The world of fashion continues to face scrutiny. Fast fashion – rapid production and consumption cycles and marketing tactics that encourage impulsive buying, steering consumers toward pieces that don't last more than a season – is one culprit.

Greenpeace activists calling to end fast fashion.

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Building a sustainable, long-term commercial system within fashion is complex. Companies must balance environmental responsibility and financial viability. Supply chain transparency (ethical sourcing and production) is tough to maintain in an increasingly globalized system, where the designing company is far from the factory, raw material supplier, or recycling facility, making oversight even harder.

Slow fashion has another problem – it's rarely sexy. As misconceptions and greenwashing abound, purchasing options become difficult to decipher. In the past, sustainable fashion could mean high price tags and limited choices. Companies must look beyond the Greenpeace, mother earth angle and cultivate a fresh, distinct mindset. Brand story and business strategy go hand in hand. Embrace cost-saving benefits in the long term – reduce energy consumption and reinvest in the overall economy. If workers are local and paid a fair wage, it's likely they will spend more, giving them the power to invest.

The philosophy behind reuse, recycle, and compost is called the circular economy. A fascinating blend of traditional methods and green technological advancements will likely carry us through the next wave of progress. Imagine a world where we are able to reuse waste on a massive scale, capturing pollutants and turning them into energy rather than biodiversity killers.

With some runway fashion houses dialing back circularity plans or failing to meet targets, it falls increasingly to independent brands, government regulators, and non-profit groups to lead the way.

Shein, the mega distributor known for bargain-bin prices on new styles, questionable ethics, and daily drops is ignoring consumer protection laws according to the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network. They are accused of pushing fake discounts and providing deceptive or false information about the sustainability of their products. France's government took action, passing a bill that enforces environmental surcharges on fast fashion, restricts marketing, and attempts to improve operational environmental transparency.

Individually packaged Shein garments illustrate the scale and waste of ultra fast fashion.

The Intersection of Sustainable Fashion and Art

Art and fashion have always entwined. The annual Met Gala is one example, bringing celebrated artists and emerging designers together, surrounded by fine art. While recent trends focused on upcycled and vintage styles, the event has faced criticism for a lack of sustainable designs in the past. Stella McCartney expressed her frustration with the industry's seemingly oblivious attitude to The Guardian in 2017, saying it's "incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed at least 11 million tons of waste from these sectors head to landfills in the US each year alone.

It's exciting to see the level of creativity that comes with striking pieces that sparkle on the runway, but what about consumers who crave ready-to-wear, eye-catching styles that feel comfortable at the office or coffee shop? The challenge: marry design and utility to affordability with little environmental impact. It's much easier to produce a limited-run capsule collection using deadstock or repurposed fabric than it is to develop full apparel lines with thread sourced ethically and fabrics developed with intent.

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How Sustainable Fashion Brands Can Weave the Maker’s Story into Their Brand Narrative

Storytelling is a powerful tool. Sharing your entire production story from raw material to transportation, energy use, and packaging. Understanding the complete development process, from material sourcing to transportation, is key. Translate the lifecycle of your product into a story that educates and inspires the consumer.

Go beyond static images. Pop-ups, collaborations, and interactive experiences that highlight how items are produced, the people involved in the journey, and stats explaining why these choices are environmentally friendly. By showing the value behind each mini-story in an engaging way, you give the consumer a chance to connect. Share a compelling narrative that leaves your customer ready to buy a wardrobe staple they will want to reach for every week.

Each story needs to translate cohesively across marketing channels. End-to-end campaigns ideated around a strong theme, built-into your brand from day one. Keep messaging simple and creative.

Let's break it down.

Craftsmanship and Ethical Commitment

• Fair and ethical: low wages, long hours, and unsafe working conditions face many of the 75 million plus employed in the garment industry – affecting women and children predominantly, women accounting for over 60% of the workforce according to the International Labour Organization.

