The fuel pumps don’t lie. When oil prices spike, everyone pays, and lately, we have all been feeling the pain.

But the effects of this energy shock may be felt in places you might not expect: in the price of the clothes we wear.

Oil is not just what powers the ships that carry our clothes around the world. It is what most of our clothes are made of, appearing in materials such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, all derived from petrochemicals. And that is how the disruption of oil markets is driving the cost of textile production. Industry experts are already predicting a 20-25% jump in the prices of polyester, and it is only a matter of time before it reaches shops.

So, what should you keep in mind when shopping for your next outfit?

It starts with the fabric

Most clothes are not designed with their end of life in mind. When a garment ends up in a landfill, everything that went into it – the water, the energy, the oil – loses value, and turns into waste that releases microplastics and other harmful chemicals into our water, land and air. Fast fashion giants, like Shein and Temu, have been identified as the biggest polluters in the industry, and France has even introduced a tax targeting their low price points.

Natural fibres, like hemp, wool and cotton, along with newer materials like lyocell, need to move back into focus, both because they are less tied to oil and better for our health. In fact, emerging research suggests that prolonged exposure to synthetic fibres may harm reproductive health, as featured in the Plastic Detox documentary.

Follow the thread

Much of fashion’s environmental impact and cost risk sits far from what we see on the shop shelves. Up to 96% of emissions happen at the start of the supply chain, in the mills and dyehouses, where raw materials become fabrics. That is where the oil shock hits first.

Brands can get ahead of this by investing in renewable energy for their factories, shortening supply chains and experimenting with less resource-intensive processes.

Using impact measurement tools, like Green Story, companies can identify where their emission hotspots are. Puma, for example, introduced a climate transition plan, requiring suppliers to cut emissions. Smaller labels, like Ireland’s Eye, are building their identity around lower-impact production. Industry-wide initiatives, like the Climate Pledge, are bringing companies together to drive joint action.

Dyeing fabric is one of fashion’s most polluting processes, highly intensive in water, chemicals and energy. Waterless dyeing solutions and undyed fabric approaches can reduce environmental impact and improve cost efficiencies.

Asking brands where and how their clothes are made is the most useful question a consumer can ask if you want to make more sustainable choices.

Natural wool and cotton

There is another structural issue in fashion that rarely makes it into the conversation. The twice-yearly wardrobe reset was invented by the fashion industry to sell more clothes. In order to keep up with this, fashion’s production calendar is an 18- to 20-month cycle from design to shop floor. It means that brands are currently finalising collections for spring 2028, committing to volume and materials for garments whose demand they can only guess at. The inevitable result is systemic overproduction, with 40% of garments never sold.

The markdown cycle that follows devalues the brand, trains customers to wait for discounts, and compresses the margins that might otherwise fund the transition to better materials and methods.

Technology is beginning to address this. AI-driven demand forecasting and machine learning models can draw on historical sales, social media signals, weather patterns and macroeconomic indicators, aligning production far more closely with actual demand.

Related: Hemp textiles pave the way for a regenerative

At the same time, 3D digital sampling can remove weeks of spinning, programming, weaving, cutting, sewing and shipping physical samples back and forth before production can begin. Adidas has already deployed it for its Futurecraft 4D footwear. These innovations can make production processes more efficient, shortening supply chains and increasing their resilience in the face of geopolitical disruptions.

Then there are the lower-tech shifts: make fewer things, make them better, and make them last. Some luxury brands like Gucci and Prada have already abandoned the seasonal calendar. This way, brands are not racing to clear last season’s stock; they can charge full price for longer. Consumer behaviour is moving in the same direction, with younger shoppers gravitating toward clothes worth keeping, repairing and reselling.

Small acts, compounding effects

While the transformation we need cannot happen without consistent climate action from governments and industry, individual choices play a role in how markets shift. Demand shapes supply. And with a sundress season approaching, it’s a great moment to reflect on how to choose what to wear, integrating sustainability into your style.

That does not mean transforming your wardrobe overnight, but we can look at buying clothes made of natural fibres as an investment in renewables.

A comment on social media, an email to a brand asking what to do with a product when you are done with it. These small acts add up. And at the end of the day, clothes that make you happy every time you put them on are rarely the ones you bought on an impulse on sale. They are the ones made with care and designed to last, better for your wallet and for the planet.

