Sustainable Fashion School

What's been going on in Sustainable Fashion this week? ⬇ 1) A few weeks ago we saw G-Star RAW launch their 'homegrown' cotton range. Last week Zara owner Inditex has bought a stake in US cellular agriculture start up GALY, which is working to develop lab-grown cotton. 2) The Woolmark Company, which has certified wool products for 60 years, has unveiled its first recycled wool specification to support the shift towards circular wool production. The recycled wool specification ensures that products contain at least 20% recycled wool - both pre-consumer sources, such as cutting waste, and post-consumer sources. 3) Meanwhile, one to watch - GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) plan to launch a new standard for a wider range of sustainable fibres, using the GOTS framework. 4) As we see a wave of 'sustainable' innovations entering the market in the fashion industry, last week saw textile dyeing innovator Coloreel, known for its instant thread dyeing technology, file for bankruptcy. The concept is one thread, dye on demand, only producing what you need when you need it, but the company was unable to scale quickly enough to secure the backing needed for investors and potential industry partners. 5) In supply chain news, Mulberry England are the latest company to have their near-term Scope 1, 2 and 3 emission reduction targets validated by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). As part of their 'Made to Last' Manifesto, Mulberry are committed to supporting regenerative agricultural practices, and have set Scope 3 targets using the SBTi's Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) guidance. 6) In recycling news, researchers have developed a chemical processing technique that can break down fabrics (including synthetics) into reusable molecules for new fibres, regardless of what materials they are or if they are a mix of materials. The technique is still in development, but the process is said to take just 15 minutes. Watch this space... 7) Investing in the future of fashion means investing in the right people who will drive real change, and Monsoon Accessorize have announced the launch of its 'Fashion Futures Student Scholarship' which will be awarded to trailblazing students at University of the Arts London who are working to drive sustainability in the fashion industry. 8) Take a deep breath ⚫ As SHEIN continue to churn out reportedly over 10,000 products to market per day, and they move closer to their listing on the London Stock Exchange, last week they announced plans to invest €250 million in sustainability and circularity in Britain and Europe over the next 5 years! I'm in disbelief but will continue to research and update you.... 🔗 Links to articles in comments To receive this update direct to your inbox each week, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.thisisenkel.com SPONSORED BY Recomme.co Making circularity work for you https://www.recomme.co/ #sustainablefashion #enkel #sustainablefashionschool Image: Mulberry England

I have just completed the Materials Matter course with Lydia Brearley of Sustainable Fashion School - a fantastic course packed full of insights and information.

Here's the headlines from Sustainable Fashion this week ⬇ 1) Last week John Lewis & Partners announced they have teamed up with the University of Exeter to develop a framework and strategy for circular designed products, created in line with the circular design toolkit from WRAP. The 20 piece collection includes nightwear and bedding, and supports the retailers commitment that 100% of new 'own-brand' products are to be designed with circularity in mind by 2028. 2) In material news, US workwear brand Carhartt has joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol and Better Cotton in a move towards more responsibly sourced cotton. 3) Biotech specialist CARBIOS has struck a deal with Chinese textile group Zhink Group, to build a bio-recycling plant in China. The plant will use Carbios technology which enables recycling of PET plastic and textile waste into virgin-like products, with the aim of achieving true circularity. 4) Italian synthetic yarn manufacturer Fulgar has launched a new bio-based Nylon (branded as Q-Geo) , which is derived partially from corn-waste. 5) Australian recycling company Samsara Eco, who work with lululemon, has raised AUS $100 million ($65m) in latest funding. The funds will be used to scale-up global recycling capabilities using their enzyme technology to recycle apparel waste, diverting millions of tonnes of plastics away from landfill and incineration. 6) At last weeks The Sustainable Angle Future Fabrics Expo, UK bio-based start up 3D Bio-Tissues (powered by BSF Enterprise) launched their high quality 100% ethical-lab grown leather sample. The leather is grown without harming animals, and can still be treated using traditional methods, and meets the growing demand for alternative leather products. 7) As part of their 'Plan A - Another Life' Campaign - Marks and Spencer have announced a clothing repair service in partnership with SOJO. According to M&S, only 10% of the population feel confident enough to repair clothing themselves, and 60% of consumers want retailers to offer more services which support them to live a more circular life. 8) This week Barbour launched their rental service in partnership with Oxfam at Glastonbury, offering festival goers the opportunity to rent pre-loved, upcycled wax jackets for £45 for the duration of the event. Love the concept, intrigued to know if they all get returned after the rental period 🤔 9) Last week eBay announced the launch of 'Rocket Man Resale' featuring hundreds of items from Elton John's wardrobe! All proceeds will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. 10) The latest on the SHEIN - UK human rights group Stop Uyghur Genocide has launched a legal campaign to stop the flotation on the London Stock Exchange (potentially worth £50 billion), although paperwork for a potential London IPO has been filed by Shein 🤮 Have a great week Lydia SPONSORED BY Recomme.co Making circularity work for you https://www.recomme.co/ Image: Barbour

