The resale industry is witnessing significant growth. According to thredUP's annual resale report, the global secondhand market is projected to nearly double and reach a value of $350 billion by 2027, outpacing the global apparel industry by threefold. As consumers increasingly seek more responsible ways to engage with fashion, resale platforms and secondhand marketplaces have gained momentum, prompting fashion brands and retailers to launch their own resale initiatives to attract new...

In this solo episode, host Brittany Sierra reflects on her learnings from the Circularity 23 conference, including the idea of waste as a valuable resource and the importance of integrating the material story into products via tech to turn anonymous waste into an asset with a known value and a clear pathway for reuse and recycling. Brittany discusses the necessity of intergenerational thought diversity and the value in recognizing that each generation brings its unique set of values,...

This week on the Crash Course Fashion podcast, SFF founder and CCF host Brittany Sierra speaks with Raz Godelnik, Assistant Professor of Strategic Design & Management at Parsons School of Design - The New School, Jan Lo, CEO of Lo & Sons, Kohl Crecelius, Co-Founder of Known Supply, and Nina Ahuja, Head of Business Development at Trove — to explore sustainable fashions path to profitability, shedding light on the delicate balance between growth and sustainability, profit and purpose,...

In this episode of the Crash Course Fashion podcast, host Brittany Sierra sits down with Yidi Campbell, founder of the innovative tech startup, Indyx. With a background in investment banking and retail strategy, Yidi is using her intimate, behind-the-scenes knowledge of the retail industry to reshape our relationship with our wardrobes. As an avid reseller who has observed the pain points of the resale industry firsthand and understood the disconnect between the contents of consumer closets...

In today's fast-paced world, sustainability is not just a buzzword, but a business imperative. More than ever, companies are being tasked with balancing profitability with responsibility while also considering the environmental, social, and economic impacts of their decisions. But as many of us have seen, it's all too easy for sustainability initiatives to become siloed and disjointed from a company's overall strategy. So, how can brands effectively integrate sustainability into their...

In this week’s episode of Crash Course Fashion, DuPont Biomaterials Global Business Director Mike Saltzberg; Material Innovation Initiative’s Thomasine Dolan; and Prime Movers Lab’s Gaetano Crupi discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrating bio-based materials into existing supply chains led by Glossy reporter, Zofia Zwieglinska. This discussion first aired during the 2022 Sustainable Fashion Forum and was powered by DuPont Biomaterials.

A large portion of a garment's environmental footprint is determined at the raw material level, so for many designers and brands, the easiest first step on their sustainability journey is to begin by replacing existing materials with sustainable alternatives. However, sustainable material sourcing is no easy task. Whether plant-based, animal-based or synthetic manmade fiber, every material choice comes with trade-offs. The extraction, processing, and manufacturing of materials is inherently...

In January, the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act (or the Fashion Act) was unveiled: a bill many are calling a "groundbreaking" and "historic" step towards bringing accountability to the fashion industry and holding the biggest brands accountable for their environmental and social impacts.  If signed into law, the Fashion Act would require all major apparel and footwear companies that generate $100 million in global revenue and do business in the state of New York to map...

Motivated by the threat of limited resources and a growing concern among consumers about the environmental impact of their purchases, the fashion industry is embracing the idea of circular fashion. However, without an industry-wide, agreed-upon definition, the concept of a circular fashion system has become distorted as more and more brands apply the term in their marketing. In this episode of Crash Course Fashion, hear SFF founder Brittany Sierra in conversation with Laura Balmond, Ellen...

Sustainability is no longer optional. Environmental concerns have exponentially grown over the past few years resulting in sustainability increasingly becoming a deciding purchasing factor for customers — both fueling brand loyalty and determining spending habits. Shoppers want sustainable products, and heightened competition has put pressure on brands and retailers to respond by championing the causes that matter most to their customers. Engaging in the sustainability conversation for many...

