Latest news with #fashionindustry
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Manitoban recalls horrors of Bangladesh garment factories
Itrat Anwar recalls the "unbearable conditions" behind the fast fashion industry. He witnessed workers' suffering at Bangladeshi factories before he decided he could no longer be part of the system.
Forbes
22-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Heat Stress Is Fashion's Hidden Human Rights Crisis
A garment factory in SE Asia As global temperatures climb, the fashion industry finds itself at the epicenter of an unacknowledged humanitarian crisis. Heat stress which is the condition where the body cannot maintain a safe temperature due to prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity, is now one of the most dangerous and underreported threats facing garment workers. It can lead to dehydration, heatstroke, organ damage, and even death. While climate reports focus on emissions and decarbonization targets, workers across India, Turkey, and China are quietly enduring another brutal summer. When The Fashion Factory Floor Becomes the Frontline of Climate Impact In 2023 India experienced a searing heat wave, during which parts of the country reached more than 49°C (120°F). Turkey recorded its hottest summer ever in 2024, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C (104°F). Yet the industry's demands did not pause and factory lines moved on, orders were fulfilled, and deadlines met. The dominant logic of global supply chains is often referred to as the 'race to the bottom' and it pushes brands to seek the lowest costs, cascading pressure down to suppliers and ultimately to the workers. That pressure manifests not just in low wages or excessive hours, but in an unrelenting demand for productivity, even as factories become furnaces. When workers are expected to perform under conditions that cause dehydration, fainting, and long-term illness, it is not just discomfort, but a form of abuse. 'Heat isn't just a climate issue,' notes activist Nandita. 'It's a growing public health crisis, driven by fashion brands' relentless pursuit of profit at any cost.' The fashion industry's sustainability rhetoric has climate pledges and carbon neutrality claims and often fails to account for human cost. Research from Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union reveals that operational efficiency and cost-cutting practices have made conditions worse, not better, for the people at the bottom of the chain. These are not unfortunate side effects; they are unfortunately baked into the model. 'Most of my members can't even afford to buy a small fan during a heatwave,' says Thivya of TTCU. 'We've had workers faint on the shop floor during 43–45°C heat. Still, brands refuse to involve unions or listen to workers when designing solutions.' Sustainability Must Extend Beyond Emissions to Include People On Fashion Frontlines Workers, especially women in the Global South, are bearing the brunt of both climate breakdown and economic exploitation, yet their voices remain excluded from strategy meetings and ESG panels. Unions are dismissed as 'non-experts,' and the systems of accountability which include third-party audits, rarely engage them directly. 'Dear fashion executives and policy makers,' urges Dr. Hakan Karaosman, 'let's leave your air-conditioned offices and go to the factories... We cannot tackle heat stress with top-down interventions.' If climate action continues to ignore labor conditions, it is not just incomplete as garment workers are not just casualties of warming, they are a part of the warning system. Heat stress is an urgent reminder that climate resilience in the fashion industry must include the people who make its products. As global temperatures rise, protecting worker wellbeing can no longer be viewed as separate from environmental goals. Addressing heat stress through inclusive strategies and worker-informed solutions is not just a matter of ethics, but of long-term sustainability. A truly responsible industry is one that values both the planet and the people behind the clothes.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why CEO Pay Is Always Moving Higher in Fashion — and Corporate America
Life in the corner office might be full of ups and downs — but when it comes to the multimillion-dollar pay packages corporate chiefs get, it's mostly up. WWD's annual pay study looked at nearly 50 of the largest publicly traded companies with fashion-industry ties and found 25 executives who logged pay packages valued at more than $10 million in 2024. More from WWD Cynthia Erivo in Ralph Lauren, Lily Collins in Stella Jean and More Striped Looks at 2025 Wimbledon Joey King Puts a Breezy Summer Twist on Wimbledon Style in Ralph Lauren's Braided Barely There Sandals Prime Day 2025 Went Bigger on Discounts for Fewer Products It is an exercise that, this year at least, cast a spotlight on the people in charge of the sector-leading giants. David Simon, chairman, chief executive officer and president of Simon Property Group — the dominant U.S. luxury mall owner — led the list with a stock-heavy package valued at $61.3 million. And the rest of the top five included heavyweights in their own fields, including Amazon CEO of worldwide stores Doug Herrington (with a package valued at $34.1 million), Walmart CEO Doug McMillon ($27.4 million), Ralph Lauren Corp. executive chairman and chief creative officer Ralph Lauren ($24.1 million) and TJX Cos. Inc. CEO Ernie Herrman ($23.4 million). All together, the — let's say Golden 25 — were paid $485 million last year, on top of the $393 million they made in 2023 — that's a 23.5 percent increase for the tip of the U.S. fashion pay pyramid. Much of that two-year take of $878 million is money that exists only theoretically. That's because executive pay includes oodles of stock and option awards that only pay off if the company's shares perform and targets are met. And there's really no telling how much CEOs and top executives ultimately take home once all the options are cashed in. But with a top-line figure approaching $500 million for just the top 25 earners last year, the answer would seem to be 'enough.' Even so, CEOs carry a lot of responsibility, traveling ceaselessly and coming under constant scrutiny while navigating what is currently a very dicey consumer market. 