Just completed my Materials Matter course by Sustainable Fashion School & Lydia Brearley. I feel so much more informed, and can make better choices and products based on my new gained insights.   I would highly recommend this course to anyone wanting to get a handle on sustainability in the fashion world.

What's been going on in Sustainable Fashion this week? ⬇ 1) A key focus in the fashion industry is to shift away from virgin synthetics - especially polyester, which is the most widely used material in fashion which will require partnership and collaboration to scale commercially. This week we saw the news that US material science company Ambercycle, who manufacture 'Cycora' (its recycled textile to textile polyester) have partnered with the worlds largest elastane manufacturer HYOSUNG TNC CORPORATION. 2) Polyester manufacturer Selenis Specialty Polyester Solutions has successfully produced recycled PET chips from terephthalic acid from textile recycling specialist Circ® - basically meaning they can actually make fibre and yarn from textile waste. 3) Scandinavian textile fibre innovator SPINNOVA® has partnered with Finnish Luhta Sportswear Company to release a t-shirt made partly with its fibre. Luhta brand Rukka is behind the t-shirt which is made from a blend of 29% wood-based Spinnova fibre, 68% cotton and 3% elastane. 4) The Fashion Pact has launched 'The Future Supplier Initiative' in partnership with The Apparel Impact Institute (AII), Consultants Guidehouse and the DBS Bank, to offer financial and technical support to help apparel suppliers decarbonise their supply chains and facilities in Bangladesh through renewable energy and low carbon technologies. Brands backing the initiative include BESTSELLER, Gap, H&M and MANGO. 5) Over 24 billion shoes are produced every year, and 90% of them are made in Asia. Now the Portugal footwear industry has invested €600 million into the sector to make Portugal a key player in the luxury footwear sector as an alternative to Italy. 6) Nudie Jeans have opened 2 new Nudie Jean Repair Shops in Indonesia, aimed at building a 'community that cares'. The store in Jakarta is permanent, whereas the Surabaya location is only for 6 months. Nudie Jeans have also recently opened a Repair Store in Hamburg, Germany. 7) One label to watch is LOTTA LUDWIGSON - who manufacture the first biodegradable 'bio-suit' for women. Customers can return suits and they will be repaired and refurbished and sold on the online second hand store, but once a style reaches the end of its life, it can apparently be composted and takes between 9-12 months to 'return to nature'. 8) In policy news, today (17th June) environmental ministers will come together to adopt their position on the EU's Waste Framework Directive (WFD). 4 countries Austria, Finland, France and The Netherlands are calling on the EU to allow members states to penalise ultra fast-fashion e-tailers such as SHEIN and Temu for the impact of their products. Sign up to the enkel newsletter direct to your inbox at www.thisisenkel.com SPONSORED BY Recomme.co Making circularity work for you https://www.recomme.co/ Image: Lotta Ludwigson #sustainablefashion #fashionnews #enkel