For Fashionphile’s founder and president, Sarah Davis, selling pre-owned luxury isn’t new. An integral player responsible for pioneering the re-commerce approach to luxury, Davis began selling handbags on eBay as a law student in 1999. Now, more than two decades later, Fashionphile is the largest online platform for buying and selling luxury handbags and accessories in the U.S. Despite the pandemic, the luxury resale sector was estimated to be worth $25-$30 billion in 2020, proof that the...

At the root of fashion’s most pressing problems like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution sits overproduction and overconsumption. Each year, an estimated 100 billion garments are purchased, and 92 million tonnes are thrown out. The truth is, we’re making and buying more than the earth can sustain. Motivated by the threat of limited resources and a growing concern among consumers about the environmental impact of their purchases, brands are looking to circular fashion as a...

How can the fashion industry increase its data literacy to make informed decisions on sustainability, create honest marketing claims, and avoid unintentional greenwashing? In part one of this conversation,  host Brittany Sierra spoke with Elizabeth and Marizia to understand why misinformation matters and how becoming critical data consumers will help the industry create actionable change. In this weeks episode, and part two of the conversation, Elizabeth and Marzia share advice to...

Fashion has a serious and growing misinformation problem. As customers demand sustainability, fashion is responding by making a pointed effort to prioritize people and the planet. However, as brands increase sustainability ambitions, rampant misinformation leads brands to make pivotal business decisions based on unsubstantiated claims, outdated facts, and flawed data. While there have been many efforts to address fashion's misinformation disorder, a new report commissioned by the...

The fashion supply chain is infamously opaque, but brands and retailers are increasingly working to meet customer demands for greater transparency and reducing their negative social and environmental impacts. However, considering how intricate and nuanced the fashion supply chain is and that sustainability can mean something completely different from customer to customer and brand to brand — where should the industry focus its sustainability efforts? In this episode of the Crash Course...

How do you navigate the opposing forces of business and sustainability? How can you stay true to your values while profitably building and scaling a purpose-driven fashion brand that's good for people, planet, and profit? In this episode of the Crash Course Fashion podcast, Brittany Sierra talks with Cuyana co-founder Shilpa Shah about why the Cuyana's ethos of "fewer, better" is more than a marketing message, the key to scaling a profitable purpose-driven fashion brand, her thoughts or...

Is the growth of resale enabling fashion brands to continue to overproduce? In this episode of Crash Course Fashion, Brittany Sierra talks with Jake Disraeli, the co-founder, and CEO of Treet, about all things resale and how brands can create a profitable secondhand model that ensures the greatest ROI and the most significant impact—for people and planet. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3BDBew6

In this episode of Crash Course Fashion, Brittany Sierra chats with WWD sustainability reporter Kayley Rotish about the future of resale, if brands will move away from growth-based businesses models, and how to stand out as a purpose-driven brand when everyone is talking about sustainability.

What would happen if sustainable fashion took a page from fast fashion's marketing playbook and embraced strategic digital and influencer marketing strategies to deliver sustainability to the masses? As sustainability continues to be the topic of discussion and shoppers are becoming more and more skeptical of greenwashing, brands are stopping at nothing to prove to customers that they're sustainable. However, while brands are busy focusing on sourcing eco-friendly fabrics and acquiring...

Fashion media plays a vital role by serving as a bridge between consumers and brands. However, as shoppers look to the media to understand the progress brands are making with sustainability, greenwashing is often perpetuated when journalists report on a brand's sustainability initiatives solely based on a press release that cherrypicks which information to share and often exaggerates claims to paint the brand in the best light. In this episode of Crash Course Fashion, Brittany Sierra chats...

Fashion media plays a vital role by serving as a bridge between consumers and brands. However, as shoppers look to the media to understand the progress brands are making with sustainability, greenwashing is often perpetuated when journalists report on a brand's sustainability initiatives solely based on a press release that cherrypicks which information to share and often exaggerates claims to paint the brand in the best light. In this episode of Crash Course Fashion, Brittany Sierra chats...

Tune into Crash Course Fashion, hosted by Brittany Sierra — premiering September 21st! Produced by The Sustainable Fashion Forum

Tune into Crash Course Fashion, hosted by Brittany Sierra — premiering September 21st! Produced by The Sustainable Fashion Forum