Fashion & Retail News
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Friday, 22 November 2019The RealReal commits to going carbon neutral by 2021
SAN FRANCISCO - Circular economy retailer The RealReal has responded to Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri's 'CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge' by pledging to become carbon neutral by 2021. The company has brought in third party sustainability consultants Shift… -
Thursday, 21 November 2019H&M Group supports digital wage payments
DHAKA - Fashion retailer H&M is supporting a move to encourage textile factories in Bangladesh to switch from cash to digital wage payments to empower garment workers. The Swedish company is making a commitment that all factories in its supply chain… -
Thursday, 21 November 2019Camper launches in-store recyle and repair service
MALLORCA - Spanish footwear brand Camper has launched a circular economy initiative in which it will repair customers' footwear - including a promise to repair the first pair free-of-charge and return them as good as new within 24 hours. The company… -
Thursday, 21 November 2019Businesses confused by 'sustainability' - survey
LONDON - The overwhelming majority of businesses worldwide are feeling under pressure to become more 'sustainable' - but many are confused about what changes to make, according to a new survey. The poll, entitled 'Navigator: Now, next and how', by… -
Wednesday, 20 November 2019Amazon reveals details of supply chain factories
SEATTLE - Online retail giant Amazon has publicly disclosed the names and addresses of more than 1,000 suppliers which produce Amazon-branded products, following requests from organisations campaigning for more transparency in e-commerce and fashion… -
Wednesday, 20 November 2019Investigation into Inditex raises worker concerns
AMSTERDAM – An investigation launched by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has followed the supply chain of fashion giant Inditex and its flagship brand Zara, in a case which typifies the dire state of affairs for workers across much of the global… -
Wednesday, 20 November 2019Zalando rejects workers' 'Stasi' criticisms
BERLIN - Online fashion retailer Zalando has rejected criticisms of its performance management tool - in which workers evaluate each other - which has been compared to Stasi, the notorious former East German secret police. A report by the Hans… -
Wednesday, 20 November 2019NGO campaigns for Boohoo supply chain insight
BRISTOL – Labour Behind the Label has launched a campaign calling on UK fast fashion brand Boohoo to publish details of its supply chain to clear its name of potential worker exploitation accusations. The labour rights NGO makes the case that Boohoo… -
Wednesday, 20 November 2019Target meets solar energy commitment
MINNEAPOLIS – Fashion retailer Target has completed its 500th rooftop solar installation, meaning the company has met one of its sustainability targets, set out back in 2015, ahead of schedule. Target has a number of time bound commitments through… -
Tuesday, 19 November 2019Levi Strauss and Hohenstein link up for safer textile chemicals
SAN FRANCISCO - Denim brand Levi Strauss & Co has linked up with testing and research company Hohenstein in a bid to ensure the use of safer chemicals in its supply chain. The collaboration involves the use of the Eco Passport by Oeko-Tex… -
Tuesday, 19 November 2019Low score for apparel firms on human rights
LONDON - More than half of the apparel companies analysed scored less than 20 per cent in a new report which assesses leading brands on human rights issues in their businesses and supply chains. A total of 28 apparel companies, out of 53, scored… -
Monday, 18 November 2019Lidl joins ACT living wage initiative
NECKARSULM - German discounter Lidl has committed to ensuring that workers in its garment and footwear supply chain are paid a living wage by signing up to the ACT initiative. The supermarket chain is estimated to be the fifth biggest grocery chain… -
Friday, 15 November 2019Kering and IFM launch 'sustainability' chair
PARIS - French fashion giant Kering has linked up with the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) to launch the first higher education research and teaching centre dedicated to sustainability and corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry.… -
Thursday, 14 November 2019'World's first' biodegradable stretch denim jeans
AMSTERDAM - Dutch jeanmaker Denham has partnered with Italian denim mill Candiani to launch what it claimed to be the world’s first biodegradable, stretch denim created using plant-based yarns. The new denim is made from organic cotton wrapped… -
Thursday, 14 November 2019Adidas recycles high performance running shoe
HERZOGENAURACH - Sportswear brand Adidas has created the second generation of its first 100% recyclable shoes, the FutureCraft Loop, which are being given back to their original owners to compare against the first version. Adidas launched the shoe… -
Wednesday, 13 November 2019Inditex signs deal on supply chain workers' rights
GENEVA - Fashion giant Inditex and the IndustriALL Global Union federation have signed an agreement to protect the rights of workers in the company's supply chain. Inditex executive chairman, Pablo Isla, and the general secretary of IndustriALL… -
Wednesday, 13 November 2019German survey indicative of industry’s intentions
