FN highlights the latest sustainable initiatives this season, including product launches, material innovations and corporate strategies. Send your news to [email protected].

July 22, 2022: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), in collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative (EFI) of the United Nations, announced its emerging talent finalists for its upcoming 2022 CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards during a press luncheon in New York earlier this week. Carlo Capasa, Chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, and Desirée Bollier, Chair and Global Chief Merchant of Value Retail Management, spoke during the event, noting the importance of fashion’s rising talent. The finalists include: Nigerian fashion house Torlowei; Nkwo Onwuka, and artisanal brand at the forefront of sustainability and social innovation in the Nigerian fashion industry; and Italian brand Themoire’. The Bicester Collection Award for Emerging Designers will be honored on Sept. 25 at La Scala Theatre in Milan. The award show will be hosted by Rossy de Palma and will present 12 awards during the ceremony.

July 22, 2022: Ugg has unveiled the autumn/winter 2022 Plant Power Collection, a line of footwear featuring plant-based, bio-based and reclaimed materials. The collection features the Fuzz Sugar Clog, Fluff Yeah Fuzz Sugar, Fuzz Sugar Slide, and Fuzz Sugar Cross Slide – all crafted from low-impact materials like Tencel Lyocell sourced from responsibly-harvested trees, and a SugarSole midsole made with renewable sugarcane. For fall, Ugg added the ReFelt Tasman and ReFelt Nuemel styles made with 100% recycled polyester fiber felt uppers made from recycled plastic waste. “At Ugg, we are committed to our journey toward a more regenerative world,” Nicks Ericsson, senior director of brand purpose at Ugg, said in a statement. “Our latest Plant Power Collection reaffirms this ongoing commitment, as we reimagine our iconic styles and introduce new silhouettes that include plant-based and bio-based low emitting materials with offsets for the small amount of emissions they createy Ros – making the materials carbon-neutral.”

June 21, 2022: Vionic continues to build on its partnership with Proteus Ocean Group, founded by Fabian Cousteau (grandson of famed explorer Jacques Cousteau). After hosting their first beach cleanup on June 18 at Santa Monica State Beach in California, the two organizations are bringing more awareness to the ocean and climate change through their first product collaboration. The Vionic x Proteus sneaker collection is leather-free and made with eco-conscious materials, including a Repreve textile upper that is 100% post‑consumer recycled from ocean‑bound plastic bottles. The line includes three styles: the Pismo laceup sneaker and Malibu slip-on sneaker, both available now at Vionicshoes.com for $65. The Laguna espadrille style will launch soon. The collection, which officially debuted at the beach cleanup event, supports the establishment of Cousteau’s underwater research center, Proteus, in Curacao.

June 7, 2022: Adidas India on Monday united over 1,500 people for its fifth “Run For The Oceans” in Mumbai, an event that promotes sustainability. The program included a run followed by a beach clean-up drive on Versova Beach. The event also featured interactive educational programming that explained the importance of saving marine life from pollution. “At Adidas, our commitment to sustainability is holistic and deeply embedded into how we do business,” said senior director of Adidas India Sunil Gupta. “Run for the Oceans is at the forefront of this commitment to help ‘End Plastic Waste.’

May 11, 2022: Brunello Cucinelli has joined the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), conceived and chaired by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, whose major objective is to build a coordinated global effort to enable the private sector to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Cucinelli was quick to join The Fashion Task Force chaired by Federico Marchetti – which aims to produce positive effects on climate and nature – and has committed to work streams dedicated to regenerative farming, as well as to economically supporting local textile producers through the Himalayan Regenerative Fashion Living Lab project. This project aims to create sustainable fashion value chains in some areas of the Himalayas. In concrete terms, the project will restore degraded landscapes and recover traditional craft and textile skills in order to improve local cashmere, cotton and silk economies, while addressing global challenges related to climate change and loss of biodiversity. The “Himalayan Regenerative Living Lab” project will be carried out in the field by Reforest Action and the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance led by scientist Marc Palahi and will last for a period of two years.

May 10, 2022: The North Face has teamed up with resale tech company Archive to power the brand’s circular clothing and gear program, Renewed. Archive’s platform integrates with Tersus Solutions, a cleantech and logistics company working to close the loop in textile circularity. According to the company, The North Face Renewed program will utilize Tersus’ proprietary waterless cleaning technology to insure every product meets the quality and performance that’s expected from The North Face with less impact on the planet. Since launching in 2018, The North Face Renewed has diverted over 200,000 pounds of textiles from landfills, and this next phase is designed to accelerate growth and achieve even greater environmental impacts. With Archive’s technology, The North Face now has visibility into the detailed life cycle of a Renewed item, from warehouse arrival through fulfillment, including product identification, cleaning, repairs, and site listing.

