THE FUTURE OF FASHION
BEHIND
THE SEAMS The apparel and textile industry may be infamous for its environmental impact, but change is afoot, and brands and innovators are making strides – some even leaps – forward to change the outlook.
ABOVE: Nobody’s Child’s latest collection will feature DPPs across the range.
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“ BELOW: Colorifix engineers microorganisms to dye textiles.
ometimes it feels like a monumental task and like you’re pushing water uphill,” said Julia Redman, POC’s ambassador for fashion, in a webinar we hosted recently on the global impact of the fashion industry. It is fortunate (although some would disagree) that the heavy price the environment pays for our love of clothes
is pretty well publicised and generally quite present in the mind of consumers these days. This leads to a challenge for brands – as well as an opportunity – to differentiate themselves amidst the sea of high street to high-end labels and appeal to the consumers that are already conscious of the issue, and educate those who are not, while providing them with a solution – or at least the beginnings of one. The fashion and apparel industry is a significant part of the brand licensing space, and therefore a big part of the Products of Change community – as well as the sector with the biggest environmental impact – making it a crucial part of the POC agenda. In addition to an ongoing Fashion webinar series online, POC hosted an exclusive fashion event at The Mills Fabrica on 29 April 2025. Bringing together brand owners, retailers, innovators and manufacturers to discuss key sustainability challenges and explore collective solutions. The event facilitated open and frank discussions on best practices, industry needs, and future strategies for embedding sustainability within the fashion supply chain. Fashion is the second most polluting industry (after the behemoth that is the oil and gas sector), sending 92 million tons of waste to landfill each year. It is also responsible for 10% of carbon emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution. A sobering set of statistics from Optitex. But knowledge is power and identifying the problem is the first step. STITCHING A PATH FORWARD While legislative bodies are working heads down to bring out regulations to encourage better practice, the forerunners and future-focused businesses have been making changes over
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