Brianna Kilcullen, CEO of Anact

Brianna Kilcullen is the founder and CEO of Anact, a producer of sustainable towels made from hemp and organic cotton. Brianna is a symbol of how small choices can spark systemic change, and is a leading voice advocating for regenerative, localized manufacturing and the opportunity of hemp to revolutionize the textile supply chain.

Her mission is to challenge the outdated systems of the industry and inspire others to act by creating products, policies, and partnerships that prioritize people and the planet. Prior to starting Anact, Brianna worked in the apparel industry for prAna, a subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear and Under Armour. She is a proud citizen in the US and Ireland, and has traveled to more than 40 countries, working in factories on almost every continent. Brianna has appeared on numerous podcasts and in online publications like Politico. Brianna has authored opinion pieces and writes her own blog.

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Stella McCartney is back at H&M, and the fashion world is swooning again. But behind the tailored jackets, cherry prints and recycled glass beads is a harder question: should we still trust wool when it comes wrapped in ethical language?

The new Stella McCartney x H&M collection is being sold as a sustainability story. Organic cotton, recycled metals, plant-based coatings and certified materials all appear in the marketing. It is thoughtful by fast-fashion standards. But then there is the wool.

According to data from tutoring marketplace Wiingy, while entire categories of white-collar work — from copywriting to entry-level software development — have shown sustained four-year declines in learner demand, craft-based industries like wool and fiber arts have remained largely insulated from the same pressure. The full list of skills most at risk of AI automation tells a striking story about which kinds of work are surviving the shift.

So who is going to be the next sheep farming and shearer? Who will rise up to be the next Stella McCartney.

That makes wool fascinating right now. It is ancient, tactile and stubbornly physical. AI can write ad copy and generate fashion campaigns in seconds, but it cannot shear a sheep gently, sort fleece by touch, or spin fiber into yarn. Wool remains tied to animals, land and human hands.

But this is also where the romance gets complicated.

Several key pieces in the Stella McCartney x H&M collection — including the double-breasted blazer, matching trousers and wool car coat, are made with wool certified to the Responsible Wool Standard, or RWS. The standard is administered by Textile Exchange and is designed to verify animal welfare, land management and social responsibility.

On the surface, that sounds reassuring. Consumers see the certification and imagine sheep grazing peacefully under blue skies. But investigations suggest the reality can be much more troubling.

In reporting by Green Prophet, The New Zealand Merino Company, now known as Zentera, quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website after an undercover investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into farms within its certified supply chain. Zentera now describes its wool more cautiously as being “grown with care.”

PETA investigators say they documented shearers kicking, beating and roughly handling sheep on farms producing certified wool. Some animals were reportedly left with wounds stitched without pain relief. The findings have prompted renewed scrutiny of the wool industry’s ethical claims.

The problem is not limited to one company. Critics argue that many certification programs rely on announced audits, giving farms advance notice before inspectors arrive. Procedures such as tail docking and castration may still be allowed, and enforcement standards vary.

Even when certification improves conditions, it does not guarantee a cruelty-free product. Nor does it answer the broader environmental questions surrounding wool production, including methane emissions, land use and water consumption.

That does not mean every wool garment is unethical. Some farms undoubtedly treat animals better and manage land more responsibly than others. Certifications can help move the industry in the right direction. But they should not be treated as a final verdict.

Wool may be one of the rare industries that survives the AI age because it belongs to the body before it belongs to the market. It is touch, weather, grass, lanolin, sweat and skill. It carries the memory of shepherding and textile traditions thousands of years old.

Yet wool is also a business, and businesses are skilled at storytelling.

The Stella McCartney x H&M collaboration is more than a fashion event. It is a test of whether sustainability labels still mean something in an era when consumers are increasingly skeptical and artificial intelligence is stripping value from so much knowledge work.

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Back in late 2025, Green Prophet began asking uncomfortable questions about what’s really inside your yoga pants, from transparency failures (yes, those infamous see-through leggings) to the less visible and scarier issue: Your sweat is unlocking microplastics and chemical coatings sitting in the most absorbent parts of the human body.

Now, regulators in the United States are catching up. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a formal investigation into Lululemon, issuing a Civil Investigative Demand to determine whether the athleisure giant misled consumers about the safety of its products, specifically the potential presence of PFAS, or “forever chemicals.”

Though microplastics, which we wrote about are persistent, PFAS are distinct and often co-occur. PFAS are synthetic chemicals used for waterproofing and non-stick coatings, while microplastics are tiny solid plastic particles.

