Morgane Nyfeler

Cruelty-free and environmental-friendly, innovative plant-based materials made in laboratories have the potential to transform the textile industry for the better, while preserving traditional crafts in the supply chain.

From high-performing natural fabrics to healthy bio-based materials, the sportswear industry isn’t short of ideas to stop plastic from ending up on our skin and in the environment.

Deadstock, or surplus materials, is a real problem in the fashion industry. Formerly considered by brands as waste to be hidden or disposed of, leftover fabrics are now being upcycled by young designers who see it as an opportunity for creativity. LVMH-funded resale platform Nona Source is facilitating the exchange between luxury houses and up-and-coming labels.

Conventionally made using fossil fuels, swimwear has been slow at adopting sustainable practices. Emerging brands and innovative suppliers are now embracing new ways of creating beautiful bikinis that are not only more respectful of the ocean but also helping to restore it.

Fashion collaborations aren’t exactly new but have reached greater heights in the last few years. While 2021 was touted the year of the collab, the trend shows no sign of dying down. So why are they working so well and how can they risk a fashion flop?

Culture has an environmental impact on the planet. London-based NGO Julie’s Bicycle estimates that the visual arts sector generates 70 million CO2e annually – the equivalent of Portugal’s emissions.

Fabio Piras and Lutz Huell, directors of the Master in Fashion at Central Saint Martins and HEAD , respectively, talk about the importance of a teaching approach that is anchored in the current context.

Fashion week is a biannual opportunity for designers to invite people into their creative world, test new ideas and stage a fashion spectacle that can easily go viral. It’s also a far-reaching and accessible platform to present the latest innovations that can challenge the system and rethink the industry in a more sustainable way.

For centuries, menswear has fashioned what it means to be a man. Never has it broken free from gender boundaries and masculine norms as much as it has today. A plethora of fashion designers are exploring non-binary identities and fighting for a more inclusive world where the LGBTQIA+ community will finally be free to express themselves without fear.

Gaming, 3D technology, NFTs and artificial intelligence are invading the fashion industry as the next generation of consumers is spending almost half of their daily life online. Luxury fashion is taking note and starting to embrace the full potential of the cyberspace.

On the fringe of the four main fashion weeks, two alternative cities are coming under the spotlight as they position themselves as leaders in sustainability and innovation with the goal of setting new industry standards.

Hong Kong is emerging as a leading sustainable fashion hub thanks to ground-breaking innovation, forward-thinking manufacturing and game-changing designers. The city is showing how valuable partnerships between brands and the supply chain can move the needle towards a more ethical industry.

While craftsmanship has always been celebrated as a symbol of luxury in fashion, artisans have received little recognition for the value of their art and culture. Today, the various accusations of cultural appropriation are causing brands to shake. A new wave of designers is celebrating and empowering the creativity of those who work behind the scenes.

Fashion supply chains are usually long and murky with most brands still unable to know where their clothes come from, even less who has made them and in which conditions. Yet positive social impact and transparency are essential steps on the path to sustainability.

The UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change set new goals that its signatory brands must meet by no later than 2030. Will the fashion industry commit to reducing its carbon emissions and embrace environmental-friendly practices for future generations?