EMA’s March Sustainable Fashion Roundup: The Rise of Circular Fashion
March was a month full of sustainable fashion wins, with online platforms, mainstream retailers, consumers, and Congress all getting on board. The 2024 Green Carpet Fashion Awards, one of the most significant events in sustainable fashion, took place with a star-studded guest list, including Zendaya, Donatella Versace, John Legend, and more. Plus, designer, and creative director Gabriela Hearst was honored in a big way for her moves to revolutionize sustainable fashion.
Zendaya, Donatella Versace, John Legend, and other stars attended the 2024 Green Carpet Fashion Awards.
March marked the return of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, founded by activist Livia Firth to celebrate sustainability in the fashion industry. World leaders, young activists, Indigenous representatives, and celebrities like Zendaya, Donatella Versace, John Legend, Jennifer Coolidge, and Annie Lennox were all in attendance. Donatella Versace was honored as the 2024 GCFA Game Changer for her activism on LGBTQ+ rights, and 2024 GCFA Young Leader Honorees included Canadian poet Rupi Kaur, Ugandan environmentalist and model Judith Heard, Afro-Caribbean climate activist Yurshell Rodríguez, Syrian Olympic swimmer Yusra Mardini, and more.
“This incredible night is exactly why the Green Carpet Fashion Awards are different,” said founder Livia Firth. “Fashion and entertainment is our platform, but we are transforming. This is how we move the narrative of the climate crisis, and this is how together we refashion the world… Tonight, we are modeling the leadership humanity needs.” Eco-Age launched its sustainable fashion mission at the 2022 EMA IMPACT Summit.
Secondhand clothing is on track to take over 10% of the global fashion market
According to a new report, secondhand clothing sales are set to make up 10% of the global fashion market by 2025. Last year, global sales of pre-owned clothes increased by 18%, and the US secondhand market grew seven times faster than overall fashion retail. The shift towards secondhand shopping has been driven by environmental concerns and the cost of living crisis, with 38% of consumers saying they shop secondhand to afford high-end brands.
For younger generations, pre-loved clothing has become popularized by mainstream media on reality shows like Love Island and more accessible with digital secondhand shopping platforms like ThredUp and Depop. Experts predict clothing resale will double to $40bn in the next five years. Older generations are more likely to purchase secondhand in brick-and-mortar stores, with some mainstream retailers such as Selfridges and Primark beginning to offer pre-loved pieces in stores.
Congress’ Americas Act is proposing $14 billion in circular fashion funding.
This March, Congress introduced the Americas Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to mobilize economic potential across North, Central, and South America and includes initiatives to reform the fashion industry. The bill would provide $14 billion in circularity initiatives for apparel, footwear, accessories, and home textiles, incentivizing using circular business models such as reuse, repair, rental, and recycling. It also includes steps to enforce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), tackling the issue of fast fashion brands using forced Uyghur labor to make their clothes.
Designer Gabriela Hearst was honored by the 2024 TIME Earth Awards.
Editors selected Sustainable fashion designer Gabriela Hearst as an honoree for the 2024 TIME Earth Awards, alongside EMA Honoree Jane Fonda, Waorani activist Nemonte Nenquimo, Texas Southern University professor Robert D. Bullard, and former United States Secretary of State John Kerry.
Hearst has a track record of championing sustainability in her fashion career. In 2019, she made her brand plastic-free and produced the first carbon-neutral runway show. As creative director at Chloé from 2020 to 2023, she helped the brand become the first European luxury fashion house to achieve B Corp certification. The designer dedicated her Chloé Spring/Summer ’23 collection to developing nuclear fusion as a clean energy solution and has had her designs worn by actress Angelina Jolie, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and First Lady Jill Biden.
“You can’t deny the climate-related catastrophes that are constantly happening worldwide,” Hearst told TIME. It’s here, it’s happening, and we’re all going to pay a price.”
Sustainable fashion is a common theme at the upcoming EMA IMPACT Summit! Secure your spot today.
About the author:
Katy Ho (she/her) is a Chinese Canadian writer, activist, and daughter of refugees who explores the intersections of gender, climate, and pop culture through her work. When she’s not writing about feminism and climate justice, you can find her hosting book club meetings, visiting her local thrift store, and coaching the next generation of climate leaders.