sustainability / Regulation
Fashion’s Chaotic New Regulatory Reality
The regulatory environment is becoming more complicated as European politicians roll back on regulations that were intended to make the industry more sustainable.
Op-Ed | Dear Fashion CEOs, Stop Undermining Climate Action
Too many brands have set ambitious emissions goals while their trade associations quietly work to block the regulations needed to achieve them, argues Maxine Bédat.
The EU’s Retreat on Sustainability Regulations, Explained
The European Union has unveiled plans to significantly water down landmark sustainability rules that would require large fashion brands to report more details about their environmental footprint and take on more responsibility for abuses in their supply chains.
What Happened to Italy’s Luxury Sweatshops Investigation?
It’s been almost a year since Italian prosecutors linked Armani and then Dior to sweatshops on the outskirts of Milan in an investigation expected to bring up to a dozen more brands under the microscope. In response, officials and industry leaders have rushed to tighten controls over the luxury supply chain.
What Happened to France’s Anti-Fast Fashion Bill?
The French Senate has yet to take up the ‘sin tax’-style penalty on fast fashion products, a year after the country’s lower house unanimously approved the bill.
Why Can’t Fashion Eliminate Labour Exploitation From Its Supply Chains?
Brands like Patagonia, Nike and Lululemon have been working for years to address the exploitation of migrant workers at key fabric suppliers in Taiwan. Despite some progress, the issue has persisted.
Misguided Regulation Is Putting the Sustainable Fashion Movement at Risk
A backlash against complex and costly new rules is threatening Europe’s pioneering efforts to make the industry operate more responsibly. Failure to address valid criticisms risks undermining the whole endeavour, argues Kenneth P. Pucker.
The Best of BoF 2024: Fashion’s Sustainability Pullback
This year offered up a jarring reality check for players seeking to improve the industry’s environmental and social impact, with brands deprioritising sustainability efforts even as the risks of inaction have become more apparent.
Sustainability: The Case for Collective Action
A fragmented fashion industry needs to cooperate in order to avoid falling further behind on decarbonisation efforts, according to the BoF-McKinsey State of Fashion 2025.
The Debrief | Luxury’s Italian Sweatshops Problem
BoF senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young and chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent unpack a scandal that has linked brands like Armani and Dior to Italian sweatshops.
Is Fast Fashion Worth Recycling?
As the EU seeks to crack down on a growing glut of clothing waste, the rise of low-value ultra-fast-fashion, along with increased competition and geopolitical disruption, are putting pressure on the economics of collecting, sorting and recycling used textiles.
California Set to Mandate Clothing Recycling as Wardrobe Waste Grows
A new California bill proposes that brands take charge of recycling efforts, allowing consumers to drop off unwanted clothing at designated sites.