• Keep your mission in accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goals, like ensuring sustainable production patterns.

• Learn from traditional and low-impact textile techniques. There is opportunity to preserve both cultural heritage and environmental health while investing in local communities when operating outside of first-world countries. Pursuing craftsmanship and process over a quick return minimizes human and environmental costs.

How to do this: Vet the facility in person or use factories and recycling facilities close to where you work. It's often overlooked, but NYC isn't just a design hub, it's a manufacturing center too! Many cities offer tax breaks, grants, and other financial incentives for producing locally, so consider looking into that as well.

Rolled denim in different shades of blue, evoking recycled and upcycled jeans.

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Limiting Waste and Resource Usage

•  Chemical use in the manufacturing process is one of the leading causes of waterway pollution. Dyes and fabric treatments sometimes contain toxins that are flushed into local rivers and creeks. Waterless dying, skipping the whitening process, and digital printing help reduce this – inks made from algae and environmentally neutral ingredients are gaining popularity. Pesticides used during growing are contributors as well, which highlights the urgent need to transition to organic agriculture. Finding ways to filter and reuse water using clean energy should be a priority, as tech improves. New research finds rosemary wax could be a viable waterproofing alternative to chemical-based resins. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and OKEO-TEX certifications assist in establishing a certain amount of transparency in this category.

•  Reducing the amount of fabric scrap generated on the production line. It's difficult to adhere to a zero-waste model, but finding ways to recycle or reuse the leftovers is possible.

• The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates the textile industry contributes "...more than international flights and maritime shipping combined" to greenhouse gas emissions. Consider how much fuel is needed in each step, from harvesting organic crops to recycling polyester. Transportation, servers for e-commerce stores – there are so many energy-intensive points throughout the chain.

How to do this: There are numerous ways to cut back on energy use or make better choices.

Looking for suppliers/growers that farm organically or are already certified is step one.

If you aren't using natural fiber, partnering with a company or that that produces a durable recycled material would be best. Experimenting with ways to repurpose scrap yourself is ideal – and may be profitable if you turn it into new product.

Fabric and Material Choice

• How will the product be reused at the end of its lifecycle? Take into account that some fabrics can be broken down with fewer chemicals and less stress to the environment. Another advantage: single fiber organics like cotton and hemp are also biodegradable.

• Blended textiles, sometimes made with petrochemicals, can be challenging to recycle. Separating the fibers is difficult due to their molecular makeup. Previously, this required even more exposure to harsh chemicals, but new methods like hydrothermal treatment show promise without the need. Instead of turning hard to treat material into new clothing (fiber-to-fiber recycling), it would become lower-grade non-wearables such as decor, cleaning products, or insulation.

• Circulose has collaborated with known designers and indie brands to manufacture new garments with 100% recycled material.

• Innovative materials like mushroom leather (mycelium), Tencel, and synthetics made from reclaimed fish nets are a few examples of how far we've come in finding eco-friendly solutions. Pineapple leaves can even substitute shoe leather. O2 Monde is a shoe and accessories brand on the cutting edge.They source not only from pineapple – but plant remnants discarded after the wine making process, cactus leaves, and orange byproduct. Using pineapple fiber to produce wearables is nothing new. At least as far back as the 1800s, people indigenous to the Philippines were weaving shirts using this type of thread.

Gold heels made with pineapple-based Piñatex, a plant-based alternative to leather.

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• CirculART, a project of Cittadellarte–Fondazione Pistoletto and parent of Cashwool, advocates circularity and new approaches to supply chain issues, giving designers space to explore techniques and perspectives on how to reuse. Cashwool promotes the idea that merino wool can be a year-round fabric, even in warm climates. These products are a far cry from the wool swimming suits of the 19th century. Modern technology is ushering in a new generation of performance fabric. Yarn treated with H2DRY is said to be 7% more breathable, and wool is regenerative with a low environmental impact.

