Sustainable fashion
Controversial Fast Fashion Brand SHEIN Is Launching a YouTube Design Competition
China-based fast fashion retailer SHEIN is not shy of controversy. The brand known for cheap dupes of the latest fashion trends is launching a design competition series with YouTube. Airing on Sunday, 22 Aug., the SHEIN X 100K “Be Bold, Be You” challenge will be judged by a panel of Khloé Kardashian, Zendaya‘s stylist Law Roach, fashion designer Christian Siriano, LOVESEEN founder Jenna Lyons (previously creative director at J.Crew), and InStyle magazine’s style director Laurel Pantin. The SHEIN X 100K “Be Bold, Be You” challenge invites emerging designers to compete for $100,000 (£73,000) and a trip to LA for one-on-one mentorship with the judging panel. The Be Bold, Be You series features four episodes that will air weekly on Sundays from 22 Aug. to 12...
From Factory Floor to Your Front Door: What Actually Is Fast Fashion?
Who wouldn’t want a gorgeous dress that looks designer but only costs £10? It’s hard to say no to that, but what’s the catch? Many of us buy our clothes from fast-fashion brands or “high street” retailers like H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters, or faster-fashion brands like Shein, Boohoo, and PrettyLittleThing. We shop with these brands because they save us money by offering a stylish selection of clothes and accessories at an unbeatable and affordable — yet sadly unethical — price. The problem with fast fashion is that although it offers exceptional convenience to fashion=lovers, there is a hidden cost that we’re all paying for without realising. Much like fast food, fast fashion is filled with questionable chemicals and bits of plastic and it exploits hu...
KLEKT: The Sneaker Resale App That’s Not Just For Sneakerheads
Fashion resale is at an all time high, and one part of the industry that’s seen a huge rise in resale is sneakers. Thanks to apps like StockX, events like Crepe City, and an increased awareness around sustainability and pre-owned fashion, resale platforms are the most popular form of buying and selling sneakers. One platform that aims to bring more women into the resale industry is KLEKT, an online marketplace that promotes safety and inclusivity. We caught up with KLEKT’s CEO, Sally Scott, to talk about the app and the future of sneaker resale. POPSUGAR: What can you tell us about KLEKT, for those who haven’t heard of it? Sally Scott: KLEKT is an original sneaker marketplace. We bring buyers and sellers of sneakers and streetwear together to help create a community of li...
Burberry Is the First Luxury Brand to Pledge to Become Climate Positive by 2040
Burberry officially pledged to become climate positive by 2040, but what exactly does that mean? While being climate neutral means reducing the amount of harmful greenhouse gases released into the Earth’s atmosphere (the protective layer around the planet that keeps us from overheating), being climate positive means that Burberry will reduce more greenhouse gases than the brand’s production and supply chain creates. Burberry plans to achieve its 2040 climate positive goal by cutting emissions across its extended supply chain by 46-percent and launching special projects with climate conscious groups that share the brand’s vision. Burberry will also support the Fashion Avengers, which is a collective of global fashion organisations that are working to achieve the UN’s...
How to Master the Art of Buying Clothes on Depop, and Yes, It’s an Art
People always seem surprised when I tell them that almost 50 percent of my wardrobe comes from Depop, but it’s honestly the truth. I joined the app seven years ago, around the time that I was getting ready for my year 11 prom. I bought a red dress from Depop for £14, had it tailored, and the rest is history. Since then, my Depop finds have gotten more and more impressive, and I find myself using the app to shop more than I use any other ecommerce site. Over the years, I’ve bought a Gucci notebook, Vetements shirt, Saint Laurent slides, and a brand new Fiorucci T-shirt from the app that, altogether, retail at well over £2,000. I, however, spent a fraction of that price and now continue to use Depop as my go-to for finding affordable designer items. As a seasoned shopper, I must ...
Pandora Launches a Stunning New Collection of Affordable Lab-Created Diamonds
Pandora Brilliance is the jewellery brand’s first sustainable lab-created diamond collection and its first carbon-neutral product. The stunning new offering marks Pandora’s commitment to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025, with the aim of only using 100-percent recycled gold and silver by that date, as the brand currently uses manmade stones in 99 percent of its jewellery. Pandora Brilliance collection includes expertly crafted, manmade 0.15- to 1-carat round diamond rings, bracelets, bangles, necklaces and earrings. Available at a more affordable price point of £250-£1,290, each Pandora Brilliance diamond is set in 14k solid yellow gold, 14k solid white gold, and sterling silver. “Pandora continues its quest to make incredible jewellery available for more people and today I...
