Bio-inspired textiles promote sustainable fashion

Traditionally, you'd find labels like "organic" and "sustainably-grown" in the grocery aisle, but the same verbiage is becoming popular in the fashion industry, too.

Owing to fashion’s unmatched ability to reflect and influence culture at large, perhaps this industry is well-positioned to move society towards degrowth. It could be the future we choose.

Customers say they want to be ethical consumers, buying vintage and upcycling on Depop. Reformation calls itself the most sustainable option other than being naked, while Eileen Fisher has pledged to use “sustainable materials” in 100 percent of its products. Yet what sustainability actually means in this context has become increasingly nebulous.&n... See more

Shifting fashion from a perpetual growth model to a sustainable approach will not be easy. Moving to a post-growth fashion industry would require policymakers and the industry to bring in a wide range of reforms, and reimagine roles and responsibilities in society.

Changes in retail are often a result of larger societal changes. Fashion insiders also have a responsibility to mitigate a growing problem. But until those larger changes occur, circular fashion (and sustainability as a whole) is just window dressing. As organic fabrics begin to adopt many of the technical capabilities of their new-aged counterpart... See more