Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.Your favourite pair of form-fitting jeans, workout leggings or stretchy hoodie represents a huge problem in the global fashion industry.
Plastic has crept into almost every item of clothing available, University of Technology Sydney fashion and textiles designer Mark Liu said – and it’s driving down clothing quality. “We need to invest in our capabilities here – we have incredible cotton and wool. How can we as an industry come together, create value and keep more of that happening in Australia?” she said.
Global wool production has gone backwards in the past decade from 1.22 million tonnes in 2005 to 1.05 million tonnes in 2022, according to the Textile ExchangesCotton, too, is under threat, Sydney University Institute of Agriculture Professor Daniel Tan said. “Every single season for the past 10 years, the price of silk has gone up. Every order comes at an increased price, while the silk quality is thinner. In the next 10 years, virgin silk will be a luxury,” she said.
Designer Kit Willow at her boutique in Sydney’s Paddington, which already has a circular manufacturing model.Climate impacts could threaten an estimated $65 billion of apparel exports by 2030, according to McKinsey & Company’s 2024 State of Fashion report.General manager of Uturn Recycled Fashion Katie Revie said the quality of secondhand clothing the warehouse received had declined significantly in the two decades the company has been in operation.