 Cashwool beanie by BUYAN, designed and manufactured in Mongolia.

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How to do this: Sometimes, you won't be able to source a ready-made, dyed fabric to suit your needs. Turn this potential setback into an opportunity and work directly with a mill to develop your own fabric. Material innovation gives you more control over the process and brings exclusivity to your finished collection. Making this an integral part of your brand voice can help emphasise why your product is better – giving you a competitive edge.

Manufacturing, Tech, and Forecasting: Emphasizing Quality Over Quantity

• Technology can improve the workflow and supply chain efficiency dramatically. Print-on-demand manufacturing (POD) allows businesses to keep costs low and eliminates the need for massive inventory levels, reducing the amount of scrap and manufacturing waste.

• Designers must take an active role in the process as well, working the functional disassembly of the end product into every piece––consider fabric that is not only created sustainably, but easily repurposed or broken down, melding with the circular ideology. Refashion, a software program developed by MIT CSAIL and Adobe, is taking this approach by encouraging designers to think modularly. 

• Understanding your supply chain holistically is crucial to planning and growth. AI, blockchain, and forecasting tools can assist, and several companies offer internationally recognized certifications. Positive Luxury, an EU-based platform designed to help businesses self-assess and map sustainability goals along with their partners, has a suite of services including the Butterfly Certification and Digital Product Passport guidance. The DPP, part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, will become mandatory in 2026 for most brands within the eurozone. The new rules hope to increase transparency and accountability.  

Bluesign measures the social and environmental footprint of brands and offers a level of assurance to consumers, while Fairtrade and B Corp oversee multiple industries.

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Incorporating Circularity: Reuse and Recycle Programs

• Estimates suggest roughly 20% of discarded textiles are collected for reuse or recycling. If we hope to increase that number, we need to take inspiration from cultures around the world. In Japan, the Boro technique was used for hundreds of years to artistically repair heavy-wear items by layering strips of discarded fabric. Playing again on the theme of modularity – Japanese kimonos for children were designed with extra fabric tucked into pleats, then let out when necessary, rather than restitching or replacing. 

• Many companies are aiming to cut landfill waste by implementing in-house recycling programs, like Levi's and Patagonia. Patagonia is a pioneer in making sustainability a part of its brand story. The recent “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign takes a creative approach to advertising, asking potential customers to evaluate their habits while encouraging use of the repair service.

Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign, encouraging consumers to buy less and repair more.

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• The Recommerce Caucus, launched by US Congressional representatives in 2025, aims to support sellers of pre-owned items, at both a state and federal level, encouraging circularity. It won the approval of e-seller platforms like eBay and Poshmark. Recommerce is expected to reach $1 trillion globally by 2035.

How to do this: Make sure your customers have easy access to the info. If you can handle all of the reuse/recycle in house, go for it. If not, encourage customers to take ownership on your website, socials, and email – where they can resell or recycle with trusted partners.

A Sustainable Fashion Future: From Storytelling to Circularity

It's important to remember that most brands aren't going to check every box, at least not initially. Sustainability is an evolution, and there isn't always clear consensus on what counts as progress. Paraphrasing a member of Eileen Fisher's sustainability team, it's difficult to prioritize what will make the most significant impact. Is keeping waterways clean and air pollutant-free more important than fair wages? That's not a call most thought leaders are anxious to make. New materials bring concerns over durability, which sounds another question: If the product wears faster, is it truly more sustainable?

The struggle for consumers remains – many consider themselves conscious of their choices, with an interest in shopping sustainably, but less than half actually follow through consistently. Share data you've gathered with your audience so they can understand the impact they are making, the time and effort involved in finishing each piece, the true cost of production, and importance of closing the loop.

The push for positive impact needs to come from brands and purchasers alike. Supporting local industry and recycling programs is crucial, as partnerships with like-minded businesses and NGOs can help curb the financial burden for independent businesses and reinforce the concept of circularity as a lifestyle. But it doesn’t end there. Each piece of clothing carries the story of its creation, the artisans involved, and the communities impacted by the brand's practices.

