In 2024, expect many changes to the fashion industry due to the impact of new sustainability regulations. There are over 16 new legislations in the EU alone. From product design to marketing, if you want your fashion startup to succeed and thrive, it’s important to design with sustainability in mind.

The global fashion industry is at a pivotal moment as it grapples with the impending wave of sustainability regulations. As of late 2023, a staggering 16 pieces of legislation related to fashion and textiles were being discussed in the European Union alone.

The first new regulations will become law in 2024. This wave of regulations spans the entire fashion value chain, from product design to marketing, and they are poised to impact consumers and companies globally.

The fashion industry, notorious for its environmental impact, is in for a reality check. By the end of 2024, self-regulation in sustainability may no longer be an option. The pace of transformation within the industry falls short of what is needed to prepare for the impending regulations. If progress continues at the current rate, clothing and footwear consumption is expected to surge by over 60 percent, from 62 million tonnes in 2022 to 102 million tonnes in 2023.

Leading the charge in this regulatory shift is the European Union, with a vision for a climate-neutral, circular economy. The EU's Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, passed in June 2023, outlines an industry characterized by products made with respect for the environment and social rights. As many as 16 pieces of legislation are under discussion, with the first set to be enforced in 2024, leaving brands with a rapidly narrowing window to prepare for compliance.

In this blog, we’ll examine some of the new rules dictating how we produce, manufacture, and even dispose of waste. Hopefully, you’ll understand why it’s so important to design sustainability into every step of your operation.

Regulators Focus On Fashion:

.In 2024, regulators are turning up the heat on the fashion industry due to its significant contributions to emissions, pollution, and waste. Companies will be required to address their own operations and enforce higher standards in their supply chains. 

All across the globe, new regulations cover key areas such as product design, marketing, waste management, and reporting.

Product Design:

Product design is a crucial phase that determines up to 80 percent of a product's environmental impact. It is under close scrutiny. For example, the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation sets minimum design standards for all products sold within the EU. Lawmakers in the United States will not be far behind.

These new rules  emphasize recyclability, durability, reusability, repairability, and the avoidance of hazardous substances. Digital product passports are expected to become mandatory since they collect and share information with consumers.

Marketing:

In fashion marketing, there is a common practice called Greenwashing. This is the deceptive marketing of products as environmentally friendly. Greenwashing is being targeted by several new regulations including the new EU Green Claims Directive. 

This directive aims to curb vague or misleading sustainability-related product claims. It now requires any sustainability declaration or claim to be specific, evidence-backed, verified by independent bodies, and communicated clearly.

Waste Management:

The fashion industry produces a tremendous amount of waste. Waste management has now become another critical focus. In an amendment to the Waste Framework Directive regulations now call for Extended Producer Responsibility. 

Companies will be required to finance the collection, sorting, and recycling of textile waste. They will face fees and even fines based on their production output and pollution levels.

When choosing a manufacturer, it is important that the factory is aware of these regulations and operates in full compliance. Your new fashion startup does not need to get itself involved in expensive government litigation before you even get off the ground.

Reporting: 

Reporting is another area of regulation. The upcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requires standardized ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting frameworks. 

This has sparked debate in the fashion industry. Many executives are expressing concerns about the extensive data and analysis required. For a fashion startup, this can mean additional expense due to the data and analysis required.

Global Impact:

The impact of these regulations is expected to extend beyond the United States and the EU. They will extend particularly into Asia, where about 70 percent of the United States and the EU's textiles are manufactured. 

Initiatives in the US, UK, and China further emphasize the global nature of this sustainability push into the fashion industry. It is far more efficient and less costly for you to understand the regulations that will probably be enacted and how you can operate in compliance with them. 

Waiting until they become law may mean having to redesign your operation, change your manufacturer, or adopt other processes in your product flow. That can become very costly, and for a struggling startup, those mandated expenses could be the difference between success and failure. 

It is better to design with sustainability in mind from the very beginning. That way you can be proactive for your business and for the planet. 

As a fashion entrepreneur it is essential to navigate this evolving regulatory landscape. You should try to achieve full supply-chain visibility. This can be done through traceability, focusing on decarbonizing sourcing and production, adapting design processes for circularity, and exploring innovative end-of-life waste solutions.

The year ahead presents an opportunity for new fashion designers and fashion entrepreneurs to develop your business models with sustainability goals. While older established businesses can get bogged down retrofitting their operations to comply, you may gain a competitive edge by operating in compliance and avoiding the expense new regulations can require.

There are new technologies like blockchain enabling transparent supply-chain monitoring. It may be effective for your brand to adopt new materials and production standards.

The fashion industry has the tools and technology to embrace a more sustainable future. The key for a successful startup lies in designing with a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach that addresses every facet of the fashion value chain.

Are you having trouble getting started? What’s your breakthrough fashion concept? If you feel you have an idea that may have some promise, schedule a free strategy call and let's talk about it. You may have discovered a niche and a fashion product that could become a successful start-up and the fashion business of your dreams.

Stuck on product Production? At V.Mora we can help you through the entire production process from designing, to sourcing and so on through our Production Development services. If you are in need of the following Development and Production services: 

• Sourcing 

• Technical sketches   

• Pattern Making

• Prototype making 

• Sample Making

• Fittings 

• Digitizing and Grading

• Marker Making

• Manufacturing

Please contact us at: vmorainquiry@vmora.com

About the Author

Fashion expert, Allison Howmann, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology where she majored in Fashion Design and Minored in International Trade and Marketing. She has spent over 6 years in the NYC Fashion Industry utilizing her Design and Marketing skills. Allison has worked with several successful brands to help create their winning fashion development, small business operations, and sales and marketing strategies. You can find her creating original content on the V.Mora blog and the V.Mora Instagram.