PFAS chemicals are widely used for water and stain resistance. They also persist in the environment and the human body, and have been linked in scientific studies to cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive issues. Paxton framed the probe as a consumer protection issue:

“Americans should not have to worry whether the products they purchase are safe for themselves and their families,” he said.

And more sharply, and what’s interesting here is that he is targeting the brand’s positioning: “Companies that market themselves as leaders in health and wellness should not sell harmful, toxic materials under the guise of sustainability or safety.”

Why Lululemon? Dollar store items may use the same microplastics. But this isn’t a random enforcement action.

Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a Civil Investigative Demand (“CID”) to Lululemon USA Inc. (“Lululemon”) as part of an investigation into whether the company has misled consumers about the safety, quality, and health impacts of its products.

Healer Jasper Neil tells Green Prophet, “Synthetic fibres inhibit energy flow. If you’re an energy sensitive practitioner you can feel the difference between natural and synthetic fibres. Nice looks don’t compensate for the fact that these clothes shut your energy down.”

Lululemon is a leading activewear brand that generated over $11 billion in fiscal year 2025 alone. The company markets itself as a wellness-focused lifestyle brand emphasizing sustainability and performance. Brand ambassadors spotted wearing the pants include Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Middleton, Selena Gomez, and Taylor Swift. Lessor known influencers peddling the brand include Lewis Hamilton, Sidney Crosby, Connor Bedard, Jordan Clarkson, Frances Tiafoe, and Leylah Fernandez.

However, emerging research and consumer concerns have raised questions about the potential presence of certain synthetic materials and chemical compounds in their apparel that may be associated with endocrine disruption, infertility, cancer, and other health issues.

“The health and safety of our guests is paramount, and our products meet or exceed global regulatory, safety, and quality standards,” Lululemon said in a statement. “We require all our vendors to regularly conduct testing for restricted substances, including PFAS, by credible third-party agencies to confirm ongoing compliance.”

According to the Attorney General’s Office, Lululemon occupies a unique space of premium pricing, wellness branding, and direct-to-skin products worn during heat, sweat, and friction. The investigation is expected to examine the company’s restricted substances list, product testing protocols, and global supply chain disclosures.

The legal question isn’t simply whether PFAS were used. It’s whether consumers were led to believe they were buying something cleaner than reality allowed. Sort of like Zentera’s so-called “ethical” and “kind” wool that PETA has exposed to be exploitive to animals.

The company’s response? Lululemon says the issue is already addressed.

In statements it has released on the issue that Green Prophet brought force in 2025, the company has said it phased out PFAS in its products in 2023, and that such chemicals were previously used only in limited applications, such as water-repellent finishes. It maintains that its products meet all applicable safety standards and undergo third-party testing.

The bigger issue: exposure where it matters most. If talcum powder exposure or asbestos exposure happened in the past, consumers have a right going forward to claim damages if a link can be made. The problem is that the source of immune disease such as lupus or cancers are hard to tracer.

How do I know if my leggings have PFAS?

PFAS treatments cause the fabric to strongly repel water. If you drop a water droplet onto a PFAS-treated fabric, it will bead up, roll around, and typically leaves no residue. In contrast, a droplet dropped onto an untreated fabric will soak in.

What regulators are only beginning to explore now is what Green Prophet flagged months ago. They know that synthetic fabrics shed microplastics during wear and washing. And that tight athletic clothing creates heat and friction zones, while hemical finishes may interact with sweat and prolonged skin contact.

This includes areas of the body where absorption risks are highest, such as in the crotch area, which is not abstract, but practical and daily.

Paxton didn’t go after every spandex manufacturer. He chose a category-defining brand called Lululemon which is one that sells not just apparel, but a narrative of health, control, and well-being.

If that narrative proves misleading, the implications extend far beyond one company and can shake up the health and wellness space that makes claims about products and services that are unfounded, or worse, bad for one’s health. My mother can remember a time when smoking was considered good for your health, but we know how that played out. Let’s hope the plastics lobbies aren’t so strong.

Now we ask Green Prophet readers: Can synthetic performance wear ever truly be marketed as “clean”? Green Prophet raised the question first. Now, the regulators are asking it on the record.

