Running a fashion business is a busy hustle. When you’re designing, creating, making, marketing, and wearing all the hats, it's hard to find time to stay on top of industry news too. Trends can be a challenge, especially if you're running a slow fashion business. You don’t have to follow them, but it's helpful to be aware of them—so you can stay ahead of your competitors.
To save you time, I pull together the latest news from the top ten most trusted fashion news publications, and write about the top story of the week. I've done the hard work for you. No more searching, no more fact-checking, no more trawling—just everything you need to stay in the loop and keep your business moving forward, right here with The TFA Weekly...
Monday, October 28: California has recently enacted a pioneering textile recycling law, positioning the state at the forefront of sustainable fashion legislation. Senate Bill 707 made California the first state in the U.S to adopt the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program designed to address textile waste.
This first-in-the-nation bill, known as the 'Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024' stipulates that Californian brands must provide consumers with convenient options for recycling their unwanted clothing and textiles.
This regulation shifts the responsibility of textile waste from consumers to fashion brands, requiring them to establish drop-off locations and other accessible means for the public to dispose of old clothing sustainably. The bill is part of California’s broader initiative to address the environmental impact of textile waste, which accounts for more than 1.2 million tonnes annually and represents 3% of California's landfill contents—making it one of the state’s fastest-growing waste categories.
The proposed law opens a new chapter for sustainable fashion by encouraging industry accountability, increasing awareness around textile waste, and highlighting the importance of resource regeneration. As California leads with this legislation, the ripple effects may prompt global shifts in how fashion addresses sustainability and waste, setting a new standard for environmental responsibility in the industry.
If you're running a slow fashion business, this news can be turned into a growth strategy. To leverage California's new textile recycling bill, here’s how you can adapt and find unique value in this shift...
1. Be accountable for the lifecycle of your products.
You can implement and promote recycling and take-back programs similar to those required in California, and you can try and test your program on a small scale while you work it all out. Bigger doesn't mean better; start small, test, tweak, keep testing. Talk about it too—sharing the news of your closed-loop approach will appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and position you as a progressive, eco-friendly brand.
2. Strengthen your local market presence.
Being an independent brand means you can make changes, fast. California’s legislation sets a new precedent that will (eventually) expand to other states and countries, so get ready for change. We're years behind in Australia, but it's only a matter of time; if you get a head start now, you'll be ahead of the curve when the rest of the industry follows suit. You can strategically position yourself as an early adopter of circular and sustainable practices and capitalise on new eco-legislation as it's rolled out, which increases brand loyalty among consumers who prioritise sustainability.
3. Create storytelling opportunities around your brand values.
This legislation brings awareness to textile waste, so you can use the news to differentiate yourself and tell stories about your sustainable practices, any recycled materials you use, your limited production runs, or your transparent supply chain. This messaging really supports your brand's value and it connects deeply with consumers looking to make responsible purchasing decisions.
There are a myriad of ways you can use this news to grow your ethical, sustainable, handmade or slow fashion brand, but these three tips will get you started.
New to the TFA Weekly? Here's the scoop: I want to make running an ethical, sustainable, handmade, or circular fashion business as easy as possible for you, so you can increase your sales and expand your impact. If we’re going to succeed as a slow fashion community, we have to stay informed and connected—together.
I want to give you the tools and support I wish I had when I was starting out, so you can skip the years of struggle I went through and fast-track your slow fashion business success. The world needs more sustainable businesses to succeed if we’re ever going to tip the scales against fast fashion. I want to help you spend less time on admin and more time doing what you love—bringing your designs to life, making an impact, and changing the world with your fashion business.
So, every week, I release The TFA Weekly, a roundup of the latest industry news, trends, innovations, and all things fashion technology, all in one place—so you don’t have to spend hours online, reading when you could be making, to make sure you're not missing anything important.
Tune in next week for your weekly instalment of The TFA Weekly. You can also reach out if you need more than news to grow your eco fashion brand. I have over a decade of industry experience running and building sustainable fashion businesses, and I've worked with hundreds of brands to increase their sales and increase their impact.
Contact me here for mentoring, coaching or help with my online courses to grow your fashion business.
Claire.
