Renting Fashion: Is It Really Sustainable?
Rental fashion is reshaping the industry by offering a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to fast fashion. While it promises to reduce waste and extend the life of garments, the practice still faces challenges — can it truly be the perfect solution for a more eco-friendly wardrobe?
The Flaxmobile Project: Sowing Seeds of Change Across Atlantic Canada
Introducing Dr. Jennifer Green, an Associate Professor in the Textiles/Fashion Department of Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD). Dr. Green’s passion for textiles and handicrafts inspired her to begin the Flaxmobile Project: a van that travels across Atlantic Canada reviving the once-drying flax and linen industry. Dr. Green’s project is connecting farmers and artisans, stimulating creativity connecting communities. Read more.
From Algorithm to Aesthetics: How AI Is Shaping the Fashion Industry
From devastating floods in Spain to the unrelenting drought in South America, the escalating climate crisis is reshaping industries worldwide—including fashion. As AI revolutionizes supply chains and design, it offers potential solutions but also raises new environmental and ethical concerns, making thoughtful regulation crucial to ensuring a sustainable future for both the planet and the people working within the fashion industry.
Breaking into Sustainable Fashion: Insights from Circularity Textiles Expert Charlotte Genge
“Circular fashion is about more than recycling.” Reuse and circularity expert Charlotte Genge dives into the importance of reuse, the role of policy, and practical tips for young professionals breaking into the sustainable fashion industry.
Fashion with Purpose: 5 Books That Challenge How We Consume
Looking to broaden your knowledge of sustainable fashion or learn how to become a more ethical consumer? We’ve gathered 5 books that are sure to inspire you and deepen your understanding of sustainable fashion. These selections cover a range of topics, from the history and production of textiles to practical tips for making more conscious purchasing decisions. Dive in and discover how you can make a positive impact while expanding your awareness!
The Cost of Style: Fashion's Hidden Victims Across History and Today
Fashion has always been an art form that blends creativity, identity, and expression. But beneath the glamour lies a chilling history marred by exploitation and human suffering. From the toxic work environments of mercury hatters to modern sweatshop conditions and child labor, the true cost of style has been devastating. Dive into the historical and present-day stories that reveal the unseen victims of fashion's relentless pursuit of profit and learn why advocating for a more ethical future is more urgent than ever.
Recap of New York Climate Week 2024: Innovation, Collaboration, and Mobilization
New York Climate Week 2024 is likely the biggest climate gathering in 2024, bringing together leaders, innovators, and activists to confront today’s most pressing climate challenges. This was Threading Change’s first time attending NY Climate Week as a delegation, and it was a big success! We look forward to future activations and engagement opportunities in New York Climate Weeks to come. Read on to see a detailed recap of what we got up to!
Shifting The Thrifting Mindset: Addressing Consumption
Can we really shop our way out of the climate crisis? Thrifting is often hailed as a sustainable solution, but can it truly combat overconsumption? In this article, we explore the reality behind secondhand shopping, its potential pitfalls, and how a shift in mindset could make thrifting a powerful tool for long-term change. Discover how your wardrobe can become a force for a better future.
FFF Toronto and Halifax Recap
Discover how the Fair Fashion Festival in Halifax and Toronto brought sustainable style to life! From vibrant second-hand markets to thought-provoking panels, the event showcased innovative ways to embrace ethical fashion. With highlights like eco-conscious brands, sustainable fashion talks, and exclusive photos capturing the buzz, this recap will inspire you to rethink your wardrobe choices and join the movement toward a more responsible fashion future. Dive into the festival's unforgettable moments and see how it's shaping the future of conscious fashion!
Second-hand September: How The Gikomba Market Keeps Fashion Circular
Have you ever wondered how the vibrant world of second-hand fashion sustains itself? In Kenya, Gikomba Market is a hub where preloved clothes find new life. From the history of mitumba to the pulse of today’s thrift culture, our Africa Regional Manager, Chemitei Janet, dives into the circular economy that Secondhand September champions. This piece goes beyond the bales, exploring how shopping second-hand empowers communities and helps the planet.
