Lauren Sánchez and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have pledged $34 million (around ₹327 crore) to support sustainable fashion research and emerging creative talent through the Bezos Earth Fund. The funding will back institutions developing next-generation biodegradable fibres that could replace conventional materials such as polyester and cotton. Researchers are working on innovations, including plastic-free synthetic silk and bacteria-made threads, which could significantly reduce the fashion industry’s environmental footprint.
“When you start asking questions about what clothes could be made of, the answers are incredible,” Sánchez, vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, told The Wall Street Journal. “We’re investing in the scientists changing what fabric is actually made from. The future of fashion is being invented right now.”
The announcement also reflects Sánchez’s personal journey. She recalled sewing her own red prom dress because buying one was beyond her family’s means.
The Bezos Earth Fund operates independently of Amazon, which has separately committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