'Their jobs and what they get paid for is to keep the ship on course, but to also instill not only a positive corporate culture, but enthusiasm and inventiveness,' said Elaine Hughes, board adviser and former CEO of search firm E.A. Hughes & Co. 'Their biggest challenge is, in the past 10 years since technology has literally upended communication — how do you harness that [new technology] to enhance your brand?' Hughes said. 'The other big issue is supply chain, and this was long before [trade war] tariffs were put into place. Even one of those CEOs knows it's not like the old days where everyone rushes to China. Now it's global sourcing.' Executive pay stirs up a range of emotions — most often envy and outrage from outside and, on the inside, frustration from CEOs and board members setting their pay that compensation reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission doesn't reflect take home pay and is tied to the performance of the company. Any leadership rundown in U.S. business also underscores a continuing lack of diversity with white men holding most of the top jobs and therefore gaining most of the sweet rewards. And while the fortunes of brands and retailers go up and down, CEO pay seems to keep going higher. Twenty years ago, Simon made only $814,179 while building his mall company, no one at Amazon made more than $8 million and Walmart's CEO registered pay of just over $12 million. Lauren logged more than $17.8 million in compensation in 2004. But the CEO of TJX at the time made less than $3 million. The job of running all of those businesses has only become more complex over the last two decades, but CEO compensation has been on a kind of steady march higher in part to how corporate boards set pay. The process starts with a review of compensation at a company's peers. Wanting to run with the pack, boards then look to set the pay for their CEO at the median of that group for the following year. That gives the appearance that they're targeting a kind of market-decided middle. But going for the median skews pay over time. 'Invariably, that's just going to push that median up and up because by definition, when you're targeting the median, half of the companies should be higher and half should be lower,' said Roy Saliba, managing director at ISS-Corporate, the Rockville, Md., data and analytics provider. 'But if everyone is doing the median, then over time, that just continues to creep up.' So some of the increase in CEO pay packages is 'mechanical,' according to Saliba, 'but some of it is really just related to performance. As companies grow, you expect pay to grow for the position. And then the question always is — is it appropriate? 'Is the increase appropriate relative to the performance that the company is delivering?' he said. 'There's no simple answer to that question.' But Saliba did have a way to start: By stacking the change in CEO pay against their company's total shareholder return. ISS analyzed 151 fashion and related companies in the Russell 3000, looking only at CEOs who had been in the top job for at least the last two years. The study found that median CEO pay rose 6.3 percent to $8.2 million last year. Looking at the medians, salaries were up 2 percent, bonuses were generally flat, stock awards rose 6.2 percent and options, when granted, increased by 2.9 percent. Against that, the stock market performance of the companies resulted in an 8.9 percent increase in total shareholder return. So shareholder return grew slightly faster than pay last year, giving the growth rates a certain symmetry. That leaves just the raw size of the typical CEO pay package, which boards, employees, competitors, customers and everyone else still has to get their head around. Best of WWD Harvey Nichols Sees Sales Dip, Losses Widen in Year Marred by Closures Nike Logs $1.3 Billion Profit, But Supply Chain Issues Persist Zegna Shares Start Trading on New York Stock Exchange
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New guides aim to help apparel brands cut microfibre pollution
Titled "Reducing Microfiber Pollution: An Industry Playbook", the playbook offers a collection of scientifically grounded, cost-effective strategies that can be readily integrated into brand operations to minimise the release of microfibres. Microfibres, which are minuscule particles that detach from clothing during various stages such as washing, production, wear, drying, and disposal, represent a notable source of pollution. They affect oceans, agricultural lands, wildlife, air quality, drinking water, and even human health. The 5 Gyres Institute science & innovation director Dr Lisa Erdle said: 'Mostly invisible to the eye but widespread in our ecosystems, microfibre pollution is an emerging environmental challenge, and something we've seen the fashion industry grapple with. 'Our guides provide brands with the practical, science-backed tools they need to take immediate and effective actions that have a big impact in reducing microfibre shedding.' The guides provide a suite of practical solutions for brands to implement throughout the textile supply chain. This includes guidance on garment design, material sourcing, and manufacturing processes. Audience-specific guides in the playbook Design Solutions: Targets designers and developers and offers alternatives for fibres, yarns, and construction methods. Sourcing Practices: Directed at sourcing professionals and provides tools for supplier engagement and recommendations for material libraries. Manufacturing Interventions: Caters to production teams with suggestions on filtration enhancements and washing and finishing techniques. The Nature Conservancy plastic project director Patrick Journey said: 'The main barrier to addressing microfibre pollution is that brands, designers, and suppliers aren't always aware of the many solutions that can be implemented. These guides shed light on the key levers for impact, which, if scaled across the industry, could turn the tide on this growing conservation crisis.' "New guides aim to help apparel brands cut microfibre pollution" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A designer dressed Chappell Roan with seaweed. But don't expect to find the approach in stores — yet
