Since April 2020, I have at Vogue Business, a business publication launched by Condé Nast. First as an editorial associate, and now as sustainability editor. I focus on the intersection between fashion and sustainability, both social and environmental.
2024
Will ‘Made in Italy’ survive the next generation?
Italian supply chains are at risk of losing their know-how. Suppliers and brands alike are pinning their hopes on new educational programmes.
Why former H&M CEO Helena Helmersson joined Circulose
Six months on from its shock bankruptcy, the Swedish scaleup Circulose (formerly Renewcell) has a new top team.
Grown in Italy: The push for local raw materials
In a bid to curb climate impacts and improve traceability, Italian suppliers are trying to nearshore their raw materials. How much is a pipe dream?
Can Made in Italy withstand climate change?
Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense, threatening fashion supply chains from top to bottom. It’s time for brands and their suppliers to adapt.
Regulations are weighing down Made in Italy
If brands want to comply with incoming EU regulations, they need suppliers on board. But Italian suppliers say the top-down push for change is thwarting progress and eroding trust.
Can ‘Made in Italy’ survive its scattered supply chains?
For centuries, Made in Italy has been heralded as the epitome of luxury fashion production. Now, its fragmented — and often opaque — supply chains are threatening its survival.
How can fashion design graduates get a job?
The fashion industry has too many design graduates and not enough roles for them to progress into. Experts say championing behind-the-scenes jobs could present a solution.
What does it take to run an independent fashion brand today?
The independent brand landscape is under threat. Designers are exploring new business models and new concepts of creativity.
What do designers actually need from prizes and programmes?
Fashion has a stream of talent incubation schemes and prizes, but emerging designers still struggle to move to the next level. Experts say it may be time to rethink the system.
Is it time to rethink the ‘star designer’ system?
Fashion’s obsession with creative genius may be putting the industry’s future at risk.
Debunking the ‘star designer’ dream
Through an exclusive survey of 300 fashion designers and interviews with industry experts, Vogue Business examines what it means to be a fashion designer today.
Why Ebay is showing secondhand fashion on the runway
Ebay is hoping to make pre-loved fashion more aspirational by joining the New York and London schedules. How does it contribute to the bigger picture of building a circular economy for all?
Overconsumption: Can we ever put the genie back in the bottle?
Recent tie-ups between social media platforms and digital-first retailers are designed to remove the friction from shopping. But sustainability experts say that friction serves an important purpose.
Business Unusual: Pandora’s cold water swimmers
Employees of the Copenhagen-based jewellery giant swear by swimming together to help them stay motivated in the face of pressure.
Copenhagen raised the bar on sustainability. How are brands responding?
By implementing mandatory sustainability requirements, Copenhagen Fashion Week hopes to prove its role as a changemaker. Other fashion councils are yet to be convinced.
Fashion brands are failing to act on decarbonisation
In its latest transparency ranking, Fashion Revolution calls out the lack of progress towards fashion’s climate goals. The critical path to decarbonisation — and a just transition — remains elusive.
Want to be more sustainable? Develop a better sense of style
Experts say developing a stronger sense of personal style could help people resist the urge to overconsume.
The 2024 Vogue Business sustainability leaders survey: Collaboration remains elusive
Our exclusive survey shows that progress towards fashion’s environmental and social goals hinges on collaboration — the very thing sustainability teams struggle to get right.
Why is it so hard for next-gen materials to scale?
At the annual Future Fabrics Expo, material innovation startups shared the challenges keeping them from growth and what gives them hope.
What fashion misunderstands about menopause
Awareness is growing of the menopause and its impact on women in the workplace. The youth-obsessed fashion industry has a lot of catching up to do.
Serial entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid’s manifesto for women in business
In her debut book, New Methods for Women, the founder of WAH Nails, Beautystack and The Stack World outlines an alternative approach to leadership.
Who should fashion vote for in the UK general election?
