FFG) has kick-started a Viscose Traceability Project which assesses blockchain technology’s performance in tracing the cellulosic fibre throughout the textile supply chain. For this,… -
Monday, 30 November 2020Brands held to account on transparency in Brazil
RIO DE JANEIRO - Major brands scored an average of just 21 per cent for the amount of sustainability information they disclose in the third edition of Brazil's Fashion Transparency Index (BFTI). Brazil is the world's fourth largest garment producer,… -
Monday, 30 November 2020PLT sale “everything that’s wrong with fast fashion”
MANCHESTER – Workers’ rights organisation the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has labelled Pretty Little Thing’s 99 per cent off sale “everything that’s wrong with fast fashion” after the Manchester brand sold items like jeans and dresses for as little… -
Monday, 30 November 2020GFA report reflects on industry-wide circularity success
COPENHAGEN – A new report by the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) reveals the progress made by brands and retailers on the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment, introduced in 2017 to set circular supply chain targets. Reflecting on the collective… -
Monday, 30 November 2020Arcadia collapse could cost UK suppliers £250m
LONDON – With fashion conglomerate the Arcadia Group on the brink of collapse, invoice insurance business Nimbla estimates that upwards of £250 million in invoices could go unpaid to SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in the UK. Sir Philip Green’s… -
Friday, 27 November 2020
Boohoo accused of 'cut and run' from Leicester
LEICESTER - Workers' rights campaigners claim they have "mounting evidence" that fast fashion brand Boohoo is looking to abandon suppliers in Leicester and replace them with factories in Pakistan. Boohoo, which denies the claims, has been under… -
Friday, 27 November 2020Kappahl increases 'more sustainable' range
GOTHENBURG - Swedish fashion retailer Kappahl says it has increased the proportion of its goods made from 'more sustainably' sourced materials to 70 per cent. Five years ago, the figure was just 19 per cent and the company, which also owns Newbie… -
Friday, 27 November 2020Boohoo chairman to give evidence to MPs
LONDON - The Boohoo Group’s Executive Chairman, Mahmud Kamani, is to give evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee's follow-up inquiry into the fashion industry. The EAC confirmed last month that concerns over Boohoo's UK supply chain were… -
Friday, 27 November 2020EOCA Black Friday fundraiser supports conservation work
KENDAL – The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) has today launched a Green Friday Fundraiser in partnership with 17 of its member brands and retailers which will raise money for the association’s vital conservation projects. In… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020YNAP publishes new sustainability strategy
MILAN - The Yoox Net-a-Porter (YNAP) online fashion retail group has launched its new sustainability strategy - Infinity - in which it pledges to work towards a more sustainable and inclusive circular fashion industry by 2030. The 10-year strategy… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020Retired judge to oversee Boohoo supply chain action
MANCHESTER – Fast fashion brand Boohoo has appointed retired judge Sir Brian Leveson to independently oversee the progress of its Agenda for Change programme. The Manchester brand introduced the programme off the back of Alison Levitt QC’s inquiry,… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020100th issue of Ecotextile News magazine
WAKEFIELD - More than 14 years since our first issue, the 100th Ecotextile News magazine is due out next week with a bumper edition of more than 100 pages. We’ve made a special effort to cover a wide range of topical environmental and social issues… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Canopy’s Pack4Good unveils new recruits ahead of Black Friday
VANCOUVER – Ahead of Black Friday, environmental NGO Canopy has announced that a new cohort of companies including fashion brands and retailers have joined its Pack4Good initiative, which challenges signatories to adopt more sustainable forms of… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Canada Goose launches sustainability platform
TORONTO - Outdoor apparel brand Canada Goose has launched a new sustainability platform, called Humanature, to be the driving force behind its commitments to 'keep the planet cold and people warm'. It is built around the company's 'Sustainable… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Crystal Group joins UN Fashion Charter
HONG KONG – The Crystal Group has joined the United Nations’ Fashion Charter for Climate Action committing the company to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and a 30 per cent reduction by 2030. The company joins a growing number… -
Monday, 23 November 2020Ann Taylor to ditch alpaca wool
MAHWAH - The Ascena Retail Group, which owns brands including Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lou & Grey, is to stop selling products made with alpaca wool over animal rights concerns. The New Jersey-based company says it will "fully eliminate" the fabric from… -
Monday, 23 November 2020Black Friday campaign targets Boohoo
