An Upcycle Play: Recent brand efforts are spanning everything from new B Corp props to sustainability impact labels (in the case of underwear brand Parade), as well as new avenues for last season’s fabrics.
Last season’s fabrics — from designer namesakes spanning bridal and ready-to-wear, such as Jason Wu, Reem Acra, Rachel Comey and Loeffler Randall — are finding new life at Joann Fabrics.
Aptly named the “Last Call Designer Fabrics” collection — the online-only offering consists of nearly 100 low-volume fabric runs available exclusively to Joann, a national fabric and craft retail chain. Fabrics range from $19.99 to $109.99 per yard. More drops are planned throughout the year as a solution for not only small-scale designers but regional crafters keen on upcycling.
Earth Month Events: April is already seeing a slew of sustainability and climate change-related events, product launches and campaigns.
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For academia, this includes the Fashion Institute of Technology, hosting its 16th annual virtual business and design conference April 5 and 6, addressing topics like social justice, materials, waste and more.
Marist College will display a fashion exhibit “Ethereal” featuring the works of Stella McCartney, Gabriela Hearst and Mara Hoffman, among others. The show opens on April 21 at Marist’s Steel Plant Gallery with a student-run conference the following day.
Meanwhile, DonateNYC and the Sanitation Foundation return with the fourth run of ReFashion Week, April 2 to 8, highlighting the need for reduced textile waste.
Harlem’s Fashion Row is putting on its inaugural sustainability event April 21. The hybrid event features both in-person (held at Pier 57 at Hudson River Park) and virtual access.
The Sustainable Fashion Forum returns with its virtual and IRL programming April 22 to 23 geared to both a consumer and industry set.
Earthday.org presents Earth Day, on April 22, and is putting an increased spotlight on sustainable fashion. Themed “Invest in Our Planet,” the event hopes to catalyze investment in solutions for the climate crisis, to which a recent U.N. climate report only accentuated.
Capping out the month, on April 28, Fairchild Media Group (including WWD, Footwear News and Beauty Inc) convenes its virtual sustainability forum, “Scaling Solutions: The Innovator’s Agenda.”
Conversations span regulation, zero-waste design, next-gen materials and more on the pathway to scale, with speakers like Rachel Zoe, Nicholas Kirkwood and Just Capital’s chief strategy officer, Alison Omens.