Workers making ultracheap Shein clothing in Guangzhou, China, face grueling 14-hour shifts with just one day off per month, despite earning fair wages compared to local standards, reported NZZ. What’s happening? In an area nicknamed “Shein Village” on the outskirts of Guangzhou, over a thousand factories operate almost exclusively for the popular online retailer. Workers…
Amazingly, the clothes that fill our closets are from an industry with a pollution burden of up to 10% of planet-warming gases, which exceeds aviation and shipping combined, according to Bloomberg. The news outlet recently recognized a couple of startups that are tackling some of the most polluting parts of the textile and fast fashion…
Fed up with fast fashion waste, sustainable fashion advocate Wendy Ward launched a #TakeItBack campaign, urging people to send their old, worn-out clothes back to major retail brands, the Guardian reported. What’s happening? Fast fashion has created a massive buildup of clothing waste. Cheaply made garments end up in landfills faster than they can be…
Australia surpassed the United States to top an unenviable list in 2024, becoming the biggest consumer of textiles per capita, according to The Australia Institute. Experts say the fast fashion industry is threatening the health of the country and continent — and raising serious ethical concerns. What’s happening? Fibre2Fashion spotlighted how Australia’s status as the…
Fast-fashion companies like H&M are embracing “digital twin” technology, or lifelike AI replicas of real human models, to power their marketing and design strategies. What’s happening? As The Conversation reported, H&M debuted its latest AI endeavor by cloning 30 real-life models using digital-twin technology. These replicas, generated through a meticulous process involving full-body scanning and…
Forever 21, the signature clothing store of millennials’ youth, filed for bankruptcy for the second time in the past decade. The chain was best known for being the go-to place in the mall to buy knockoffs of high-end trends for $20 or less, and it may be gone for good. What’s happening? Fast fashion retailer…
Photo Credit: Getty Images Fashion industry experts saw sustainability efforts slowing down for months. Now, the recent U.S. tariffs imposed on the world could threaten sustainability goals even further, according to The Business of Fashion. What’s happening? In 2019, The Fashion Pact, a CEO-led initiative to curb the harmful environmental impacts of the fashion industry,…
Textile waste is one of the most concerning issues of our time. The average American tosses 82 pounds of clothing every year, per Earth.org, adding up to 11 million tons of textiles in U.S. landfills. To combat these numbers, many people have switched to secondhand shopping to refill and update their wardrobes, looking to platforms…
Fast fashion has gotten even faster thanks to social media, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts are now expressing concerns about the long-term effects of faster trend cycles. What’s happening? During the pandemic, people relied entirely on social media to determine fashion trends since they couldn’t go out to meet friends or see what others…
The Environmental Protection Agency has launched a series of actions deregulating United States industries and their environmental impact. These actions affect the fashion industry and could halt its progress toward becoming more sustainable, Vogue reported, hurting both the planet and people. What’s happening? The push includes 31 initiatives to “unleash American energy,” according to the…