The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is taking steps to promote sustainability within the apparel industry by launching a new membership model for companies generating over $100 million in revenue.

The Candidate membership model aims to encourage more businesses to adopt sustainable practices by providing access to SAC's membership community and the Higg Platform, which includes five Higg Index tools for assessing social and environmental performance.

The Candidate membership model will allow companies to gain insight into the expectations of SAC members and determine if their sustainability goals align with those of the organization.

The SAC will evaluate companies expressing interest in becoming a Candidate member based on criteria such as suitability, commitment, goals, and abilities. Companies accepted as Candidate members will have access for up to two years before transitioning to full membership at SAC. The new membership model seeks to expand SAC's reach within the apparel and footwear industry and other consumer goods sectors to drive progress and impact.

It is believed that the reach and diversity of SAC members are the most powerful levers for collective action towards sustainability in the apparel and footwear industry.

In February, retail sales in the US slowed down by 0.4% month-over-month, with consumers prioritizing value and cutting back on spending.

Major retailers have cited this slowdown in spending when projecting sales for the 2023 fiscal year, which for most retailers begins in February. Consumers struggled with higher prices in non-discretionary categories, leading to reduced spending in other areas. For instance, grocery and food-at-home pricing rose by 10.2% in February's 12-month rolling index, with specific categories such as cereal/bakery and dairy experiencing significant price increases.

However, Kroger reported a 10.1% increase in sales of its private-label food brands for 2022, demonstrating that consumers are turning to store brands as an alternative to higher-priced national products. Meanwhile, shelter's 12-month rolling price index, which includes rent, hotels, and homeowners' equivalent of rent, increased by 8.1%, the most significant increase over 40 years. This category accounted for over 70% of the all-items index increase in February.

Fashion categories such as apparel/accessories, shoes, and department stores also experienced reduced spending as consumers looked for value amidst rising prices. Larger ticket items such as new cars, furniture, and electronic/appliance sales were impacted by higher interest rates, leading to declining sales.

However, discount and value retailers, including Target, Walmart, warehouse clubs, and dollar stores, grew year-over-year. Additionally, as inflation and recession worries continue, many consumers are turning to second-hand stores and vintage shopping. Retailers such as REI, Lululemon, Levi, Best Buy, Patagonia, and IKEA have started selling pre-owned goods.

Retailers are cautiously optimistic about 2023, as consumers show a trend toward value.

Cheap and cheerful fast fashion on-trend clothing designs that move quickly from catwalks to shop shelves and online websites have taken over the global apparel segment. This fast fashion garment factory production focuses on quick trend replication and uses low-quality materials and synthetic fabrics that pile up truckloads of clothes to be dumped in landfills or in poorer countries of the world.

As per Oxfam, a charitable organization, around 70 per cent of globally donated garments end up in Africa and most of these are second-hand discarded clothes of poor quality and lower durability. The Global North countries of Europe, the UK and the US among others are buying 60 per cent more clothes than 15 years ago but only wearing them for half as long till they get bored. An estimated 85 per cent of all textiles land up in dump yard every year and it is estimated a truckload of garments is either burnt or sent to a landfill every nano-second. These donations, which aim to help alleviate poverty and create jobs, have in turn created a problematic industry valued at $1.84 billion in 2021, up 28 per cent from previous year. As per estimates around 40 per cent of the world’s used clothing exports come from the three countries: China 17 per cent, US per cent, and UK per cent.

Waste colonialism from Global North must be addressed

Africa seems to be the favourite dump yard of the world, and from Ghana to Kenya, all kinds of apparel in the name of donations are flooding these countries, causing an environmental, economic and social catastrophe. The desire to constantly reinvent the wardrobe for on-trend fast fashion is also causing the violation of human rights in factories across third-world countries where modern-day slavery is rampant.

In the words of Stella Hertantyo, a South African sustainability activist and writer to AllAfrica, “We call it waste colonialism.” It's essentially this feeling that countries in the Global North feel entitled to access the land and communities and African countries as a place to rid themselves of their waste. This is created in the North, because of systems of overproduction and overconsumption and perpetual growth in terms of profits.