MUNICH – At the ongoing Performance Days trade show in Munich, Udo Fischer, of native news outlet TextilWirtschaft, outlined findings from a new industry survey indicative of greater interest – both from stakeholders and consumers alike – in… -
Tuesday, 12 November 2019Prada signs up for 'sustainability' linked loan
MILAN - Prada says it has become the first fashion house to sign up for a loan under which repayments are linked to 'sustainability'. The Italian company claims its US$50 million loan with the Crédit Agricole Group over five years is the first of… -
Tuesday, 12 November 2019Europeans pay attention to care labels
PARIS - European consumers are concerned about clothing durability with seven out of ten shoppers paying close attention to the care instructions on garment labels. Those were the results of the 2019 European Barometer which have been unveiled by… -
Friday, 08 November 2019H&M CEO’s comments “unconscionable”, say researchers
LONDON – The Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion (UCRF) has written an open letter in which it describes the recent remarks of H&M’s CEO “unconscionable”, and challenged the fashion tycoon to address systemic poverty within the brand’s supply… -
Friday, 08 November 2019Canada Goose loses bid to block protesters
LONDON - Winter clothing brand Canada Goose has lost a court bid to prevent animal rights activists from protesting outside its European flagship store in London about the use of fur and down in its garments. The company, best known for its down… -
Thursday, 07 November 2019New body aims to empower ethical fashion designers
LONDON - FreedomeE, a new global body aimed at promoting 'sustainability' among smaller scale players in the fashion industry, has been launched in London. Billed as a community of fashion brands, suppliers, artisans and creatives, it provides a… -
Thursday, 07 November 2019Danish fashion brand gains FSC Certification
COPENHAGEN - Masai Copenhagen has become the first Danish fashion brand to gain FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certification for the cellulose-based textiles in its garments throughout its entire supply chain. The company has been working closely… -
Tuesday, 05 November 2019Uniqlo probed over sacked garment workers
WASHINGTON DC – The Fair Labour Association (FLA) has launched a formal investigation into claims that fashion brand Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing and German brand S. Oliver owe US$5.5 million to sacked Indonesian garment workers. It comes… -
Tuesday, 05 November 2019House of Holland to trial ‘Swap Shop’
LONDON – British fashion brand House of Holland is trialling a ‘Swap Shop’ in a store in East London, through which customers can return their unwanted products in exchange for a £5 credit token. The company also invites people to fetch in other… -
Monday, 04 November 2019How fashion could become 'sustainable' by 2035
ZUG - The fashion industry will not become 'sustainable' under current business practices - but 'sustainability' could be possible within 16 years if key changes are made, according to a new report. Entitled The Future of Sustainability in the… -
Friday, 01 November 2019H&M CEO criticised over fast fashion comments
LONDON – Labour Behind the Label has lambasted recent comments made by H&M’s CEO Karl-Johan Persson after saying that if consumers were to ditch fast fashion, it would lead to “terrible social consequences”. Persson was speaking in Stockholm when he… -
Friday, 01 November 2019"Inefficient" Mexico given circular suggestions
MEXICO CITY – The C&A Foundation has partnered with the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) to publish a new report that it’s hoped can accelerate a transition to a circular economy in Mexico. The report, Promotion of Circular Economy in… -
Thursday, 31 October 2019Gap explores new circular manufacturing processes
HONG KONG – Apparel retailer Gap Inc., has partnered with the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) to develop technological solutions that can assist Gap in implementing circular practices within its supply chain. Two… -
Thursday, 31 October 2019Monsoon to become 90 per cent 'sustainable' by 2023
LONDON – Fashion retailer Monsoon has pledged that more than 90 per cent of its clothing will be made from responsibly-sourced materials within four years. The company made the announcement on the back of its new sustainability report and also… -
Wednesday, 30 October 2019Zalando claims carbon neutral status from today
BERLIN - European online fashion platform Zalando has committed to a net-zero carbon footprint in its own operations, including all deliveries and returns, from today as part of its new sustainability strategy. Entitled 'do.MORE', the strategy also… -
Tuesday, 29 October 2019H&M to launch first clothing rental service
STOCKHOLM - Fashion retailer H&M is launching its first clothing rental service in a trial scheme at a flagship store in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm. Members of H&M’s loyalty programme will be able to rent selected party dresses and skirts… -
Tuesday, 29 October 2019Sympatex to debut circular jacket
DUSSELDORF – At next month’s A+A trade show in Germany, functional textile specialist Sympatex will present a new workwear jacket developed by the wear2wear European partnership of firms, which is vying to create products compliant with a circular… -
Monday, 28 October 2019Time to ‘normalise’ sustainability, says university figure