Vogue Business breaks down the manifestos of five leading UK political parties, with a focus on key issues for fashion.
Freedom of association is a human right. Why are garment workers still denied it?
A new report from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reveals a concerning trend of suppliers undermining trade unions and blocking meaningful dialogue with workers. Experts say it’s time for brands to step up.
Should fashion suppliers bear the cost of becoming more sustainable?
The European Union’s wave of sustainable fashion legislation will have huge implications for suppliers, but compliance won’t come without a change in how the industry operates.
Renewcell secures a future
Four months after it filed for bankruptcy, the former sustainable fashion darling has a buyer — and a new name.
How to sell sustainable fashion, sustainably
Last week, Swedish brand Asket wiped product imagery from its website, sparking a debate about what information product pages should include.
Is the repair market ready to scale?
Even though the repair market has developed rapidly in recent years, it still faces systemic and cultural challenges.
Is fashion finally ready to cut overproduction?
H&M, Reformation and Zalando have joined The Fashion ReModel, a new initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to help brands ‘make money without making new clothes’.
How to build better supply chains in four key sourcing countries
Labour leaders in Myanmar, the Philippines, China and Bangladesh share the insights that brands need to bear in mind before barrelling in to change things locally.
H&M, Boohoo face off with UK legislators over sustainable fashion policy
An evidence meeting for the UK’s Environmental Audit Committee showed the danger of leaving fashion businesses to their own devices on sustainability. What now?
Fashion’s textile recycling problem? It doesn’t exist
Textile recycling trade associations say the industry is on the brink of collapse, but critics say it never existed to begin with. Beyond the noise, is there an opportunity for change?
How the biggest election year in history will influence sustainable fashion legislation
At least 60 countries are heading to the polls in 2024. Policymakers are rushing to make an impact before the results roll in.
‘A heightened atmosphere of fear’: Bangladeshi garment workers’ fight for fair pay isn’t over
Experts say the aftershocks of the protests will be felt across the garment industry for years to come.
Can sustainable fashion come back from the brink of burnout?
Sustainability professionals are sounding alarm bells about the toll of delivering against increasingly lofty goals with tiny teams and budgets.
2023
Post mortem: Why sustainable fashion brand Dai shut its doors
The British womenswear brand closed on 10 December after six years. In an exclusive interview, founder and CEO Joanna Dai reflects on what went wrong.
A call for change without commitment: What COP28’s fossil fuel deal means for fashion
Negotiators at the UN climate conference reached a last-minute agreement to transition away from fossil fuels, proving controversial on both sides of the debate. Will it result in change?
How to turn creative directors into sustainability changemakers
With fashion set to miss its climate goals, the pressure is on for every employee to drive progress in their own field, including creative directors. But finding the right person for the job means rewriting the role entirely.
The EU is taking on fashion’s open secret: Destroying unsold goods
The European Union is clamping down on unsustainable practices in fashion with a spate of new policies.
Is fashion ready for an accessibility overhaul?
Sinéad Burke’s Tilting the Lens has been working with luxury giants Gucci, Capri Holdings and Farfetch since the pandemic. But building a profitable, purpose-driven company in a notoriously exclusive industry is no easy feat.
The fashion exec’s guide to COP28
Your essential wayfinder for the UN’s flagpole climate change conference, by veterans from the sustainable fashion space.
It’s time for fashion to step up on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Halfway to 2030, progress is lagging on the United Nations’s Sustainable Development Goals. With plenty of potential for change, could the fashion industry model a better future for people and the planet?
Can fashion future-proof its supply chains?
At the inaugural Regenerative Fashion Conference in London, speakers painted a radical vision for overhauling fashion supply chains.
Debunking the dream: Is fashion’s lifestyle sustainable for employees?
Fashion is a highly coveted career, but the myth of a glamorous lifestyle often obscures the reality: blurred personal and professional boundaries and a relentless pace.