LEICESTER - The Labour Behind the Label initiative has launched 'Black Friday' campaign urging Boohoo to compensate supply chain workers who were paid less than the minimum wage for making its clothes. The workers' rights non-profit has launched… -
Thursday, 19 November 2020H&M and Renewcell scale up co-operation
STOCKHOLM - H&M has entered into a five-year agreement with Swedish recycling innovator Renewcell to replace virgin fibres with recycled textiles in garments at scale. By the end of the deal, Renewcell will be providing H&M's suppliers with 10,000… -
Thursday, 19 November 2020Leicester MP reaffirms need for Boohoo seniority shake-up
LEICESTER – The MP for Leicester West, Liz Kendall, has described evidence of poor working conditions within fast fashion brand Boohoo’s supply chain as “one of the worst environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) scandals in modern UK… -
Wednesday, 18 November 2020Education key to new Fashion Makes Change initiative
NEW YORK – Education and women’s empowerment will form the bedrock of the new Fashion Makes Change (FMC) initiative, launched by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), which will look to drive more urgent action on key social and environmental… -
Wednesday, 18 November 2020Icebreaker outlines December tree-planting project
AUCKLAND – Outdoor apparel brand Icebreaker, a VF Corp company, has announced the launch of a new initiative that will run throughout December, which commits the firm to planting one tree in the wildfire-stricken states of California and Colorado… -
Wednesday, 18 November 2020H&M recycling machine separates mixed fibres
STOCKHOLM - H&M-owned brand Monki has announced the launch of a new hydrothermal recycling process - the ‘Green Machine’ - which claims to be the first to recycle mixed cotton and polyester fibres at scale. The Green Machine, a collaboration between… -
Tuesday, 17 November 2020Elevate outlines progress in sustainability report
GREENSBORO - Elevate Textiles, which owns brands including American & Efird (A&E), Burlington, Cone Denim, and Gütermann and Safety Components, has released its first sustainability report. In the report, the company outlines progress towards its… -
Monday, 16 November 2020CCC launches week of action to pressure brands
AMSTERDAM - The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) workers' rights group has launched a global week of action to pressure brands into signing up to a wage assurance scheme that guarantees supply chain workers are paid in full during the pandemic. The CCC… -
Friday, 13 November 2020Study: financial climate driving ‘cheap clothes’ searches
LONDON – A new UK study assessing Google Trend analytics has found that amidst the first lockdown, searches for ‘cheap clothes’ jumped by 46.3 per cent. The Cheapest Countries study, by Pink Casino, highlights the extent to which financial… -
Friday, 13 November 2020Aldo Group retains climate neutral certification
MONTREAL – Footwear firm Aldo Group has retained its climate neutral certification from sustainability solutions provider South Pole for the third consecutive year. “Our sustainability efforts towards fighting the climate crisis are deeply rooted in… -
Friday, 13 November 2020Remake transparency report slams big names
SAN FRANCISCO – Workers’ rights NGO Remake has named some of the world's biggest fashion companies "offenders" in its first ever Brand Transparency Report. It names 10 offenders - Zara, H&M, Everlane, Uniqlo, Forever 21, sustainable footwear brand… -
Wednesday, 11 November 2020Disney and NBC urged to pay garment workers
MAE SOT - Entertainment giants Disney and NBC Universal are being urged to compensate migrant garment workers who were reportedly subject to appalling conditions while making their products at a factory in Thailand. A total of 26 Burmese garment… -
Tuesday, 10 November 2020Mango signs UN Fashion Charter
BARCELONA – Spanish fashion brand Mango has joined the United Nations’ Fashion Charter for Climate Action committing the company to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and a 30 per cent reduction by 2030. The company joins a… -
Tuesday, 10 November 2020UK retailers target net-zero by 2040
LONDON - More than 60 retailers, including Burberry, Missguided, ASOS and Primark have pledged to support the British Retail Consortium's Climate Action Roadmap which sets a target of net-zero emissions by 2040. The BRC's roadmap applies to the… -
Tuesday, 10 November 2020Allbirds to increase Black Friday prices
SAN FRANCISCO – Sustainable footwear brand Allbirds has announced that this Black Friday (27th November), it will increase the price of all its products by £1 as it looks to take a stand against what it calls “a frenzied day of discounts and buyers’… -
Monday, 09 November 2020BHF pleads for pre-Black Friday donations
LONDON – The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is urging consumers to donate the items they’ll likely replace this upcoming Black Friday, as it looks to reinforce its resale collection – the proceeds for which help fund vital scientific research. From… -
Friday, 06 November 2020Copenhagen Fashion Week, Zalando to “accelerate sustainability”
COPENHAGEN – Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW) has announced a three-year partnership with European retailer Zalando, through which the company’s say they’ll “accelerate sustainability in the fashion industry”. The pair deem their level of ambition… -
