At Vegan Fashion Repository, we keep our ears firmly to the ground for every essential development in the vegan and sustainable fashion industry, and celebrate when another milestone is reached.
Here’s a brief summary of the highlights from January 2025:
To start with, we’ve updated our vegan fashion brands Directory with 10 new brands and said goodbye to some. Regular updates ensure The Directory remains a reliable resource for navigating vegan fashion. To be included, a brand must be 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Unfortunately, some brands with great mission statements still include animal-derived materials. Certifications help confirm alignment, but we also check materials and reach out to brands when in doubt. If your brand isn’t listed, feel free to contact us at hello@veganfashionrepository.com.
Industry Updates
In the US, concerns are growing that Trump’s presidency could reshape global sourcing. With new tariffs expected, brands are shifting supply chains away from China, Canada, and Mexico. Whether this leads to production returning to the US or moving to Europe, Vietnam, or India remains to be seen. BusinessofFashion.com
Los Angeles is struggling with an influx of clothing donations, often causing more harm than good. “We don’t want piles of random clothing,” said Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel, urging people to donate money or gift cards instead. Supporting local brands—many of whom are struggling themselves—is another way to help. BusinessofFashion.com, VeganFashionRepository.com
In Europe, the British Fashion Council (BFC) and Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) are joining forces to make sustainability a mandatory criterion for fashion week participation. The BFC will adopt CPHFW’s Sustainability Requirements, starting with Minimum Standards for BFC NEWGEN shows in 2025, with full implementation by 2026. As a globally recognised programme for emerging talent, this move could shape the future of sustainable fashion. VeganFashionRepository.com
On 23 January 2025, The Textile PRO Forum launched as a voluntary initiative across 22 EU Member States. Its goal is to harmonise best practices for the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles and footwear. With mandatory textile waste collection approaching and the Waste Framework Directive under revision, the Forum aims to reduce administrative burdens, standardise approaches, and support recycling. Euratex
In Sweden, from 1 January 2025, municipalities will be responsible for collecting household and business textile waste. Manufacturers and wholesalers must manage their own waste, ensuring proper sorting and delivery to treatment facilities. This is a step towards improved textile recycling and reducing the climate impact of textile consumption. Naturvardsverket.se
A new report from Transparentem has revealed forced and child labour in Indian cotton fields linked to major brands including Inditex, H&M Group, and Gap Inc. While these brands work with human rights organisations to improve monitoring, the report highlights the urgent need for better oversight in the cotton supply chain. Cotton remains the most widely used natural fibre, yet its resource-heavy production and ethical risks demand closer scrutiny. Fortune.com
Brand & Innovation News
Stella McCartney has repurchased the minority stake in her brand from LVMH. While she remains the group’s Global Ambassador on Sustainability, this marks the second time she has regained full control of her label, having previously bought out Kering’s stake in 2019. BusinessofFashion.com
Stella McCartney has also partnered with materials science company Balena to develop S-Wave Sport sneakers, made from BioCir Flex, a plant-based material derived from castor beans and cinnamon. It is reportedly durable, flexible, compostable, and recyclable—offering a plastic-free alternative in footwear. Meanwhile, Citizens of Humanity has launched a new denim collection dyed with plant-based sugar dyes from French startup Pili. These dyes have a fraction of the carbon footprint of synthetic, petroleum-based dyes, though they remain costly at $1.75 per pair of jeans compared to pennies for conventional dyes. Apparelresources.com, Fastcompany.com
LA-based Ambercycle continues to scale production of cycora®, a circular polyester made from textile waste. After securing a partnership with Chinese recycling giant Shenghong, Ambercycle has now signed a four-year Offtake Agreement with GANNI, ensuring cycora® is incorporated into GANNI’s collections. This long-term commitment is significant, as a lack of secured buyers has led to the collapse of many textile recycling startups in recent years. TexileWorld.com, Ambercycle.com
To counter growing criticism over its environmental impact, Shein has launched its ‘EvoluSHEIN’ initiative. Recent efforts include partnering with Africa Collect Textiles to expand textile recycling in Kenya and increasing production of denim using Cool Transfer Denim Printing from 200,000 units in 2023 to 380,000 in 2024. The company has also partnered with Donghua University in Shanghai to develop chemical recycling processes for polyester textiles and PET bottles. Shein.com
Meanwhile, Chinese company DataBeyond Technology has introduced an AI Hyperspectral Optical Sorter for Blended Fabrics. This tool uses hyperspectral recognition to identify material compositions, marking a significant advancement in the ongoing challenge of recycling blended textiles. BrandingForum.com
In AI news, Chinese startup DeepSeek released its DeepSeek R1 model on 20 January 2025, claiming it meets or exceeds the performance of OpenAI’s GPT-4. Early reviewers praise its coding and reasoning capabilities—areas where AI is still seen as limited. The release fuels the growing tech rivalry between China and the US, both vying for AI dominance, with government-backed initiatives shaping the competition. Nature.com
Lastly, on 29 January 2025, we launched our Technology section, dedicated to exploring fashion-tech intersections, with a special focus on innovations relevant to vegan fashion brands and enthusiasts.