Debunking the dream: Is working in fashion going out of style?
An exclusive Vogue Business survey of more than 600 fashion professionals reveals that systemic discrimination, unsustainable lifestyles and a widespread burnout culture are spurring dissatisfaction. Without real change, the industry risks a mass talent exodus.
Debunking the dream: Who is allowed to succeed in fashion?
The Vogue Business ‘Success in Fashion’ survey reveals an industry obsessed with keeping up appearances, excluding marginalised groups and limiting their progression. The fantasy of fashion — which lures many of these groups in with the promise of belonging — remains elusive.
Debunking the dream: Can fashion cool its burnout culture?
Fashion is facing a burnout epidemic, with marginalised communities, purpose-driven professionals and freelancers bearing the brunt. As the prospect of a mass exodus looms, calls for a slower pace and systemic reform mount.
As emissions rise, fashion grapples with growth
The industry is on track to miss its greenhouse gas emissions targets, with potentially catastrophic consequences for people and the planet. But addressing growth is easier in theory than practice.
Greenhushing is on the rise. What do fashion brands need to know?
As regulators and consumer critics crack down on greenwashing, many brands are muting their sustainability communications for fear of backlash. But retracting green claims altogether could have serious consequences for progress.
How Mother of Pearl shifted to a more sustainable business model
Creative director and co-owner Amy Powney shares her perspective on navigating climate anxiety, balancing growth with ethics, and finding the confidence to lead a business towards better practices.
Why fashion brands are hiring transformation directors
Incremental changes can only take sustainability teams so far, but internal transformation experts can drive systemic change. It’s a complex role to hire for, and even more challenging to fulfil.
How Gucci is using tech to aid blind and low-vision customers
The Kering-owned brand is rolling out a partnership with virtual accessibility assistance app Aira. It’s a step forward that shows just how much fashion has historically overlooked accessibility.
Time for a truly global sustainability summit?
The Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen offered insight into the frustrations and ambitions underpinning the industry’s sustainability efforts. Critics say it remains too skewed towards the Global North.
At the Global Fashion Summit, a focus on action
The annual sustainable fashion summit returned to Copenhagen last week, and the industry was ready with a slew of roadmaps, launches and announcements.
Are garment workers one step closer to living wages?
WageIndicator Foundation is making its living wage benchmarks open access for workers, trade unions and small employers. It’s an industry first that hopes to make wage negotiations fairer across 155 countries.
Stella McCartney-backed leather alternative Mylo halts production
US startup Bolt Threads has called time on its mycelium-based leather alternative Mylo — backed by Stella McCartney, Kering and Adidas — after failing to secure the funding necessary to scale, CEO Dan Widmaier tells Vogue Business.
Why the way fashion talks about sustainability needs to change
The United Nations has published new guidance for sustainable fashion communication, calling on the media, image makers and marketers to rally behind climate targets.
How to close fashion’s sustainability data gap
Fashion brands are scrambling to comply with incoming sustainability regulations and prove progress, but gathering and managing supply chain data is a challenge. How is best practice evolving?
An essential guide to the EU’s overhaul of fashion regulation
The European Union is developing a slew of sustainable fashion regulations with the potential to overhaul supply chains, reset brand strategies and change consumer behaviour.
Fashion councils take aim at proposed EU ecodesign regulations
The newly formed European Fashion Alliance has published its first position paper, detailing its support and concerns around the EU’s upcoming ecodesign regulations. It’s an existential fight between sustainability compliance and creative freedom.
Brands wake up to the destructive impact of leather production
A new cross-industry collaboration led by Textile Exchange and Leather Working Group aims to rid leather supply chains of deforestation and improve transparency. There are complex challenges to overcome, but signatories from Kering to H&M say they are ready to try.
The Vogue Business sustainability leaders survey: Mounting pressure clips progress
An exclusive survey covering 90 fashion, luxury and beauty brands shows sustainability teams are still limited on time, money and people power, without which it will be difficult to achieve their ambitious targets.
