Did fashion deliver on its sustainability promises in 2024?

At the dawn of 2024, sustainable fashion stakeholders were pinning their hopes on radical change, following several years of incremental shifts and painfully slow progress. Did this year deliver? The short answer is no, but not all hope is lost. Here, Vogue Business reflects on the moments and movements that defined the year in sustainable fashion. Policymakers pushed ahead In the European Union, several regulations linked to the European Green Deal came into focus in 2024, with more detail on the rollout and the first compliance deadlines looming. They covered waste management, supply chain due diligence and digital product passports, among other elements of the circular and sustainable fashion ecosystem. There is more change on the horizon: Europe is considering a ban of PFAS (or ‘forever chemicals’) and France is proposing an anti-fast fashion bill. In the US, the Americas Act introduced $14 billion in incentives for circular innovation, and California advanced a landmark bill to tackle fashion’s waste problem. But for every two steps forward, there was a step back. In the UK, policymakers faced off with fast fashion giants but still failed to legislate. And after Donald Trump was re-elected as US president in November, fashion’s motivation for change hit a new low. Scandals rocked supply chains Social impact was front and centre in 2024. The year started with a new minimum wage in Bangladesh, following months of protests and a violent backlash from authorities. Key sourcing countries around the world struggled to put workers first amid ongoing union-busting and crackdowns on freedom of association. A slew of scandals around certification schemes and auditing processes left many feeling disillusioned. Better Cotton, for example, was linked to deforestation and human rights abuses — the organisation enlisted a third-party to investigate and found that the farms in question were not in breach of its standards. Such reports of forced labour continued throughout the year, spanning from the fastest fashion to the highest luxury. In March, a Bloomberg investigation alleged that LVMH-owned Loro Piana was paying little to nothing to the community sourcing its vicuña fibre (Loro Piana declined to comment on the record, but refuted the allegations and said in a statement to AFP that it has a “real and continued commitment in favour of the local population”). Then, in May, jasmine farms supplying fragrance ingredients to Estée Lauder and L’Oréal were linked to child labour in a new documentary from the BBC World Service. (Both companies acknowledged the issue and said they are founding members of Harvesting the Future, a coalition including the Government of Egypt, the Fair Labor Association and the International Labour Organisation, which is working to find a remedy — this coalition has hosted four national multi-stakeholder meetings since and has drafted enhanced child labour protections.) And in July, Italian authorities launched a probe into suppliers used by Dior and Armani, alleging poor working conditions and low pay (both brands said they are working with the authorities to resolve the situation. We delved deeper into ‘Made in Italy’ supply chains, here). Innovators hit a wall Next-gen materials also had a mixed year. Things got off to a good start at Paris Fashion Week in February, when textile companies, manufacturers and investors came together to produce a fully next-gen capsule collection. But the industry was soon rocked by the news of Renewcell’s bankruptcy, sparking concerns for the possibility of scaling innovations. The company was later acquired and former H&M Group CEO Helena Helmersson (who recently spoke at Vogue Business Fashion Futures in London) was brought in to turn things around. Many questioned why it’s so hard to scale next-gen materials in fashion, and the startups themselves turned to other industries. A new report backed by Kering and the Laudes Foundation laid out a path forward. Brands, innovators and venture capitalists alike were left asking what makes a good investment, and who ought to fund fashion’s sustainable future. Some argued that sustainable brands should steer clear of IPOs (meanwhile Shein looked to go public in London). One Dutch impact investment firm divested from all fashion companies in its portfolio, due to lack of sustainable progress. The economic downturn put even more pressure on sustainable and independent brands, with a number of key names closing their doors — most notably, New York designer Mara Hoffman. The ‘green business’ paradox came under scrutiny, while Another Tomorrow presented a case study of how to make a sustainable fashion brand work. Progress was polarised When it came to consumer behaviour, 2024 was the most polarised year yet. On one side, there was a whiplash-inducing cycle of microtrends and algorithm-driven internet crazes, further accentuated by a number of social commerce partnerships designed to drive impulse buying, and a new mobile-only shopping platform, Amazon Haul. On the other, ‘de-influencing’ and ‘underconsumption core’ hit the mainstream, with people celebrating decluttering, using products up fully and only buying what they really need. In the midst of this, researchers recognised the climate crisis as a behaviour crisis, and shopping addiction as an evolutionary impulse. While sustainable fashion celebrated some small wins, systems change remained elusive. Fashion suppliers and brands began rolling back climate commitments and decarbonisation veered off track. Fashion’s (lack of) circular infrastructure also came under scrutiny this year, after textile recycling companies claimed the industry was on the brink of collapse. The main issue? It never really existed in the first place. Plus, stakeholders disagree about the scale of the problem. Others pushed ahead. Kering became the first fashion group to adopt science-based targets for nature. Meanwhile, LVMH and Chanel signed up to a revised methodology for tracking climate progress. And Berlin Fashion Week followed in the footsteps of Copenhagen Fashion Week by introducing sustainability requirements for those showing. At the systems level, some notable shifts: the Ellen MacArthur Foundation managed to get major brands to sign up to a new initiative to curb overproduction, while Textile Exchange finally addressed the elephant in the room, exponential growth. So, where does this leave us going into 2025? There is a growing frustration among sustainability professionals around the industry’s piecemeal approach and the lack of truly global collective action. With COP30 approaching, many are hoping that good intentions will crystalise into tangible progress. Textile Exchange CEO Claire Bergkamp summarises the mood neatly: “We urgently need to focus and prioritise if we want to make meaningful progress on our 2030 goals. This year underscored that doubling down on what we know works — like transitioning to renewable, sustainably sourced materials and scaling circular systems — is far more impactful than chasing every new trend or idea. It’s about cutting through the noise, aligning efforts and directing our energy and resources towards proven solutions.” Clarification: This story was updated to reflect Estée Lauder's position as a founding member of Harvesting the Future (19/12/2024). Sign up to receive the Vogue Business newsletter for the latest luxury news and insights, plus exclusive membership discounts. Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.

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