Is microplastics and forever chemicals something we can avoid? Basically everything (from food and water to air, from blender for your healthy smoothie to cutting board for your veggies that themselves are chemical by default and salt you season them with) contains microplastics, and as per recent studies, we thought that consuming them is the major source, actually it is inhaling,” says Lilia Khalitova. “So polyester clothes are bad, and washing them only makes them shed more. Plus add heat (UV), friction, your mat  and here we go… plastic fantastic you. Realistically it is impossible to avoid or cleanse, but can be minimised through mindful exposure.”

“But will natural cotton or bamboo pants keep your ass tight and round like the plastic ones do? That’s a trade off not many are willing to do I suppose,” sums up Ra Sa.

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The problem with outsourcing ethically-farmed anything to third party companies. This news should shift how ethical fashion operates and considers liability for wrongful marketing.

The New Zealand Merino Company, now rebranded as Zentera, has quietly removed the phrase “world’s leading ethical wool brand” from its website, a notable change that comes after a disturbing investigation by PETA Asia-Pacific into the company’s ZQ-certified wool supply chain, PETA reports to Green Prophet. Zentara, according to its website, supplies wool for 30 leading fashion brands. They are a supplier that CSR VPs have come to rely on for annual and quarterly reports.

They have changed wording on their website and say that their wool is “grown with care.”

ZQ, which now stands for “Zentera Quality,” is Zentera’s official wool certification label, marketed as a standard for animal welfare, traceability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Big brands which feature their products as ethical and “kind” are sold by brands including Allbirds, icebreaker, Smartwool (I love their socks), Mons Royale who touts “we are going regenerative!”; and Untouched World, all of which publicly market items made with ZQ- or ZQRX-certified wool.

For years, wool has been sold to consumers as the natural, sustainable alternative to synthetic fibers. But when “ethical” becomes a marketing shield rather than a measurable reality, the industry has a serious credibility problem. (We buy sweaters from babaa in Spain).

If you go to some of the companies that use ZQ wool they are still celebrating the “eco credentials of their suppliers, like with SmartWool, this screen capture taken April 1. This is not April Fool’s.

PETA Asia-Pacific says it went inside 11 farms and shearing sheds in New Zealand that produce ZQ-certified wool, which it describes as “a sham certification standard developed and owned by The New Zealand Merino Company.” According to the animal rights group, investigators found that “shearers kicked, beat, and stomped on sheep and threw them down chutes. One worker slammed a sheep’s head against a hard wooden board three times.”

Green Prophet reached out to Zentera 24 hours ago and there has since been no reply for our request to comment.

The allegations do not stop at the shearing shed.

PETA says that sheep from ZQ-certified farms whose fleece production had declined were later sent to slaughter, including to a slaughterhouse owned by Silver Fern Farms. There, according to the organization, sheep were “forced onto conveyer belts, electroshocked in the head, and violently killed.” In its account of the footage, PETA says the stunning process was at times inadequate and that some sheep appeared to show signs of consciousness after their throats were cut. One worker laughed at dying sheep when blood was pouring from its eyes.

The group says it has submitted evidence from the farms to New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries, calling for investigation and charges over what it describes as apparent violations of animal cruelty laws. Green Prophet has not independently verified the footage or the full scope of the allegations, but the claims are serious enough to put pressure on every brand still using ZQ wool as a reassurance label. We have reached out to Zentera for a comment.

Among the most shocking findings documented by PETA Asia-Pacific were claims that “workers whipped, tackled, and hit sheep with various objects, including a ski pole,” and that “sheep were left with gaping wounds that were stitched up without painkillers.”

“One worker laughed at a sheep as blood ran down their face from an eye injury,” PETA told Green Prophet.

The investigation also describes overcrowding so severe that one sheep was allegedly “smothered to death,” after which “her wool was still shorn to be prepared for sale.” In another alleged incident, “a farmer slit the throat of a conscious sheep after the animal spent days struggling and collapsing. Her body was dumped into a trash pit.”

These are not the kinds of images consumers picture when they buy a merino sweater labeled “ethical.”

And that may be the larger story here.

Fashion has become adept at swapping one moral language for another. “Natural.” “Regenerative.” “Ethical.” “Responsible.” These words can reassure shoppers who want to avoid petroleum-based fast fashion, but they can also obscure what is happening to animals in industrial supply chains. Wool may biodegrade but that does not automatically make it humane.

For brands relying on ZQ-certified wool, the Zentera rebrand raises uncomfortable questions. Was the removal of the “ethical wool” claim a routine repositioning, or a quiet retreat from language that no longer withstands scrutiny?