Can regenerative agriculture help farmers face climate change?
Natural fibre producers are caught in the crossfires of climate change, facing increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather events. Experts say regenerative agriculture could hold the key.
A rare glimpse inside Peru’s regenerative organic cotton supply chain
Los Angeles apparel brand Outerknown opened up its regenerative cotton supply chain in Peru to Vogue Business. While progressive, challenges need to be addressed to achieve commercial scale.
What if fashion prices put workers first?
A growing movement to guarantee living wages for garment workers imagines a shift in fashion supply chains that would redress global power imbalances. It highlights how far there is still to go.
How can circular fashion businesses quantify their impact?
Rental, resale and repair have risen to the mainstream by claiming to be better for the environment than linear fashion models, but attempts to quantify their impact have been criticised. Experts say better data is needed.
In the aftermath of earthquakes, Türkiye’s textile industry calls on brands for support
Three months on from the most powerful earthquake in its history, Türkiye is still feeling the impacts on fashion production, a key lifeline for its export economy. Suppliers say emotional support, flexible contracts and consistent orders are the best way for brands to help.
10 years since Rana Plaza, not enough has changed
Activists and academics reflect on the incremental progress made since fashion’s deadliest factory collapse in 2013, and the challenges that still need to be addressed.
Next-gen materials gain pace, but systems change is too slow
The fashion industry is making progress on preferred materials, but greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, according to the latest report from Textile Exchange. Unless brands curb growth and invest in better supplier relationships, climate goals will remain out of reach.
Should fashion opt out of Earth Day?
Amid the international crackdown on greenwashing, sustainability communications experts are advising fashion brands to rethink their approach to Earth Day marketing. Less product, more purpose.
How to set up a sustainability team for success
Beauty group Deciem, which owns The Ordinary, is switching up its reporting lines and adding sustainability-linked incentives for senior leaders. Other brands could learn from its approach.
Can regenerative leadership fill sustainable fashion’s action gap?
Regenerative leadership promises to deliver systems change thinking by taking business leaders outside of their comfort zone and into nature. Brands from Chloé to Vivobarefoot are hoping to turn their campfire breakthroughs into boardroom success.
Puma opens up supply chain, sustainability efforts to Gen Z scrutiny
Puma says its new Voices of a Re:Generation initiative will hold the brand accountable to its young climate-conscious consumers and drive progress throughout its supply chain. Will it pay off?
The EU is targeting greenwashing claims, and fashion is a top offender
Brands and certification schemes are in the firing line of the new EU Green Claims Directive, which calls for an end to the Wild West of environmental impact claims.
Inditex injects €15 million into Kering’s regenerative agriculture fund
The Spanish fast fashion group has joined the Regenerative Fund for Nature, a joint venture from Kering and Conservation International to scale regenerative agriculture in textile production and beyond.
Allbirds says its net-zero carbon shoe is here
Seven years and hundreds of iterations in, the carbon-focused footwear brand has created its first net-zero carbon product, the M0.0nshot shoe.
Is it time to hire a head of traceability?
Traceability is key to compliance with a wave of new sustainable fashion legislation, but few brands or retailers have the expertise, infrastructure or oversight to deliver. From Ralph Lauren to VF Corp, efforts are underway to step up.
British Fashion Council sets out 10-step plan to slash returns
As part of its Circular Fashion Ecosystem Project for the UK fashion industry, the BFC is tackling the elusive challenge of rising e-commerce return rates.
Fashion has a lobbying gap
Other industries have a long and storied history with lobbying, but fashion has been lagging behind, experts say, widening the gap between industry players and policymakers. There’s still time to change that.
Ganni, Patagonia and Reformation join pilot to decarbonise fashion
California startup Rubi Labs has secured an additional $8.7 million in funding for its lyocell yarn made from converted CO2. Now, brands including Ganni, Reformation, Patagonia and Nuuly have signed up to prototype products, hoping to kickstart its commercialisation.