Friday, 06 November 2020About You expands into pre-worn garments
HAMBURG - Online platform and Zalando rival About You is expanding into the second-hand market by offering around 30,000 pre-worn garments in a new 'Second Love' section on its website. About You appears to have soft launched the service which… -
Thursday, 05 November 2020Boohoo commits to map its entire supply chain
LONDON - Fast fashion company Boohoo has committed to map and make pubic its entire tier 1 and tier 2 supply chain globally as part of its efforts to uncover worker abuses at the factories where its clothes are made. The commitment was made at the… -
Wednesday, 04 November 2020Rent the Runway to start selling clothes
NEW YORK – Rent the Runway (RTR) has decided to put its entire clothing collection up for sale, and will extend this offering to non-subscribers, with the company’s seniority insisting this has always been the plan. In May, it was announced that the… -
Wednesday, 04 November 2020UK watchdog to probe greenwashing in fashion
LONDON - The UK's competition watchdog is to investigate greenwashing in sectors where consumer are most concerned about the accuracy of company's environmental claims, including fashion. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is concerned that… -
Tuesday, 03 November 2020
Boohoo, H&M to give evidence on forced labour
LONDON - Leading brands and retailers including Boohoo, H&M, VF Corp and Nike will this week give evidence to MPs on the extent to which UK businesses are exploiting the forced labour of Uyghur Muslim prisoners in the Xinjiang region of China.… -
Monday, 02 November 2020Consumers urged to boycott Black Friday
LONDON - The Fashion Revolution initiative is urging consumers to boycott Black Friday and Cyber Monday to take a stand against what it describes as the "environmental and social damage of hyper-discount culture". Urging shoppers to reflect on and… -
Friday, 30 October 2020C&A compensates suppliers for pre-COVID orders
DUSSELDORF - Retail giant C&A has announced that it has now paid its apparel suppliers in full for all orders which it cancelled or delayed after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The company was previously criticised for cancelling an… -
Thursday, 29 October 2020Better Buying report shows staggered progress
NEWARK – A new Better Buying Index report has been published today, providing comparable year-on-year supplier data from 2018 and 2019 on how brands and retailers engage with those in their value chain, and whether they exhibit fair and sustainable… -
Thursday, 29 October 2020Primark signs up to UN Fashion Charter
LONDON – Fashion retailer Primark has joined the United Nations’ Fashion Charter for Climate Action committing the company to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and a 30 per cent reduction by 2030. Primark has pledged to tackle… -
Thursday, 29 October 2020Lululemon makes social and environmental pledges
VANCOUVER - Athletic apparel retailer Lululemon has released its first-ever 'Impact Agenda' detailing the company’s long-term strategy to minimise its environmental impact. Lululemon's Impact Agenda includes 12 specific commitments across a range of… -
Thursday, 29 October 2020US footwear brand kick-starts shoe recycling programme
NEW YORK – Footwear brand Thousand Fell has partnered with recycling innovator TerraCycle and package delivery firm UPS to develop a closed-loop shoe recycling programme which encourages consumers to return their trainers in return for store credit.… -
Thursday, 29 October 2020Mango pledges to eliminate plastic packaging
BARCELONA – Spanish fashion brand Mango is shaping up to eliminate all plastic packaging within its supply chain, a goal that will snuff out upwards of 160 million plastic bags a year from its supply chains. The company says the target puts it… -
Wednesday, 28 October 2020Report highlights brands' behaviour during crisis
SYDNEY - Only 35 per cent of more than 400 brands assessed were able to show they had made regular payments to their suppliers throughout the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report. The study, by Baptist World Aid Australia, assessed 96… -
Wednesday, 28 October 2020Fashion's circular potential post-COVID 19
COWES - Investment opportunities in the fashion industry have been identified to help pave the way towards an environmentally sensitive post-pandemic economic recovery, in a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Entitled 'Circular economy and… -
Wednesday, 28 October 2020Rental firm GlamCorner secures AU$12m in funding
SYDNEY – Clothing rental company GlamCorner has announced the completion of a successful series B funding round in which it’s accumulated AU$12 million. The capital raised, driven by long-term partner and investor Treis, will help the business reach… -
Tuesday, 27 October 2020SMCP commits to sustainability in new plan
PARIS - Luxury fashion company SMCP, which owns brands Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac, has announced a new 2020-2025 strategic plan which includes commitments to accelerate efforts towards sustainability. The company pledges to…
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