What's been going on in Sustainable Fashion this week? ⬇ 1) Good news for Renewcell. After a turbulent few months they filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, but they have now secured a new owner Altor Equity Partners. The new owners, who are experienced in scaling businesses, will safeguard the textile recycler, and drive new partners and collaborators to shift the industry towards circularity. Renewcell have now rebranded as Circulose, which is the branded name for the material produced from recycled cotton textile waste. 2) In material news, traceability partner FibreTrace® has partnered with US retailer Target and agricultural giant Cargill, with the aim of tracking and verifying cotton across the whole supply chain. 3) NATIVA™, a leader in sustainable luxury fibres, has launched 'Nativa Cashmere' - the first blockchain driven sustainable cashmere from Mongolia. The innovation means that brands will be able to track and log the entire fibre journey from farm-to-brand, helping to achieve full transparency along the supply chain, certified for animal welfare and social responsibility. 4) India start up ReCircle has launched a new programme 'Project Extra Life' to tackle the countries textile waste problem and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. ReCircle aims to collect, sort and sell at least 570 metric tons of textile waste over the next 12 months. India is the 4th largest global textile exporter in the world. 5) Monsoon Accessorize has launched a partnership with MYWardrobe to launch 'Rent Monsoon' to offer customers a capsule collection of bridalwear and occassion dresses available for hire. Customers can rent up to 14 days, with dresses delivered direct to their door. 6) Vestiaire Collective have announced its partnership with repair specialist SOJO, enabling customers to access repairs and adjustments quickly and easily, and reduce return rates which is common with vintage and secondhand items. 7) Decathlon has launched their festival buy back scheme 'No Tents Left Behind' to stop the environmental damage created by people discarding their festival homes. From now until 13th September, festival goers can buy their camping gear from Decathlon and return them, to receive a gift card to spend in store. The returned items will then be cleaned, refurbished and resold as part of the Decathlons' Second Life programme. It's reported around 250,000 tents are dumped in the UK each year and end up in landfill. 8) Berlin Fashion Week are taking the lead from Copenhagen Fashion Week to adopt sustainability criteria for future fashion week shows. The mutual goal is to accelerate the fashion industry's sustainability measures in the Nordic and German markets, and inspire emerging designers in their values. To receive this update direct to your inbox each week, sign up to our newsletter at www.thisisenkel.com SPONSORED BY Recomme.co Making circularity work for you https://www.recomme.co/ Image: Monsoon | Rent

What's been going on in Sustainable Fashion this week? ⬇ 1) I'm excited to announce that circularity platform Recomme.co will be joining our community by sponsoring Enkel Weekly Industry News. As brands and retailers shift their focus to unlock the value in rental, resale, repair and recycling, Recomme offer a 'one-stop-shop' solution for brands to facilitate circular business models, from resale to recycling. 2) G-Star RAW have launched 'Homegrown Denim' - a collaboration with Wageningen University & Research and Dutch Cotton. The project explores how greenhouse grown cotton could help drastically reduce the impact of cotton grown worldwide, with the potential to optimise cotton grown locally, reduce water usage and the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals. 3) Remember The Restory? The founders stepped down from the business in 2023, but they are back!💥 Vanessa Jacobs, Emily Rea and the team have reunited to launch Circulo - a tech company dedicated to advancing repair practices in the consumer products industry through innovative software solutions. 4) Vestiaire Collective and Mytheresa have partnered to enable Mytheresa customers to seamlessly sell their pre-loved luxury items and receive instant store credit, driving sustainability and a circular fashion economy. 5) In Policy news, last week The European Council adopted the EcoDesign Regulation. The regulation means all products placed on the EU Market will comply with regulations making it easier to repair, reuse and recycle new products in the EU. The new regulation will support circularity and improve the environmental sustainability and transparency of products on the EU market. The new regulation also introduces a direct ban on the destruction of unsold textile and footwear. For your step-by-step guide to Fashion Policy and Regulations, join Sustainable Fashion School at https://lnkd.in/dGUCXeXb 6) In other news, as we uncover more about the harmful chemicals used to manufacture clothing, a latest report shows that toxic substances up to x 428 times permitted levels 😦 were found in children's bags, shoes and belts sold by Chinese own fashion giant SHEIN 7) A hot topic in the industry is PFAS also known as 'forever chemicals' which do not break down and are highly dangerous to animals and human health. Latest reports show that water sources in areas of Bangladesh that are close to textile mills (used by many well known brands) have been found to be contaminated with high levels of PFAS. 8) In other news, India, which is the 4th largest textile exporter in the world, and one of the world largest producers of cotton, has reached record temperatures of up to 49.9°C. In Delhi, which is home to more than 29 million people, water has run out, and the heat is making it impossible to work and live. Sign up to our newsletter direct to your inbox at www.thisisenkel.com SPONSORED BY Recomme.co Making circularity work for you https://www.recomme.co/