sustainability / Materials
Wool Workout Clothes? The Demand Is Growing
The consumer base for activewear made of natural materials like cotton and wool is growing, as more people on the political right join progressives in worrying about the health effects of polyester and other synthetics.
Exclusive: Textile Recycler Circulose Is Restarting Its Recycling Plant
The sustainable materials company, which closed its Swedish factory in 2024, is opening it again after a year of restructuring.
‘Every Shirt Has a Story’: The Designers Saving Football Kits From Landfill
The increasing popularity of retro football kits has helped to ease the flow of polyester garments to landfill sites.
Shein Tried to Turn Brazil Into a Production Hub. Local Factories Walked Away
Progress stalled after Shein demanded that local suppliers lower prices and deliver orders faster than they could manage, Reuters reported.
Exclusive: PETA Investigation Challenges ‘Responsible Mohair’ Certification
The animal-rights group claims certification is failing to prevent cruelty at farms producing mohair and implicated a supplier to brands such as Paul Smith in a new report.
Fashion’s Climate Reckoning Is Just Getting Started
From dangerous heat on factory floors to flooding across sourcing hubs, climate risks are catching up with fashion’s supply chains. While new recycling initiatives attempt to scale to address the industry’s waste and emissions problem, easing regulation in Europe raises questions about the path forward heading into 2026.
Are Fashion’s Sustainability Efforts Misplaced?
A disappointing COP30 deal was reached in Brazil, while floods across South and Southeast Asia showed exactly why quicker action is required. Meanwhile the EU watered down sustainability legislation yet again, this time targeting deforestation. In some positive news, bans on fur and misleading ‘green’ ads made headway.
How Textile Innovator Recover Is Turning Sustainable Fabrics Into a Scalable Reality
Textile recycling firm Recover has entered the fabric market by developing a new recycled fabrics range, designed to complement pre-existing recycled cotton fibre offers. BoF sits down with Recover’s CEO to learn why now is the time to help businesses reach sustainability goals through fabric innovation.
The Cost of Being Shein
The ultra-fast-fashion giant’s first permanent store opening in Paris has been a source of high drama.
A Playbook for a Luxury Scandal
Big luxury has deployed a tried and tested playbook to defuse the fallout from an ongoing sweatshop scandal, there’s been an unusual level of regulatory drama in Brussels and we’re giving up on the prospect of an Hermès handbag made from mushroom leather.
Exclusive: Former Circ Executive Luke Henning Named Bio-Based Fur Startup BioFluff’s Interim CEO
Henning is stepping in to lead the next-gen materials business as it looks to raise $2.5million to fund commercial expansion.
Textile Recycling in ‘The Castoff Capital of the World’ Is Making Factory Workers Sick
Reports of lung disease, skin conditions and even cancer are rising in Panipat, India, which recycles 1 million tonnes of textile waste a year.