fashion

Americans do love their denim, so much so that the average consumer buys four pairs of jeans a year. In China’s Xintang province, a hub for denim, 300 million pairs are made annually. Just as staggering is the brew of toxic chemicals and hundreds of gallons of water it takes to dye and finish one […]

By Valerie Vande Panne Do you know where your clothes came from? No, not the store, the label or the brand. Or China, India or Vietnam. I mean, do you know who made your clothing? Do you know what your clothes are made from? Or where the fiber in your clothing came from? The cotton, […]

By Linda Greer The fashion industry doesn’t necessarily have the biggest nose-to-the-grindstone, follow-the-numbers reputation of an industry, let’s face it. It is better known for its creativity, innovation and trendsetting. But this sector packs a major punch environmentally, let me tell you—in terms of climate impact, water use and pollution. We urgently need a serious […]

My parents were born in Vancouver—dad in 1909, mom in 1911—and married during the Great Depression. It was a difficult time that shaped their values and outlook, which they drummed into my sisters and me. “Save some for tomorrow,” they often scolded. “Share; don’t be greedy.” “Help others when they need it because one day […]

When we think of environmental foes, the fossil fuel industry is often pegged as one of the biggest villains. But the shirts off our backs also leave a devastating planetary impact. According to a new report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry’s current “take-make-dispose” system creates greenhouse gas emissions of 1.2 billion tonnes […]

Flint, Michigan doesn’t just have a water problem—it has a water bottle problem. Ever since the 2014 lead contamination crisis, city residents have had no choice but to turn to bottled water for their daily H2O needs. The state is required to give each Flint resident 14 bottles daily, and when you multiply that with […]

By Gabriele Salari The fashion industry is considered to be one of the most polluting in the world. Its material-intensive business model relies heavily on our addiction to overconsumption and feeds the destruction of the planet. There is one way to solve the problem: slowing down fashion. We need a model that doesn’t compromise on […]