Either way, the burden now falls on fashion labels, outdoor brands, and luxury houses using certified merino to explain what exactly they mean when they ask consumers to trust them.

Because if “ethical wool” can include animals who are, in PETA’s words, “kicked, punched, killed,” then the label may not mean much at all.

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Remember PETA? The group of animal activists that threw paint on fancy women wearing fur to shame them out of fox stoles and mink?

The same animal rights group – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – is once again finding targets for animal abuse and this time it’s H&M. PETA sent Green Prophet a press release that they are filing a shareholder resolution that asks the fashion giant to reinstate a ban on mohair, the fiber made from Angora goat hair.

“H&M can’t claim to care about animals while supporting the mohair industry, which mutilates, whips, and drags terrified goats to their deaths,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “The only humane materials are vegan, and PETA is calling on H&M to ban mohair immediately.”  

The move follows a new investigation by PETA Asia, which the group says shows goats being beaten, cut and left injured at farms certified under the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS), a certification system meant to ensure animal welfare in the supply chain. According to PETA, one of the farms investigated supplies fiber through BKB, one of the world’s largest mohair exporters and a partner to global apparel brands.

The dispute highlights a familiar cycle in the fashion industry. In 2018, H&M suspended the use of mohair after reviewing earlier undercover footage from farms in South Africa that appeared to show rough shearing practices and the slaughter of goats. The company later reintroduced mohair in 2020, saying it would only source the fiber from farms certified under the Responsible Mohair Standard.

“I struggle to understand the contradiction of PETA,” says Alexander Smith, the Founder of Alexander Night, London College of Fashion Bespoke, “they seem to go hard on animal welfare yet they give their PETA certificate to brands who use vegan (plastic) leather, polyester and other synthetic materials that in my opinion cause more harm to animals than the leather and fur industry because they harm every single life form on the planet and will continue to do so for the 100+ years they’re on it.”

PETA argues the certification does not adequately protect animals and is now using shareholder activism to push the issue back onto the company’s agenda. Shareholder resolutions are a tactic increasingly used by environmental and social campaigners to force companies to address ethical concerns at annual meetings.

Peta showed “12 South African farms that revealed goat kids crying out in fear as they were roughly handled and shorn, and a worker slowly cutting the throats of fully conscious goats with a dull knife and then breaking their necks.”

Mohair has long been prized by fashion brands for its soft, glossy fibers used in sweaters, scarves and luxury knits. But it has also become a target for animal welfare campaigns.

According to PETA, nearly 300 fashion retailers have banned mohair in recent years following investigations into the industry. Those companies include Zara, Gap, Banana Republic, UNIQLO and Ralph Lauren, among others.

The question is whether campaigns like this still carry the same influence they once did. In the late 2010s, PETA investigations helped push several fashion houses away from fur, angora wool and exotic skins, accelerating the rise of plant-based textiles and synthetic alternatives.

Today the debate is shifting toward sustainable materials, circular fashion and lower-carbon textiles, where animal welfare is only one piece of a larger environmental conversation.

If you want to shop sustainable fibers, try my favorite sweater maker babaa. I own 3 sweaters. Look for mohair in second hand shops or your grandma’s closet.  Want to get involved? Download this animal empathy kit and share it with your friends.

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Luxury fashion, which not only leads the street, but often follows, is getting into the repurpose market. It started with Levi’s teaching Gen Z how to repair their clothes, Emirates airplane seats into trolleys, and now Coach.

A new collaboration between luxury brand Coach and textile reuse pioneer Bank & Vogue attempts to stitch those two worlds together: high fashion and the global textile waste stream. Textiles from fast fashion brands are filling up landfill. So much of it is poorly made with low-cost materials that the fashion items can’t be reused or reloved. 

“This Coach collection is our love letter to denim and to American heritage pieces that only get better with time,” says Stuart Vevers, Creative Director at Coach.

“Made with post-consumer materials and re-crafted with intention, each piece is truly one of a kind, shaped by the stories it already holds and the ones you’ll add. There’s an honesty in these pieces; lived-in, love-worn, and full of character. Perfectly imperfect in all the ways we value. Guided by our imagination — and our commitment to reducing our impact on the planet.”