At her kitchen stove, fashion designer Caroline Zimbalist looks like an alchemist at work as she stirs a pot full of corn starch and a thickener made from seaweed. The peppermint-scented mixture glitters as she carefully pours it into silicone molds of hearts and leaves. When the material hardens, Zimbalist will stitch it into unique, made-to-order dresses that she sells on her website. She hopes her designs, which have been worn by celebrities including Chappell Roan, will put a spotlight on materials that aren't sourced from planet-polluting fossil fuels, such as oil. 'It's almost like a vessel to show the world,' she said. Other small-scale designers are testing out tapioca, gelatin and other kitchen-shelf ingredients. Meanwhile, big names such as Adidas and Hermes have experimented with mushroom leather, while the Lycra brand is incorporating a new largely corn-based material into stretch fabric. Some experts are skeptical that these textiles — commonly referred to as biomaterials — will go mainstream, but designers such as Zimbalist hope their experiments will set an example for larger brands to follow. Over 60% of clothing comes from petroleum-based synthetics like polyester, according to Textile Exchange, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable fashion. Manufacturing those materials creates emissions. Synthetic garments can also shed microplastics during washing. And as fast-fashion brands pump out new clothes for customers who expect new designs every few weeks, many garments end up in landfills. Zimbalist's designs gained attention in 2024 when Roan wore one on 'The Tonight Show.' The dress was decorated with a seaweed derivative called carrageenan. The New York-based designer has since dressed stars such as Atsuko Okatsuka, Anna Lore and Reneé Rapp. She takes commissions for custom clothing pieces, which cost between $150 and $1,200, via her website, which notes her 'unique recipe of biodegradable and natural materials." As to whether her approach could be reproduced at a larger scale, Zimbalist says her materials could most practically be used to replace plastic hardware such as buttons and zippers. She acknowledges they can be sticky if not dried correctly, stinky if not treated and melty if exposed to extreme heat. 'Even incorporating it in small ways to start would be really strong,' she said. Why biomaterials are hard to find Fossil-fuel derived fabrics are ubiquitous because they're cheap and made from plentiful raw materials, said Dale Rogers, an Arizona State University professor who studies supply chains. Many clothes are also made of materials that come from plants or animals such as cotton, silk, wool and cashmere. But some have environmental impacts. Cotton uses a lot of water. Sheep and goats burp out methane. Some biomaterials have gotten closer to widespread use. Mycelium leather, made from mushrooms, has been used to create luxury shoes, accessories and handbags by brands such as Stella McCartney, Lululemon, Adidas and Hermes. Still, Rogers said he's not convinced there's enough demand for alternative materials to overcome companies' aversion to the higher costs of producing them at a large scale. 'Honestly, in the end, cost drives almost all decisions,' he said. Wrinkles in aiming for sustainability Getting larger companies to use alternative materials depends on whether they will pay more for a fabric that matches their values, said Jon Veldhouse, the CEO of Qore LLC. His company makes a product called Qira that replaces about 70% of the fossil-derived components of elastic synthetic fabrics with a corn-based material. The Lycra Company, which sells its stretchy material to major brands, initially expects to incorporate Qira in around 25 percent of its Spandex business, said Lycra chief brand and innovation officer Steve Stewart. But that option will be more expensive, and they haven't yet announced any takers. It can also be hard to measure the sustainability of farming practices that go into producing raw materials for new fabrics. Cargill is Qore's partner and corn supplier, and it gets its grain from farmers in the vicinity of their processing plant. Veldhouse said many already plant cover crops or reduce tilling to lower environmental impact, but he couldn't provide data on how many use those approaches. Sarah Needham, a senior director at Textile Exchange, said it's great to see a large organization such as Lycra making its production systems more sustainable. But she also stressed the industry needs to reduce its overreliance on virgin materials, perhaps considering agricultural waste as a source of fabric. The role of experimental designers Needham said experimental designers are often the ones coming up with those alternatives to virgin materials and building appetite for new approaches. But small designers might not have the resources to test the biodegradability of their materials, which often do involve processing, even if it's by hand, said Ramani Narayan, an engineering professor at Michigan State University. 'If I take something — like seaweed or whatever it is — and I apply a process to it, then I can no longer call it natural," he said. Zimbalist, the New York designer, acknowledges that her materials aren't ready to replace conventional fabrics and that her work is more of 'a piece that leads to larger conversations.' Rogers, of Arizona State, thinks the fashion industry is a long way from meaningful change, but that 'it's incredibly valuable" for artists and specialty manufacturers to try new materials. 'What they're doing is likely to have long-term benefit, maybe even after their lifetimes,' he added. ___ Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @ Follow Kiki Sideris on X @KikiSideris. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