May 6, 2022: Sorel and Prana have collaborated on a limited edition collection of footwear and activewear inspired by movement. The Sorel X Prana collaboration features eco-conscious designs and materials, such as a vegan leather alternative, a variety of recycled materials and fabrics, midsoles that use material made with excess algae, and Tencel Modal. The collection brings together style and sustainability with pieces that speak to the adventurous spirit of both brands. The new collection features a casual lifestyle sneaker, a playful, sporty-inspired sandal and an elevated slip-on sandal. The activewear range includes a full collection of bold, colorblocked styles, including a shortie unitard, half-zip anorak, high-neck bralette and leggings with hues of Sea Salt and Desert Sun, inspired by the natural world.

May 6, 2022: Leather manufacturer ISA Tan Tec is partnering with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to launch a responsible sourcing policy that targets deforestation and animal welfare in Brazil and Paraguay. ISA Tan Tec first launched its internal LITE Sourcing program in 2020 to make its supply chain management more transparent, ethical and sustainable. Together with WWF, the company will jointly release a responsible sourcing policy for cattlehides to complement its existing protocols. According to the updated standard, all suppliers located in the proximity of the Amazon Biome and Chaco Biome are required to prove that no hides supplied by slaughterhouses originate from the biome or other places where deforestation is an issue. Additionally, they must align with the Five Animal Freedom principles, which include freedom from hunger and thirst; pain, injury and disease; fear and distress; and others.

April 2022: Visit FN’s Earth Month roundup for all the news about sustainable initiatives in April.

April 1, 2022: Hunter has launched its new sustainable Algae Bloom collection. Consisting of the Bloom Sandals and the Boom Slides, the collection was developed in a part of the brand’s “Hunter Protect” eco-conscious goals. The Algae Bloom collection introduces a new material that is harvested from algae. By using algae as opposed to other substances, the process saves water, reduces CO2 emissions, and utilizes excess algae growth that would have harmed ecosystems if left unmanaged. The result is a flexible, waterproof lower impact material which is lightweight and durable.  This is injection molded with familiar blown EVA to form a sporty all-terrain sandal as well as a slip-on slide. Both options are available in classic solid colors and a revamped version of last year’s hit one-of-a-kind Marble style. Launching on Hunterboots.com, the Bloom Sandals can be found in women’s sizing between $65 and $70, and the Boom Slides will be available in men’s and women’s sizing at $50.

March 28, 2022: Footwear startup Blueview has launched its first shoe, a casual vegan slip-on sneaker that the brand says is 100% biodegradable. The Blueview Pacific is made entirely of plant-based materials. Its knit upper is comprised of yarn made of hemp, cotton, jute and Tencel, while its insole and outsole are crafted out of Blueview’s proprietary compound Soleic, a polyurethane foam derived from algae. The company, based in Cardiff, Calif., was founded by CEO Stephen Mayfield, a biologist specializing in green algae; and president Tom Cooke, a footwear industry veteran previously with Reef and Vans. The first two colorways of the shoe (black and tan) are available for preorder online for $135, with shipping slated for late April.

Feb. 17, 2022: After introducing sustainable footwear options, starting with the Plant Power sandals, Ugg has launched an eco-friendly apparel collection for spring ’22 called Organic Essentials. The nine-style capsule consists of casual T-shirts, leggings, dresses, tanks and shorts made with “mindful materials” such as organic cotton and Tencel Lyocell. “The beauty of the collection is the full versatility. As the world evolves, responsible personal style is what really shines through,” said Khristene Son, Ugg’s senior director of design, apparel and accessories.

Feb. 15, 2022: ESW (formerly eShopWorld) announced on Tuesday that it will provide 100% carbon neutral shipping to its clients, which include Gucci, Kering, Abercrombie & Fitch, LK Bennett, J. Crew, and other leading brands. The global direct-to-consumer e-commerce company said that this new initiative will offset emissions by funding renewable energy production that supports EcoAct-verified wind farm projects. “ESW is proud to offer our retail and brand clients the ability to be at the forefront of sustainable shipping and contribute to a more positive future for the environment,” said ESW CEO Tommy Kelly in a statement. “As cross border e-commerce continues to elevate economies all over the world, we must ensure that what’s good for business is also good for the planet. We know that these offsets create a high level of value for our clients and, in turn, their consumers.”