Developed in partnership with Bank & Vogue, a global leader in textile reuse and recycling, the capsule transforms reclaimed denim into distinctive, one-of-a-kind designs. Each garment embraces visible character and individuality, reinforcing Coach’s ongoing commitment to circular fashion and responsible design practices.

And this is where the story gets interesting for sustainability watchers: Bank & Vogue isn’t a marketing construct. It’s an actual node in the global used-clothing economy.

As co-founder of the Bank & Vogue family of companies, Steven Bethell has been a thought leader and pioneer in the post-consumer textile space for over 25 years. He has dedicated his work life to innovative and relevant solutions to the crisis of stuff. Steven and his team have traveled to over 30 countries working extensively amongst the robust second-hand markets of the world.

Steven is also the brainchild behind the largest remanufacturing plant in the world, where the circular economy for textiles is brought to life. Taking post-consumer waste and transforming it into relevant products, Steven works with big brands to help them bring their sustainability platforms to the next level.

Translation: the jeans you once donated to charity may travel continents before becoming luxury goods. Circular fashion isn’t just a design choice — it’s logistics, sorting, labour, and global material flows.

The Coach RePurposed capsule is now available in Coach stores and online.

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Fashion’s next material revolution may not come from a lab in Paris or Milan — but from the tides of the Red Sea. Along Saudi Arabia’s coastline, scientists, designers, and textile innovators are transforming Sargassum seaweed into a wearable fabric, turning a fast-growing marine biomass into a new generation of sustainable textile. The initiative, led by KAUST Beacon Development in collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission and PYRATEX, is part of a broader effort to rethink how fashion sources its raw materials.

The project was recently presented as the Red Sea Seaweed Textile, demonstrating how locally sourced algae can be converted into blended yarns and finished garments. Stella McCartney does it. So why not Saudis?

“This material represents a milestone in our mission to build a future-focused, sustainable fashion ecosystem in Saudi Arabia. It demonstrates how local resources, scientific excellence, and creative talent can come together to deliver solutions for the global fashion industry,” said Burak Çakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission.

KAUST’s role has been central. Its marine scientists studied the biochemical structure of Red Sea seaweed and developed responsible harvesting methods that preserve both the ecosystem and the algae’s functional properties.

An abaya made from seaweed?

“By researching the biochemical properties of Red Sea seaweed, we were able to integrate local algae species into an innovative blended yarn,” said Fiona Symes, COO of KAUST Beacon Development.

PYRATEX  then translated that biomass into textile form, blending the algae with Lyocell and organic cotton to produce a fabric that is breathable, traceable, and suitable for garment production. The Saudi Fashion Commission’s development studio produced complete garments from the material — not as conceptual pieces, but as real clothing.

Saudi Arabia’s fashion scene has been showing dynamic evolution. Recent runway shows in the Kingdom featured bathing suits in a historically very modest country.

These shows reflect a larger shift in how fashion in the Middle East engages global trends while honoring local sensibilities — moving beyond traditional expectations to embrace broader stylistic expressions that include functional, climate-appropriate swimwear alongside couture and everyday wear.

The seaweed fabric project reflects a growing shift across the fashion world. Designers such as Stella McCartney have long argued that sustainability cannot rely only on recycled synthetics or reduced harm. McCartney has repeatedly called for materials that are regenerative, ethical, and transparent — fibers that restore ecosystems rather than merely slow damage.

Luxury and performance brands alike are now experimenting with algae, mycelium, pineapple fiber, cactus leather, and agricultural waste. But what makes the Red Sea initiative distinctive is its regional grounding: a local marine resource transformed locally, with scientific validation and design integration.

Fashion is one of the most environmentally demanding industries on Earth, responsible for heavy water use, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions. Changing fabrics may seem small, but materials determine supply chains, farming practices, and waste streams.

Seaweed offers a radically different model. It grows without freshwater irrigation, fertilizers, or farmland. It absorbs carbon and regenerates rapidly. It does not compete with food systems. And it invites coastal stewardship rather than land exploitation.

For Saudi Arabia, this project also signals a broader narrative shift. The Kingdom is increasingly positioning itself not only as an energy producer, but as a knowledge and innovation economy — where science, sustainability, and culture intersect.

For fashion, the message is equally clear: the future of luxury will not be defined only by design houses, but by material intelligence. Garments made from seaweed may not replace cotton or polyester tomorrow. But they challenge designers, investors, and consumers to imagine clothing that begins in ecosystems rather than factories.