The Restory’s future is up in the air as co-founders resign
The luxury aftercare service favoured by retailers including Selfridges, Farfetch and Browns is reportedly going into a proposed liquidation, a week after its co-founders resigned.
Chloé CEO on the power of regenerative leadership in fashion
Regenerative leadership promises to deliver the systems change thinking that would push sustainable fashion beyond tick-boxing. Chloé CEO Riccardo Bellini is already a fan.
Slow Factory has hit reset on its climate school plans. What happened?
This was to be the year Slow Factory hit the mainstream, opening a first-of-its-kind climate school in Brooklyn. Now, the Brooklyn location is no longer part of the plan, and the non-profit is facing questions about its culture and impact.
Nobody left behind: Why fashion should strive for a ‘just transition’
Fashion could learn a lot from the closure of coal mines when it comes to coupling social and environmental impact, experts say. But the process of a just transition is complex, and requires a radical mindset shift many brands are reluctant to embrace.
Why is fashion still ignoring microfibres?
Microfibre shedding occurs at almost every stage of a garment’s life cycle, causing harm to humans and the planetary. But its impacts are still often overlooked, a new report from Forum for the Future finds.
Net-a-Porter launches repairs and alterations with The Seam
The multi-brand luxury retailer is expanding its circular fashion offering with a repair, alteration and customisation service.
France has laid down the law on sustainability: What does it mean for fashion?
Brands selling into France are getting a taste of changes to come, as a new wave of sustainability legislation calls for greater transparency and traceability. Experts say the industry isn’t ready.
Not just “like new”: Visibly used bags rise in resale’s ranks
Demand for visibly used luxury handbags is growing, showing that secondhand stigma is waning and customers are more price sensitive.
Bode bets on womenswear, returns to Paris with first co-ed show
After a three-year hiatus, the cult New York menswear brand is returning to Paris Fashion Week with a mixed show, including hotly anticipated womenswear pieces for the first time.
The fashion exec’s guide to circularity
Circularity made significant progress last year, but challenges remain if the industry wants to couple environmental impact with social justice. We unpack the latest developments and opportunities.
Ebay recouples with Love Island as series fashion sponsor
UK dating show Love Island is sticking with Ebay as its official sponsor after dumping fast fashion last summer. This time, contestants will have access to imperfect and authenticated items too.
2021
The single-use plastic overhaul is coming for fashion
Sustainable packaging is gaining momentum, but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for brands and retailers.
How to create positive impact with natural materials
An extension of a panel I moderated at Première Vision (linked in the article). Sustainability experts are calling on the fashion industry to go beyond harm mitigation and create positive impact. This is what brands need to know.
How to overcome climate anxiety
The climate crisis is a grim reality with far-reaching emotional impact. Sustainable designers and environmental activists share tips for balancing personal wellbeing and collective action.
Unpacking Nike’s sustainable basketball capsule
Nike is moving forward on the sustainable front with “optimistic urgency”. But there’s always more to be done.
Sneaker drops keep coming. Are they sustainable?
Consumer pressure is growing for a more sustainable sneaker industry. Here’s how brands can speed up their response.
How fashion can embrace neurodiversity
The fashion world is full of neurodivergent people, many of whom are highly gifted, but their needs are often overlooked. Experts explain how fashion can do better.
Thinking outside the fashion box
Utopian fantasies or recipes for change? Their ideas are radical, their solutions even more so. Three manifestos reimagine the fashion system.
2020
Gucci ties with Alibaba’s Tmall in China e-commerce race
Gucci was an early entrant in China. Today, it has picked Alibaba’s Tmall as its next big move.
How can fashion make marketing more sustainable?
Sustainable marketing may sound like an oxymoron, but that doesn’t mean brands should stop trying. These sustainable PR experts are leading the way.