Readers Are Not Your Soulmate (and That’s Okay)

Let me tell you a memory. I was once enrolled in a course that focused on creative writing. I wrote a story about a couple breaking up and read it loudly in the class like its BBC radio theatre. It was about a couple who, after spending a night at a hotel, argued and broke up.

A woman from the class came to me and asked with sad eyes:

‘I hope you feel better now.’

I didn’t understand. I said:

‘Sorry, I don’t understand.’

She looked sorry.

‘Your boyfriend... I'm sorry. These things happen.’

I found it a very weird moment because it was based on imagination and I didn’t have a boyfriend. That was just a story.

I said:

‘No, it was just fiction. I created the character.’

'Of course,' she said, hugging me. 'Denial is normal.'

She didn't believe that and thought that actually had a breaking up process.

The following week, when she came, she asked, ‘How is it going?’

I decided to let her believe what she wanted to and replied,

‘Yes, it was the worst break up ever...’

She patted my shoulder and looked at my eyes and said.

''I believe you'll forget him and be happy.''

It's impossible to be understood by everyone. Writers secretly dream of finding the one: the mythical reader who will completely understand their work and nod wisely in agreement, perhaps even whispering, 'Genius'. But writers rarely think the same way because it can be completely different.

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Writing romance: you don't need a typewriter or red or pink roses

You know those antique enthusiasts. I was one of them. When I got my first typewriter, I had big dreams. I wanted it so much. The feeling of touching and smelling it was wonderful. It really is a great feeling. Retro typewriters can be very charming and decorative. Some writers still prefer them. However, I soon realised that although the typewriter looked fabulous on my desk, it mostly served as a very loud paperweight. It didn't help me write at all, in fact it slowed me down.

I know people who still reject e-books and audiobooks. There is beauty in keeping traditions alive. For example, you could enjoy using fountain pens as part of an evening ritual at home. However, let's not confuse the image of the writer with the act of writing itself. Sometimes, we surrender to the image of the writer that we create in our minds.

An expensive notebook? The more expensive the notebook, the more anxiety you may feel because you've already made the investment and your mind may be expecting a return. It's as if buying a luxury pen means your writing must win a Nobel Prize.

Write where you are. Use what you have. You don't need a special pen or a Moleskine notebook. Just write somewhere. It could be a small piece of paper, the notes section of your mobile phone or even the back of a receipt, it doesn't matter. Creativity is a living, spontaneous and fluid process. Let it flow and keep going!

Ah, yes: the desk. A sacred temple. A temple to productivity. But it's also the place where dreams go to die, buried under mountains of unpaid bills and abandoned teacups.

Your writing spot is wherever your soul stops sighing: a café, a forest. A forest. A train. Desks are fine, too. But so is the floor. Or even the top of a fridge. This is especially true if you're trying to hide from your responsibilities.

Some people prefer crowded, noisy places such as city centre cafés, while others prefer silence. Some people love nature, while others love writing while walking or travelling by train. Our creative space is also our safe place. There are sacred times. It's just you and your work. Don’t limit yourself.

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Wake up at 4 a.m. to be productive

Mornings are productive. I work in the mornings. But it is not for everyone. You can be productive whenever you want. Look at writers and artists — they make good use of the morning. They enjoy the peace and quiet and the clarity of mind that come with it.

Remember that everyone has their own most productive times, so never force yourself to do anything. We're not looking for hardship and pain, but for fun and discovery. Life is hard enough. So please don't make it harder and let your creativity flow!

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Writing Gym: Working Every Day Myth

Sometimes you feel really exhausted. It's as if everything is falling apart. But it just doesn't happen. I stopped fighting those nights a long time ago. I’ve learned to accept things as they are and just go to sleep.

