Fashion News: Q2 2025
Published on 3 July 2025
April
1. Chicago Hosts Largest Clothing Swap for Earth Month 🇺🇸
The Chicago Fair Trade Museum organized the city's biggest community clothing swap to kick off Earth Month, encouraging people to extend the life of their clothes. With gently-used clothing and accessories up for grabs, the event highlights how community-driven actions can combat textile waste and promote responsible fashion habits.
Source: Axios Chicago
2. Duran Lantink Named Creative Director of Jean Paul Gaultier 🇫🇷
Innovative designer Duran Lantink, renowned for upcycled couture, was appointed creative director of Jean Paul Gaultier. His appointment underscores a trend of luxury houses embracing sustainable, reconstructed fashion while bringing avant-garde vision to legacy brands.
Source: Fashion United
3. Fashion Revolution Week Encourages Global Action 🇬🇧
From April 22–27, Fashion Revolution Week brought together thousands worldwide under the theme “Think Globally, Act Locally,” commemorating the Rana Plaza tragedy. The event united brands, activists, and consumers to spotlight transparency, worker rights, and systemic change. Through panel discussions, social media campaigns, and local events, participants advocated for accountability and reform across the fashion supply chain.
Source: Social Justice Ireland
May
4. Petra Fagerström Wins Sustainable 'Challenge the Fabric' Prize 🇸🇪
Swedish designer Petra Fagerström, a Central Saint Martins grad, won the Challenge the Fabric 2025 Award in Milan. Her winning pieces, made from recycled fibres like Sappi Verve and Ecocell™, earned her a €10,000 prize and recognition for excellence in MMCF-based, sustainable design innovation.
Source: Vogue Business
5. Akyn Launches as Eco-Conscious UK Fashion Brand 🇬🇧
Led by Amy Powney, Akyn launched as a brand focused on timeless essentials made from organic/regenerative materials, produced in local audited factories. This move reflects demand for accessible luxury rooted in ethics and transparency.
Source: Financial Times
6. Simon Cracker Showcases Upcycled Collection in Milan 🇮🇹
At Milan Fashion Week, Italian brand Simon Cracker unveiled a bold Spring–Summer 2026 collection made from upcycled materials, including flood-damaged jersey. With exaggerated buttons, giant safety pins, and architectural shapes, the show spotlighted how creative design can elevate sustainability.
Source: AP News
7. Vogue Business & Visa Launch "Recycle the Runway" Awards 🇬🇧
In London, Vogue Business partnered with Visa to host the inaugural Recycle the Runway Awards, spotlighting six emerging designers committed to circular fashion. The grand prize winner, Genaro Rivas, received £5,000 for his zero-waste, artisan-weaving approach.
Source: Vogue Business
June
8. Loewe Launches Orange-Peel Luxe T-Shirt 🇪🇸
Loewe debuted a lightweight, chic T-shirt made from upcycled orange-peel fiber, in partnership with Pyratex and Orange Fiber. This fabric offers antibacterial, UV protection, and moisture-wicking properties - while turning citrus waste into stylish luxury. It’s a creative win for textile innovation and waste reduction.
Source: Reflawn
9. Cate Blanchett’s Seashell Corset Highlights Upcycling 🇺🇸
At London’s Serpentine Gallery Summer Party, Cate Blanchett wore a corset made entirely of seashells and pearls, part of Dilara Findikoglu’s “Venus from Chaos” collection. The look isn’t just art - it reflects Blanchett’s support for upcycled and organic materials in fashion. It spotlights how creativity can merge with eco-conscious design to inspire sustainable style.
Source: InStyle
10. Global Fashion Summit Highlights Urgent Need for Bold Action 🇩🇰
At the Global Fashion Summit 2025 in Copenhagen, over 1,000 leaders discussed overcoming sustainability challenges through innovation and collaboration. Bangladeshi activist Kalpona Akter called for more inclusion, while attendees expressed feeling “caught between courage and cowardice” amid greenwashing concerns. The summit emphasized that real progress requires transparency and bold, collective action.
Source: Vogue Business