What happens when the shoe doesn’t fit?
Retailers including Nordstrom and Zappos are exploring the untapped potential of adaptive and inclusive footwear. With a few small tweaks, brands could follow suit.
Why fashion is adopting mentoring
Addressing the historic exclusion of marginalised people in fashion with access and advice is helping diversity, and brands are jumping on board.
The future of sustainable fashion
Dispatches from the Vogue Business x Google Summit, including the panel I moderated: Is positive consumption even possible? Featuring Patagonia director of philosophy Vincent Stanley, influencer Camille Charrière and writer Aja Barber.
The UK watchdog is tackling greenwashing. Will others?
A new investigation calls claims about sustainability into question, posing an opportunity for fashion brands to make their products live up to their marketing.
A new movement to reduce the hidden environmental cost of clothing care
Big brands including Burberry and Patagonia are designing garments with sustainable aftercare in mind, while the aftercare industry is slowly adopting new methods.
Allbirds: Does the world need another T-shirt?
The pioneering sustainable shoe brand is entering the apparel market with a capsule range made from innovative natural materials. But can Allbirds still do better?
Inside Sinéad Burke’s new adaptable clothing marketplace
Backed by Global Brands Group, Juniper Unlimited hopes its adaptive designs will pave the way for a more inclusive fashion industry.
How to steer clear of discounts this holiday season
Amid Covid-19, mass discounting events like Black Friday will be bigger than ever. But luxury players have an opportunity to avoid markdowns and promote slower, more sustainable shopping.
Should synthetic clothing be sold with a warning?
Synthetic clothes release harmful microplastics when washed. Brands could help by informing consumers and investing in research.
The new movement to reform fashion
Covid-19 left thousands of garment workers without wages as brands and retailers refused to pay their suppliers. Nonprofit Remake says it’s time for fashion to put workers first.
Community over commerce: Can it work?
His business philosophy sounds utopian, but mainstream fashion might learn from London designer Christopher Raeburn, who has collaborated widely, from Moncler to Timberland.
Inside fashion’s switch to green electricity
Global renewable electricity campaign RE100 counts Kering and Chanel among its fashion signatories, but complex supply chains and legislative barriers threaten to limit its impact.
Fashion and carbon emissions: Crunch time
The international fashion industry must urgently cut emissions by 50 per cent to reach a 1.5 °C target, says a new report from McKinsey and the Global Fashion Agenda.
Why more brands are seeking out B Corp certifications
The organisation pushes brands to change their practices, and during the pandemic, more are signing up for its services. But only brands willing to embrace it voluntarily stand to gain.
Breaking into fashion was already hard. Amid Covid-19, is a design generation lost?
The pandemic put gaping holes in the graduate showcase and recruitment systems, leaving a microgeneration of fashion students with limited opportunities.
Challenging a fatphobic industry to adapt
A new wave of designers are showing how simple rethinks in the engineering of a garment can open up endless opportunities for size-inclusive fashion. Why haven’t more mainstream brands adopted it?
How social media managers became the fashion frontline
They bridge the gaps between brands and consumers, dealing with everything from customer service to ethical complaints. Do we ask too much of social media managers?
Why major retailers are finally stocking more Black-owned brands
Designer Aurora James is asking retailers to take the 15 Percent Pledge, creating opportunities for Black brands in America and beyond. Early signs are it’s working.
What psychology can teach fashion about inclusivity
By including psychology in their strategic thinking, brands can move beyond tokenism towards true inclusivity.
Supporting Black freelance creatives in fashion
The individual prejudices and systemic racism at play within brands are limiting opportunities and creating negative work environments for Black freelance creatives.
Fashion’s philanthropy play
Covid-19 has prompted a wave of charitable donations from fashion brands, but where should brands direct their good intentions for maximum impact?
The implications of fashion’s pivot to PPE production
Covid-19 relief efforts pave the way for more local production and collaborations.
Bella Webb 