How Much Impact Can Circular Fashion Really Have? Plus: Does Price = Durability? WRAP’s Mark Sumner on What the Data Says

Supplier Survey Flags Stalled Progress on Fair Purchasing Practices

Episode 3. This week, regulators in Italy fined Shein €1 million and Armani €3.5 million for misleading sustainability claims, underscoring growing scrutiny of fashion’s green narratives. New data from Cascale’s Garment Industry Scorecard shows progress on responsible purchasing practices is stalling, while Textile Exchange calls for tighter standards on LCA use. Plus, the latest U.S. Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study reveals brands are scaling back sustainability budgets and hiring, sharpening the focus on ROI. Resources Mentioned: Better Buying 2025 Garment Industry Scorecard [https://cascale.org/resources/publications/better-buying-garment-scorecard-2025/] Textile Exchange: Ensuring Integrity In The Use Of Life Cycle Assessment Data [https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/ensuring-integrity-in-the-use-of-life-cycle-assessment-data/] U.S. Fashion Industry Benchmarking Study [https://www.usfashionindustry.com/resources/research-reports/usfia-fashion-industry-benchmarking-study] Want more sustainable fashion news? ⁠Subscribe to our Substack⁠. [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com] Want to work in sustainable fashion? Of course you do! The SFF Job Board is your go-to hub for impact-focused roles at the intersection of fashion, ESG, circularity, climate strategy, and more. ⁠Find jobs now.⁠ [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com/p/sff-job-board]

How Much Impact Can Circular Fashion Really Have? Plus: Does Price = Durability? WRAP’s Mark Sumner on What the Data Says

Episode 2: In this week’s episode... * How much impact can circular fashion really have—if consumers actually change their behavior? * Italian luxury supply chain scandals spark a rare call for accountability. Confindustria Moda speaks out. * New study finds polycotton blends shed more microfibers than 100% polyester. * Does price = durability? WRAP’s Mark Sumner breaks down what the data really shows. Resources Mentioned: Study: Reducing Environmental Pressure Through a More Circular Consumption of Clothes [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550925001514] Study: Decoding Microplastic Shedding from cotton/polyester blends: An analysis through fiber identification⁠ [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125012825] Study: Measuring Physical Garment Durability [https://journals.aau.dk/index.php/plate2025/article/view/10277] Want more sustainable fashion news? ⁠Subscribe to our Substack⁠ [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com]. Want to work in sustainable fashion? Of course you do! The SFF Job Board is your go-to hub for impact-focused roles at the intersection of fashion, ESG, circularity, climate strategy, and more. ⁠Find jobs now.⁠ [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com/p/sff-job-board]

Fashion's Global Emissions Are Up & Indigo Dyeing Got Its First Industry Benchmark

Episode 1: On the heels of Earth Overshoot Day, new data from the Apparel Impact Institute shows fashion’s emissions are heading in the wrong direction—up 7.5% in 2023 alone. One of the biggest culprits? Polyester. But the root issue runs deeper. Plus, we go behind the scenes of the Transformers Foundation’s open-source benchmark for water use in indigo dyeing with journalist and author Alden Wicker, who authored the report and helped set a new standard for transparency in denim. We dig into why this report matters, how competing mills came together to create it, and whether this kind of transparency might finally push the industry beyond vague claims and toward real accountability. Resources Mentioned * Earth Overshoot Day [https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org/newsroom/press-release-2025-english/] * Apparel Impact Institute Report – Taking Stock of Progress Against the Roadmap to Net Zero 2025 [https://apparelimpact.org/resources/taking-stock-of-progress-against-the-roadmap-to-net-zero-2025/] * Transformers Foundation – A Reference for Water Use During Indigo Dyeing [https://www.transformersfoundation.org/indigo] * Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) [https://www.zdhc.org] Want more sustainable fashion news? Subscribe to our Substack [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com] and get the need-to-know headlines and industry news delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. It’s the shortcut thousands of industry professionals rely on to stay up-to-date—without having to track every headline. Click here to subscribe. [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com] Want to work in sustainable fashion? Of course you do! The SFF Job Board is your go-to hub for impact-focused roles at the intersection of fashion, ESG, circularity, climate strategy, and more. Updated weekly, the SFF Job Board is built for seasoned professionals and industry newcomers who want their work to align with their values—and shape the future of fashion. Find jobs now. [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com/p/sff-job-board]

Introducing Week/End: Sustainable Fashion News

Welcome to Week/End: Sustainable Fashion News—your quick-hit recap of the headlines shaping sustainability in fashion, hosted by Brittany Sierra. Every Friday, we cover the latest in sustainable fashion news across business, policy, culture, and impact. It's your preview to the need-to-know headlines delivered with the nuance and clarity you can only get from SFF before we dive deeper in our Sunday newsletter. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. We’ll see you right here, every Week/End. Subscribe to Week/End on Substack. [https://thesustainablefashionforum.substack.com]