As Stella McCartney and other sustainability leaders have shown, fashion does not change when trends shift. It changes when materials do.

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Somewhere between TikTok hauls and next-day delivery, we forgot how to fix things. We forgot how to cook without an app and a pre-made box, grow food without a kit, and sew a button back onto a shirt without throwing the whole garment away. Clothing, once stitched with intention (my mother made her own dresses!), has become fast fashion and disposable. And with it, a quiet loss of skill, patience, and care.

Levi’s is trying to reverse that. The brand has launched a new program in high schools that teaches students how to repair, reinforce, and customize their own clothes. It’s a small intervention with big implications.

“At Levi Strauss & Co., we’ve spent more than 170 years designing clothes to be worn and loved for as long as possible. The Levi’s® Wear Longer Project builds on that legacy by giving young people the confidence and tools to extend the life of what they already own,” said Michelle Gass, President and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co. “By building up repair skills within the next generation and emphasizing the idea of durability, we’re helping spark a culture of creativity, sustainability, and pride in taking care of the things we value.”

The idea isn’t new. Many of us remember clothing swaps, community repair nights, and the early sustainability movement that made secondhand feel rebellious and smart. It carried the same spirit as freecycle and the pop-ups that would help women repair their clothes — spaces where fashion stopped being about perfection and started being about longevity. We also love it when people in big cities put clothes out on park benches. Nothing like finding a haul of cosy clothes.

For years, knitting circles, stitch-and-bitch nights, and repair cafés were quietly led by women in their 30s, 40s, and beyond. They weren’t trying to start trends. They were trying to make things last and they enjoyed creating and being together. Now, that knowledge is finally being passed to a generation that understands waste instinctively, but often lacks the tools to act on it.

In the 2010s, greening your wardrobe was pretty easy. But Gen Z doesn’t just want sustainability slogans. They want agency. My daughter is a Gen Z and she can repair jeans with a sewing machine, she can crochet a hat and halter top and she make a bag. Learning how to patch denim, reinforce seams, and turn damage into design gives young people something rare: control over consumption.

“Every year, millions of wearable garments end up in landfills, many taking centuries to decompose. By teaching repair, customization, and sustainable care, the Wear Longer Project interrupts that cycle,” said Alexis Bechtol, director of Community Affairs at Levi Strauss & Co.

Created with Discovery Education, the Levi’s Wear Longer Project brings clothing repair back into the classroom — not as a hobby, but as a core life skill. Through free lesson plans, teacher toolkits, and hands-on workshops, students learn how to sew, hem, patch, and redesign their clothes. The materials are built to fit directly into existing high-school programs for grades nine to twelve, making repair part of everyday learning rather than an after-school afterthought.

New research commissioned by Levi’s found that 41% of Gen Z lack any clothing repair or customization skills — from altering a hem to sewing a custom patch —  compared to less than 25% of older generations who often learned these skills at home or in school. However, 35% of Gen Z say they would keep their clothing for longer if they knew how to alter or repair them. 

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Gen Z may lead the way in thrifting, swapping, and upcycling, but nearly half of those surveyed admitted they don’t know how to fix their clothes. Without repair skills, even the most circular fashion habits eventually collapse back into waste. The company argues that sustainability only works when durability is personal. Knowing how to extend the life of a garment is what turns environmental intention into real impact. Without that knowledge, circular fashion remains a theory instead of a practice.

In other words: you can love second-hand clothes all you want — but if you can’t repair them, they still end up in the bin.

The Levi’s Wear Longer Project is supported by a practical set of classroom-ready repair guides that make sustainability tangible, not theoretical. Students learn how to sew on buttons, hem clothing, patch holes, and fix tears through step-by-step facilitator and student guides designed for hands-on learning. Teachers can find the guides here –– with a version for students and one for teachers.

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There is something disarming about a company that publishes what didn’t work. I first came across this approach at startup events called FailCon, where high-tech founders would bare all and tell people about the mistakes of their lives — money they lost, lives they crushed. And we loved them more for it. Because for every company that works, there are probably a thousand that don’t.

Vivobarefoot, the shoe company taking on Nike and Adidas by turning technology inward — into the people who wear their shoes rather than external gels, soles, and supports — has made failure part of its annual reporting. You can find it laid out plainly in the Unfinished Business Report 2025, an integrated annual report that reads more like a working notebook.