Even amidst all this pollution international aid agencies are still appealing for donations of second-hand clothing from the Global North for use in the Global South. One of the measures that are being pondered in Africa to reduce the pollution of second-hand clothing is to ban import of these clothes. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi were planned to ease out second-hand clothes trade by 2019 but only Rwanda has implemented the plan by imposing high taxes on imports to deter trade and others are expected to follow soon.

Important to stop environmental damage

The fast fashion industry pollutes global water bodies as it uses vast volumes in manufacturing processes. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has proven the industry, in addition to emitting 10 per cent of global carbon dioxide every year also uses 1.5 trillion litres of water annually. Analysts also say, the fashion industry consumes around 2.6 per cent of the world's freshwater as making just one cotton T-shirt needs an unbelievable 2,700 litres of water.

Currently, industry leaders are focusing on different ways they can move towards a circular economy by reducing waste and pollution and sophisticating the processes of reusing and recycling textiles. Organizations such as UNEP and GFA are currently working with the fast fashion apparel industry to transform it into one that gives more than what it gets from the environment and the world around it.

WIT Fitness and Represent have launched a unisex collection called 247.

Both are based in the UK. WIT is a multibrand retailer. WIT Fitness combines e-commerce, experiential retail and in-person training in a unique model to curate the world’s finest selection of training apparel and equipment.

Represent is a luxury streetwear clothing brand founded in 2011. The label’s garments are the embodiment of relentless effort, refinement and constant progression. Each piece is the result of a meticulous design and production process, with expert craftsmanship being an unremitting factor running throughout every collection, silhouette and individual garment.

The 247 range was created to be worn for active and casual intent and incorporates functional-optimal garments in clean silhouettes and exhibits fitness apparel in its purest form with clean and distinctive designs as well as a luxury quality. The range consists of three oversized vest styles and three oversized T-shirts in black, flat white and a black/grey digital camo print, and two hoodies along with shorts and pant styles each in black and camo prints. Completing the range are two oversized graphic tees celebrating the joining of these two forces in fitness. The graphic T-shirt features a screen print of both brands’ logos, reimagined in a vintage style.

The UK Fashion and Textile Association has partnered with social media platform TikTok to support and nurture the UKFT Rise community, a network of up and coming UK fashion and textile start-ups.

The support, which will be provided exclusively to selected UKFT Rise subscribers, aligns with TikTok’s feature, TikTok Shop.

Launched in 2021, this space allows brands and individuals to sell and promote their products. The UKFT Rise community will receive access to an in-house TikTok seminar program to grow TikTok Shop sales as well as TikTok’s office. TikTok will unlock a prize for winning UKFT Rise businesses to be put in contact with an account manager and to receive funds to create ads, collaborate with an affiliated content creator with subsidised rates, use studios and more.

A seminar will be organised both online and at TikTok’s office in March 2023, for UKFT Rise subscribers, to officially launch the partnership and unveil further details.Supporting early-stage fashion and textile companies has always been UKFT Rise’s top priority. The network offers them a space to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs and to gain valuable business tips.

The UK Fashion and Textile Association is the largest network for fashion and textile companies in the UK. It brings together designers, manufacturers, suppliers, agents and retailers to promote their businesses both in the UK and throughout the world

Oerlikon Textile will soon have a new service center for the polymer processing industry in the US. At the new address, synergy effects and resources will be used to a noticeably greater extent for the benefit of all Oerlikon customers in 4500 square meters of office and commercial space.

Oerlikon already has an American subsidiary. All processes will now be optimized in the new building. Incoming goods, warehouse and dispatch will be merged, inventory control will be strengthened. Also, the range of services in the repair area will be expanded.In addition to services in the area of filament and carpet yarn systems, Oerlikon will also be able to offer customers repair services for staple fiber components such as crimpers or nonwoven systems in future. This will further strengthen the market position for the Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Nonwoven brands.

Oerlikon Textile has been active in the manmade fibers business in the United States for over 55 years. In addition to the sale of staple fiber, BCF, IDY, POY, FDY and texturing plants, the product portfolio also includes upgrades and modernization of old plants, service and training offers as well as repair services and spare parts supplies.

The global hunting apparel market is growing at three per cent a year.