Intergenerational Mending: Restoring Our Relationship with Clothes
Thoughts from the Khatsahlano Street Festival. The sun is out, a scorching 30 degrees and the cooling tent up the street from our booth is by far one of the most popular stops for the 150,000 people milling up and down West 4th St, enjoying the sights and sounds of the festival. In this heat, it only makes sense that our booth activity is… a blanket?
Chasing Gold, Ignoring Green: The Olympics and Fashion's Sustainability Gap
Each edition of the Olympics aims to reach the top of the sustainability podium. In 1996, the Olympic Charter was updated to include a mandate for environmentally responsible games, as the IOC recognized the need for sustainability. The 2024 games mark a significant moment where the sports and fashion worlds collide in the heart of the fashion industry. Paris provides a unique stage along the banks of the Seine to showcase sustainability accomplishments and analyze the persisting gaps. While the games strive to win gold in sustainability, they are still out of the grasp of achieving top marks.
Importance of Fashion Legislation
Legislation forces companies to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring their claims are genuine. Rather than allowing overambitious promises with no follow-up (greenwashing), legislation mandates accountability and compels companies to substantiate their promises with concrete actions.
Fashion For Liberation
Revolutionary movements and social upheavals have always been symbolized through garments. When we visualize the members of these movements, their attire is inseparable from our mental image. Within a collective, what we wear becomes a powerful tool for creating an identity for movements. Fashion has and continues to serve as a visible cry of protest against oppression and a declaration of liberation.
2024 Fair Fashion Festival Events Recap
From April 24-28, 2024, we hosted our Fair Fashion Festival in honor of Fashion Revolution Week. This global series event brought together changemakers from around the world, all eager to drive change in the fashion industry. Check out how all of our global events went and how you can get involved!
From Ideas to Action: Threading Change at Paris’ ChangeNow Summit
From March 25th to 27th, Paris became a hub of hope and action as ChangeNow gathered visionaries at the Grand Palais Éphémère. They didn’t just discuss the planet’s future—they forged real change. . Sophia Yang, founder of Threading Change, attended the summit and explained how we are leading the charge in revolutionizing fashion through the circular economy. Discover practical ways to enact change, from hosting clothing swaps to advocating for legislative reform. This isn’t just an article—it’s a call to action for a cleaner, fairer world driven by passionate changemakers.
Exploring Fashion’s Sustainable Future: Threading Change in Conversation with CBC
On April 11th, 2024, Aish Mann and Vinya Nadimpalli captivated audiences during their insightful interview at CBC, eloquently unveiling the profound environmental and social ramifications of fast fashion, while passionately advocating for legislative reform and collective action. Explore the intricate balance between the allure of bargains and the hidden costs of fast fashion in this enlightening article, delving into the pressing need for sustainable solutions and the transformative power of legislative action and grassroots movements in shaping a more ethical future for the fashion industry.
SDG 13: Let’s Talk Climate Action
In this edition of the ThreadingChangeXSDGs we take a look at the connection that SDG 13 has to the fashion industry. With the GEF 7th Assembly being in Vancouver this week, where Threading Change is headquartered, fashion impacts on the environment and climate go hand in hand.
Increasing reports of extreme weather patterns and natural disasters. Biodiversity diminishing. Water scarcity and food insecurity. The vast effects of pollution and accumulating industrial emissions are felt all over the world daily. Climate change is a reality and the fashion industry is perhaps the least talked-about contributor to the crisis.
In a world where ‘buy more wear less’ culture reigns, how then, do we work to navigate and mitigate the increasing toll on the environment while still maintaining our sense of style? The #envison2030 goal for climate action and its associated list of targets seeks to explore this. Read on to learn more about this topic.
SDG 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
In this edition of the ThreadingChangeXSDG we take a look at the connection that SDG 12 has to the fashion industry and how it relates to this month's global campaign, Second Hand September!
This article dives into the many impacts of the “fashion industry that are already being felt on the environment and on the human communities living in the areas where there is industry presence and production is located.The first target of Sustainable Development Goal 12 is to achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. It is not only resource-demanding but also a high waste generating sector.”
Reads of the Week Roundup
We haven’t done our #ReadsOfTheWeek in a while! Here is a roundup of some of the things we have been reading lately!