Vivobarefoot is not a public company. There are no quarterly earnings calls to perform for, so they don’t need to do this. The business remains majority owned by the Clark family, with founders Galahad Clark and Asher Clark retaining control. A minority investment from Sofina Group provides patient capital, alongside a long-standing manufacturing partner and a small group of Crowdcube investors. That structure matters. It explains why this report can afford to be honest.

The report is clear about where things fell short. A strong women’s campaign delivered more than 11% growth but left men’s sales down 1% year-on-year, a reminder that focus can also create imbalance. VivoBiome, the much-celebrated scan-to-print footwear initiative, generated awards and media attention, but scanning and production bottlenecks limited volumes and sales.

There were also product issues, including waterproofing and bonding failures in the Tracker Low and High boots, now fixed, and persistent stock availability problems that meant customers often couldn’t get the styles they wanted. None of this is dramatized. It’s presented as information — signals from the system.

What sits alongside these limitations is slower, less flashy progress. ReVivo, Vivobarefoot’s resale and repair platform, now accounts for up to 15% of sales. More than 63,000 pairs were repaired or refurbished this year. During Repair Week, demand overwhelmed expectations — queues outside stores, thousands of repairs booked in days.

Financially, the company grew to £91.4 million in revenue, sold 1.2 million pairs, and maintained a B Corp score of 119.3. But the report resists the idea that regeneration can ever be “done.” Growth is treated as something fragile — easily undone by logistics, incentives, or execution. The company has also published reports by human resources which show a 7.5 happiness rating for employees.

I’ll add a small personal note. Early this year, Vivobarefoot sent us a pair of wool barefoot shoes. I didn’t love them at first. They felt less stable than the ones I’ve bought over the years with laces. (I run in barefoot shoes too). The soles, padded with a rubber/cork composite, irritated my feet in a way that felt like a warm tingling. Then, gradually when I was in Berlin in the fall, I started wearing them as an every day shoe. Somewhere along the way, they became the shoes I reach for every morning. The weather has something to do with it.

Vivobarefoot doesn’t promise instant transformation — of bodies, businesses, or systems. They even suggest that when you buy their shoes wear them at increments until you get used to them. Your better posture should come from within, not given to you by an inflexible sole and the security of a cushioned heel.

Unfinished Business 2025 offers a blueprint for companies people want to support and work for: a company willing to stay with discomfort, to publish what didn’t work and what does.

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One of the things I regret in my life is not buying a pair of Stella McCartney mushroom leather shoes at a TJ Max shop in Berlin. The price was within reach and they looked and felt so sturdy and iconic. All of us may have more chances to dance in sustainable style as Stella McCartney, the sustainable fashion icon and daughter of Paul McCartney, is working again with the fast fashion label H&M. Fast fashion, Zara, Shein, Mango and COS, show us that they aren’t going anywhere. What we can do is when we shop at these international chains is choose sustainable choices over those made from synthetics that leak microplastics.

“I’m excited to reunite with H&M after 20 years since our first collaboration. Reworking pieces from my archive brought back so much energy and joy. This second partnership feels like a chance to look at how far we’ve come on sustainability, cruelty-free practices and conscious design – and to stay honest about how far we still have to go—together.

Related: make mushroom paper and leather

“I am thrilled to have H&M join me on this road, real change only happens when we push from both the outside and the inside, and I’ve always believed in infiltrating from within to move the industry forward,” said Stella in a press announcement.

Stella not only delivers fashion, she’s the first of the big brands to actually integrate fungus, and plant-based plastics into her pieces, runways and collections. With Balena, she chose the Israeli biodegradable plastic company for her running shoes, she’s worked with cinnamon waste in these biodregadable shoes. And she uses a mushroom based leather for her fashion pieces in clothing and footwear.

What’s the plan with H&M? The collection isn’t launched yet but let’s hope it will be bold.

H&M’s Creative Advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson (pictured above) said: “Stella’s designs have changed the course of fashion history: they championed sustainable practices long before that conversation became mainstream.

“Her work is always joyful, playful, energetic.”

The Stella McCartney H&M collection will launch in stores and online in Spring 2026. The collection will feature certified, responsible materials – many of which are recycled – showcasing examples of alternatives for conventional fabrics and textiles.

This announcement comes 20 years since McCartney’s first collection for the label where they celebrated sustainability, cruelty-free practices and conscious designs. We can’t wait to preview the collection soon!

::Stella McCartney and sustainability

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