NOT TOO FAST: With the new legislation, France has brought ultra-fast fashion players such as Shein and Temu into the spotlight.
The country’s parliament unanimously passed a bill on Thursday that would ban advertising and impose penalties on low-cost imports into the country. This is the first step before the bill comes to a final vote in the country’s Senate, although a date has not been set.
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A fee starting from 5 euros per product will be applied in 2025, gradually increasing to 10 euros by 2030, with the maximum fee being up to 50 percent of the purchase price of the product.
The money will go into a fund that will be used to promote public awareness campaigns, advertise the country’s new clothing and shoe repair program, and support sustainable clothing brands.
The bill also proposes to ban fast fashion advertising; This could put an end to influencers’ celebrity shopping.
Much of the bill and lawmakers’ debate focused on Sino-Singaporean ultra-fast fashion giant Shein, citing statistics showing the company offers 7,200 new styles a day with more than 470,000 products available at any given time.
The law will consider volumes and production speed when defining “fast fashion”.
Shein opposed it, saying the legislation would hurt consumers’ purchasing power and should not exclude certain companies. The definition of “fast fashion” remains too vague and should affect all fashion brands, the company said.
“We have consistently emphasized that the number of testimonials submitted by a retailer is in no way an indicator of the company’s environmental impact, while the number of unsold items can be a much better indicator. This speaks to a deep lack of understanding of the fashion industry,” the company said in a statement to WWD.
The company said legislation should be based on sales rates, not production volumes, adding that the rate of unsold clothing was “consistently in the low single digits”.
The proposed law focuses on online players and specifically excludes brands such as Zara and H&M, which have physical stores in the country.
“France generally leads the way in the fast fashion problem. “I think that’s where the momentum for change is in this industry,” Dounia Wone, chief impact officer at Vestiaire Collective, told WWD. “This means that our voice and the voices of many activists or brands are raising awareness on the issue.”
Vestiaire Collective sought to define fast fashion for its platform; In the first round it banned the likes of Asos, Boohoo, Nasty Gal, Pretty Little Thing, Fashion Nova and the now-targeted Shein, among others, and expanded into high street brands. H&M, Mango, Uniqlo and Zara last November.
The company launched this initiative alongside a campaign showing important monuments such as the Eiffel Tower buried under textile waste.
Wone drew parallels between Vestiaire Collective’s criteria and the process of defining the category, which takes into account price, the number of new products a brand brings to market each year, and the speed of the product cycle.
“I’m not saying our definition is the definition. “I think this is a starting point for us to be able to rethink the industry and bring a lot of people together around the table,” he said, adding that just taking this first step would raise awareness of the environmental costs of overconsumption.
Wone added that the next item on the agenda is an initiative to reduce the value added tax on commissions, which increases prices for second-hand fashion buyers. Such a move would create an additional incentive for buyers and sellers to promote cyclical fashion. “The linear business model needs to be questioned; the way people make fashion: produce [then] “It’s a waste,” he said.
The Circular Fashion Federation (FMC), which attended the hearings together with MP Anne-Cécile Violland before the bill was introduced, also described the legislative vote as “a step in the right direction”.
“But this is just the beginning of our collective work; we now need to collaborate with all stakeholders to clarify the definition of fast fashion and the operational application of penalties and incentives to accelerate the circular and environmental transition of the sector,” the FMC chairman said. Maxime Delavallée told WWD.
The group plans to monitor the mechanisms put in place, including promised incentives for businesses and consumers transitioning their production and consumption models.
“I never thought I would say that France is an impressive country, especially in the field of textiles,” Wone added.
TO LENGTHEN: With workout wear in one of the most challenging categories in sustainable textiles, Italian knitwear company Brugnoli has introduced its first collection made with yarns from the new partnership of fiber company Lenzing and stretch yarn pioneer Asahi Kasei’s Roica to create a new textile portfolio. .
The two companies have partnered to develop blends of Lenzing’s cellulose-based Tencel Lyocell or Modal fibers and Asahi Kasei’s Roica fibers on new sustainable and circular textiles. The two threads are made for the needs of yoga and exercise clothing and are Oeko-Tex Standard.
Brugnoli’s line, called YogaTime, uses these two ingredients, derived from Lenzing’s cellulose-based Tencel Lyocell or Modal fibers and Asahi Kasei’s Roica fibers. The two companies are joining forces to make fabrics with a clear life cycle to create a circular model for clothing.
“By joining forces with Lenzing AG and integrating Tencel fibers into our Roica V550, we not only produce textiles; We are creating an additional choice for the future of sustainable fashion. Our joint efforts will lead to the development of fabrics that are not only excellent in performance and aesthetics, but also contribute significantly to a more sustainable planet, said Roica marketing manager Shinohe Hiroaki.
“This partnership embodies our shared vision for a more sustainable textile industry. The recycling potential of Tencel fibers, combined with Roica’s innovative stretch-degradable technology, will set a new standard for responsible textiles and offer both brands and consumers a solution closer to the circular approach,” said Carlo Covini, Lenzing Italy and Switzerland.
HAPPIER THERMO: As fashion customers are increasingly spoiled by the comfort provided by flexible materials, especially in the field of sportswear, Milan-based premium thermal insulation company for clothing and outerwear Thermore is launching Freedom, a new hyper-elastic padding.
Made from 50 percent post-consumer, GRS-certified, recycled polyester, it provides warmth and flexibility and is well-suited for mountain sports, running, golf, fishing and other outdoor activities.
The company said dynamometer tests showed that Freedom, available in four temperature ranges from 60 to 150 grams per square metre, fully returns to its pre-stretched size after each use. Machine washable and dry clean, its easy-care features add to its versatility.
– Contributed by Martino Carrera
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