Learning Basic Sewing Techniques Is the Easiest Way to Support Sustainable Fashion
Truly sustainable fashion starts with our own two hands. Buying fewer clothes, finding secondhand pieces, or investing in eco-conscious garments is a great start, but learning a few basic hand-sewing techniques is the easiest way to reduce the amount of clothes going to landfill. If you’re anything like us, then maybe you never learned how to sew. Instead of figuring out how to sew a loose button, fix a snagged thread on a jumper, or patch a pair of socks, we often end up buying something new because it seems easier. Our relationship with fast fashion is kind of bizarre when you really think about it. If we compare fashion and clothing to food and cooking, then your perspective really begins to shift. Whether you have a super-busy lifestyle and food deliveries help to make your days ...
By 2030, H&M Will Only Use Recycled Materials, and Maisie Williams Is Making Sure of It
“Looop it” is H&M’s new campaign to close the loop in fashion and formally commit to only using recycled and sustainably sourced materials by the year 2030. The ambitious and critically necessary initiative will be held accountable by the brand’s ambassador Maisie Williams, while one of the leading retailers in high street fashion moves toward creating a truly circular fashion industry. “I will be working closely with experts within H&M to drive sustainability initiatives and shape the path towards an accessible and circular fashion future,” Maisie Williams said in a press statement. “The longterm goal is to use 100-percent recycled or other sustainably sourced materials for textiles across the full H&M Group brands by 2030. It’s ...
How the Handcrafted Trend Defines the Fashion and Lifestyle of Our Generation
It’s almost impossible to realise an aesthetic movement is being born — or reborn — when you are in the eye of a cultural storm. The pandemic is undoubtedly one of the most pivotal historic moments that we will have witnessed in our lifetime. The reflections that many of us have experienced while being isolated in our homes have inspired a longing to return to nature, a renewed appreciation in the therapy of making things by hand, and a criticism for fast fashion and the pace of the internet. The handcrafted trend is about to define the fashion and lifestyle of our generation. Taking inspiration from the arts and crafts movement of the late 19th century and 1960s subcultures, we look at the fashion trends that are responding to work-from-home culture, environmentalism, and antiracism...
H&M’s Innovation Science Collection Is Made From Cactus Leather and Castor Oil Yarn
When it comes to sustainable fashion, H&M is moving in the right direction. The high-street retailer launched a sustainable fashion collection in collaboration with leading developers of plant-based fabrics. The Innovation Science collection features spring-ready pieces created with Desserto cactus leather, Texloop RCOT recycled cotton, ECONYL regenerated nylon (made from ocean waste), Eastman Naia Renew cellulosic acetate (made from wool pulp), and Evo Fulgar polyamide (yarn made from castor oil). H&M’s new sustainable, 23-piece collection includes white cotton shirts, joggers, jeans, trousers, bodysuits, dresses, and accessories. For spring 2021, the brand chose a palette of white, beige, light blue, mint, a vivid orange, and lime green. Garments are available for both wome...
Ganni and Levi’s Launch Sustainable Jeans Collection Made From an Innovative Denim Alternative
Ganni and Levi’s are at it again. After the brands collaborated on an upcycled, rental-only denim capsule collection for summer 2020, the Danish cool-girl brand and the American classic jeans company are teaming up on a second, innovative eco-denim collection made from “cottonised hemp” — and this time, you’ll be able to purchase and keep the pieces you love. Ganni x Levi’s cottonised hemp collection features denim jeans, jackets, shorts, dresses, and tops made from the innovative fabric. “Hemp generally requires less water and fewer pesticides in cultivation than conventionally grown cotton,” said Ganni in a press statement. “The hemp blended into these garments comes from rain-fed hemp crops, which reduces water usage even further. It is th...
Is Recycled Polyester Better For the Planet? We Consulted the Experts
Ever since starting my sustainable fashion journey, I have been investigating the clothing on my wish list with an eagle eye. The second thing I look at when buying new clothes — after the price, of course — is the fabric a garment is made from. And if the composition says “polyester,” my bank card says “absolutely not.” Polyester is essentially plastic, but is recycled polyester — a popular material used in activewear, loungewear, and puffer jackets — a better alternative? We checked in with sustainability consultancy Eco-Age to get you informed before your next purchase. Virgin polyester is one of the most widely used fabrics in the world because it’s easy to clean, quick to dry, and doesn’t need any land space to be cultivated. However, it’s mad...