We're not machines. It's not good to push yourself too hard when you're trying to be creative. But if you really have to meet a deadline the next day, at least give yourself some space. Go for a coffee or a walk. Or go to bed early and get up early.

We work very hard. Sometimes we need to stop and rest.

A few years ago, I confessed to a man that I was struggling to finish my novel. He said, 'Have you tried squatting?' 'As in... an actual squat?' I asked. 'Weak glutes kill creativity.'

I remained silent, confidently establishing a link between my novel character and my glutes. He continued. 'You must follow a protein-rich diet. Tell me what you eat for breakfast. Come on. Balzac drank 50 cups of coffee every day. Sometimes, he didn’t even bother brewing it. He would eat spoonfuls of ground coffee straight from the tin.'

Welcome to the writer's gym! You don't need a membership.

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Never ask permission to write

Many writers feel guilty during the day because we feel like we always have to be doing something to earn money.

While no one can deny that we need money, you don’t have to earn a living through art – it’s your birthright. You have the right to create art and set aside time for writing without asking permission.

This is why we prioritise other tasks and then realise at 1 am that we have no time left for writing or art. We then feel drained and sleepy. We decide to do it tomorrow, which leads us into a cycle of procrastination.

You can prioritise your writing or art. Even if it's just 20 minutes in the morning, do it! Because that means you don’t need anyone’s permission.

It will make you feel powerful and more connected.

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What you write is... Basically poop!

Let's just say it: Someone needs to tell you the truth before you name your cat Kafka and submit another haiku to The Paris Review.

Psychoanalytically speaking, your first piece of writing — your masterpiece, your magnum opus, your artistic explosion — is excrement.

This isn't an insult. It's Freudian theory.

Acording to Freud, poop is the first production we proud of and all other products we have are just symbolises this process.

It's true. The first thing you created was raw, embarrassing and important to you: your poo. Like a proud toddler, you expect the world to say, 'Oh wow! That’s magnificent!'

But that's the point. You have to make a mess at the beginning before anything beautiful can emerge.

No one skips this stage. Not even Kafka did. Nor did Virginia Woolf. Dostoyevsky probably wrote silly jokes too, hoping that no one would find them.

So here’s the rule: do the messy work first, then polish it up later.

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Stop Comparing Your Writing to Dead Geniuses

Reading Dostoevsky while writing your first story is like comparing your home kitchen to a five-star restaurant. Of course it doesn't measure up. One has a literary empire. The other has one functioning spoon.

Don't compare your first manuscript to Kafka's. Did you know that Kafka asked his friend Max Brod to burn his work? Yet here we are, quoting him.

What was he thinking when he gave his work to Max Brod? And what was Max Brod thinking? Was it a good idea? Fortunately, that’s not the case this time. All of Kafka’s books are being turned into five-part articles on Medium, and subscribers will receive weekly newsletters from him.

Personally, I wouldn't want an email from Kafka every week.

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Bonus: The Writer’s Scarf and Other Useless Props

People will tell you a scarf gives you a genius look. What they don't tell you is that the scarf will not do all the work while you sit there.

Here’s what writers actually need to know:

1.     Not everyone will love your work. If this is the case that’s quite good. Dictators get 100% approval.

2.     Your audience exists somewhere. You just need to find them. Maybe they are in a forest, or on a spaceship, but hopefully not that far and in your neighbourhood.

3.     Rejection letters are free therapy with better prose. Enjoy the long and deep sentences.

4.     If readers feel anything at all, even anger, congratulations, you've connected.

5.     Keep creating. Remember, you can’t edit a blank page, but you can accessorise it with a nice scarf.

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Writing doesn’t start with perfection – it starts with showing up, staying curious, and letting yourself be a beginner. If this helped you take even one small step towards the page, stay tuned: we’ll be sharing more articles for writers soon, from building a routine to surviving rejection with your sense of humour intact.

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