MANCHESTER – Fast fashion brands should harness their strong market positions and online outreach to ‘normalise’ sustainable fashion items, says a senior fashion lecturer at the University of Manchester. The comments made come after recent findings… -
Friday, 25 October 201924 more companies join the Fashion Pact
PARIS - Another 24 fashion and textiles companies have signed up for the Fashion Pact which was launched at the recent G7 summit in France in an attempt to reduce the impact of the industry on the environment. The news, which brings the total number… -
Thursday, 24 October 2019Amazon accused of selling clothing from banned factories
NEW YORK - Online retail giant Amazon has been accused of allowing clothing manufactured in Bangladeshi factories that violate international safety standards to be sold on its website. An investigation by the Wall Street Journal found that "a steady… -
Wednesday, 23 October 2019Fashion for Good calls for broader innovation investments
AMSTERDAM – Netherlands-based sustainable fashion initiative Fashion for Good (FFG) has issued a call to arms to industry stakeholders and investment groups, noting “the amount of capital available in the textile innovation space is still small in… -
Tuesday, 22 October 2019Brands ranked on climate targets
SAN FRANCISCO – Just 18 months since accusing jeanswear giant Levi Strauss & Co., of “dragging its feet” in the face of climate change, environmental NGO Stand.earth has released a Filthy Fashion Climate scorecard, rating Levi’s the most committed… -
Tuesday, 22 October 2019Circular initiative on-boards its first brands
AMSTERDAM – Following the launch of its Switching Gear project in May of this year, Dutch duo Circle Economy and Fashion for Good (FFG) have on-boarded their first two brands keen to capitalise on opportunities in recommerce and rental. The… -
Tuesday, 22 October 2019Sustainable items just 3 per cent of online fashion
LONDON – A new report published by UK retail analysts looks at how the fashion industry has been expanding its use of ‘sustainable’ fabrics and processes in their assortments over time, as well as the pricing and performance metrics behind so-called… -
Monday, 21 October 2019McKinsey survey: sustainable sourcing tops agenda
NEW YORK – Sustainable sourcing is amongst the top priorities for chief sourcing officials, according to an industry-facing survey conducted by US consultancy McKinsey & Company. The survey reflects the perspectives of 64 senior figures from brands… -
Thursday, 17 October 2019Complaint lodged against Uniqlo over sacked workers
WASHINGTON DC - A complaint has been lodged against fashion brand Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing with the Fair Labour Association (FLA) on behalf of garment workers at two factories in Indonesia who lost their jobs overnight. The Clean… -
Thursday, 17 October 2019YKK plant-based zip wins good design award
TOKYO - Japanese fastener manufacturer YKK has received the 2019 Good Design Best 100 award from the Japan Design Promotion Association for a zip made from plant-based polyester. The GreenRise zipper is made with plant-derived polyester made from… -
Wednesday, 16 October 2019ACT brands back living wage for garment workers
The Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT) initiative has adopted a joint due diligence framework for member brands to ensure their purchasing practices facilitate the payment of a living wage to garment workers in their supply chains. The ACT… -
Wednesday, 16 October 2019Adidas launches recycling initiative to customers
LONDON - Adidas has launched a new recycling initiative in the UK, entitled Infinite Play, in which customers are incentivised to pass on their old sportswear instead of sending it to landfill. The global sportswear brand is working with social… -
Tuesday, 15 October 2019Will second-hand really overtake fast fashion?
SAN FRANCISCO - The second-hand clothing market has seen huge growth on the back of renewed interest in sustainability, but how realistic are predictions that it will overtake fast fashion within 10 years? Brands to have recently become involved… -
Tuesday, 15 October 2019All Patagonia waterproof shells now recycled
VENTURA - Outdoor clothing brand Patagona has announced that all of its waterproof shell jackets are now made with recycled materials in Fair Trade Certified factories. Patagonia said the pledge covered 61 styles of product categories, from Alpine… -
Friday, 11 October 2019Finisterre first to use 'marine-safe' packaging
ST AGNES - UK surf specialist Finisterre has become the first fashion brand to wrap its garments in ‘marine-safe’ bags made from Aquapak polymer which do not break down into microplastics in the ocean or on land. The new packaging will begin to… -
Friday, 11 October 2019Fashion for Good exhibit focuses on circularity
AMSTERDAM – Dutch NGO Fashion for Good (FFG) has launched its latest exhibition at its headquarters in Amsterdam, which focuses on circularity in the fashion industry. The Reborn exhibit showcases garments from C&A, Frankie Collective, MAFIA, Pure… -
Thursday, 10 October 2019Miss Selfridge urges customers to recycle
LONDON - Fashion brand Miss Selfridge is working in partnership with the British Heart Foundation to encourage customers to recycle and donate their unwanted clothes, accessories and shoes. As well as raising money for the charity, the initiative is…
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