Hunting apparel is outdoor clothing worn during hunting activities. It is weather resistant and durable compared to ordinary clothing. Hunting apparel is designed with specific characteristics for the field, for instance, extra pockets for gear, scent-masking fabric, etc.

The market is driven by product innovation and product line extension leading to product premiumization, rise in popularity of outdoor recreational activities, and growing online sales of hunting apparel. This growing demand for hunting licenses is one of the prime reasons driving the hunting apparel market growth. Also, the adoption of omnichannel retailing and the rise in the number of private-label brands will lead to sizable demand in the market.The growing competition in the market is compelling vendors to adopt various growth strategies such as promotional activities and spending on advertisements to improve the visibility of their services.

Some vendors are also adopting inorganic growth strategies to remain competitive in the market.The global hunting apparel market is a part of the global apparel, accessories, and luxury goods market. The end-to-end understanding of the value chain is essential in profit margin optimization and evaluation of business strategies. The data available in the value chain analysis segment can help vendors drive costs and enhance customer services.

More accurate forecasting data can significantly improve margins and efficiency, ultimately reducing waste. So says OC&C.

The use of such technology can serve in tackling overproduction in the apparel industry. Buying more in line with customer demand can increase contribution margins by one to three percentage points per product category. Additionally, a reduction in overproduction by five per cent to 15 percent can represent a three percent reduction in carbon emissions.

Use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, says OC&C allows brands to refine their collections in keeping with consumer demand, while also enabling them to operate more efficiently. So, evolving planning and buying to be more demand-led is a practical first step, enabling significant margins to be gained, and unnecessary waste and CO2 emissions to be reduced.

The industry’s trend landscape has become increasingly more complex, driven by consumers that engage and transact across multiple physical and digital platforms, changing the way in which demand is determined. So, says the strategy consultant, planning needs to be in real-time, in consideration of shortened, more frequent buying windows, while still allowing better management of waste.

OC&C speaks and works with fashion brands that are under significant pressure as the complexity of business models continues to increase, cost inflation rises, and there is a need to operate more sustainably.

Global Fashion Summit will be held in Denmark, June 27 to 28, 2023.

This forum for sustainability in fashion will convene core stakeholders across the fashion ecosystem and parallel industries to drive tangible action on social and environmental sustainability.

Major objectives for sustainability action are in place, yet across the globe, industries are not on track to meet them. Under this premise, the event will present content experiences focused on tangible impact.

Speakers will showcase inspiring thought leadership for accelerated change by exploring a matrix of interconnected topics. Tangible learnings and concrete recommendations will be given to help drive implementation.The forum will also host even more strategic roundtable meetings with the aim to mobilise industry leaders to build alliances with solution providers, policy makers, investors and other industry stakeholders and implement immediate solutions, the premise being such alliances can set in motion the much-needed progress towards a net positive industry.

The event will shed light on the ongoing pieces of legislation currently under discussion both within the EU and worldwide. Transforming ambition into action and pioneering net-positive leadership will be the focus of the event. Industry leaders can share knowledge and by working in partnership can create more sustainable logistics solutions for all.

The global market for flame retardant textiles is growing at two per cent a year.

Flame retardants are a diverse group of chemicals that are added mainly to textile products to prevent or delay the spread of fire. The main families of flame retardants which are commonly being used in the textile industry are halogens (bromine and chlorine) phosphorus.

Nylon, polyester and acrylic tend to be slow to ignite but once ignited, severe melting and dripping occurs. Wool is comparatively flame-retardant. If ignited, it usually has a low burning rate and may self-extinguish. Glass fibers and modacrylic are almost flame-resistant. Aramid fibers from companies like DuPont create inherently flame resistant fibers, with brands such as DuPont Kevlar and DuPont Nomex. The actual structure of the fiber itself is not flammable. Woven in plain weave, 100 per cent para-aramid fabrics have excellent thermal characteristics. In addition to their good insulating properties, they can reach a peak temperature of 500 °C and a continuous operating temperature of 350 °C. Studies show that flame retardant textiles can significantly slow down or even prevent fires.

Fire prevention is regulated by national and international standards, and research into the causes of fire shows that unsuitable textiles can contribute considerably towards a fire spreading.A comparative fire test shows the speed at which a blaze can spread in a room furnished with conventional textiles.