The scale of the fashion industry’s sustainability challenge is colossal, but so are the opportunities when brands get it right. From the rise of digital product passports and many more brands making meaningful investments in sustainability, to major events like London Fashion Week introducing sustainability requirements, positive momentum is building across the sector. This single-minded focus among major fashion events signals a new wave of industry-wide collaboration and accountability.
At Seismic, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with leading fashion brands like The White Company, Never Fully Dressed and PANGAIA. Through these collaborations, we’ve seen firsthand the drive to transform challenges into strategic action. The path ahead is full of potential, and we believe the industry is on the cusp of making a real, lasting impact.
Fashion with purpose
Fashion touches every one of us – it is global, diverse, and is both a necessity and a form of expression. But it also carries significant responsibility.
Standing firmly in the glare of the sustainability spotlight, the fashion industry carries an enormous social and environmental footprint. “Brands we work with often express feeling overwhelmed with the complexity of it all: sprawling networks, hidden subcontractors, resource constraints and competing priorities. However, it’s important to remember the path forward isn’t about achieving perfect visibility or universal buy-in overnight. It’s about embracing progress over perfection” – Millie Baldwin, Sustainability Consultant, Seismic
The sector accounts for 20% of global water pollution, 10% of carbon emissions and 10% of all microplastics found in the oceans. This is a dramatic amount of unnecessary harm. Which means there is boundless potential for change.
So what can be done to counter this overwhelming amount of waste and pollution?
What fashion brands should focus on in 2025
Through our extensive work with brands and our presence at key industry events like the Drapers Conscious Fashion Summit and Source, our experts have their fingers firmly on the pulse of sustainability challenges facing the sector. Through conversations with industry leaders and insights gathered on the ground, here are the critical themes brands need to prioritise right now:
1. Verifying environmental claims
The era of unverified sustainability claims is over. Consumer protection authorities are cracking down on greenwashing, with the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority now able to impose fines of up to 10% of a brand’s global turnover for misleading environmental claims.
Fashion is uniquely targeted as the only sector with its own bespoke guidance following major greenwashing investigations. Brands must now substantiate all sustainability claims with comprehensive evidence that considers the entire product lifecycle. This means being specific and truthful in communications, avoiding vague terms like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” without actionable context.
“To earn trust and build lasting credibility, fashion brands must ensure their sustainability claims are clear, specific and backed by evidence. Avoid exaggerating environmental benefits or making vague statements that sound impressive but lack material impact. In short: don’t mislead your customers (and be honest about where your business is facing challenges, as you won’t be the only one!).” – Liz Naven, Senior Sustainability Comms Manager, Seismic
Our expertise in data verification confirms that robust evidence is essential to avoid both significant financial penalties and lasting reputational damage. With regulatory scrutiny intensifying, fashion brands that invest in transparent, verifiable sustainability practices will not only mitigate risk but also build genuine consumer trust.
“The apparel industry’s global emissions will increase by 50% by 2030” – Earth.org
2. Circular business models as core strategy
Circular approaches are moving from experimental side projects to central business strategies. The most successful brands are:
- Integrating repair, resale, and recycling into their main operations rather than leaving it to third-party platforms
- Shifting from product-oriented to service-oriented models
- Designing products specifically for durability and repairability
- Working on environmentally driven textile innovation like carbon-capturing material and lab-grown leather
The future of fashion materials is increasingly scientific and collaborative. Brands like PANGAIA are showing how innovative materials can replace conventional ones, with growing demand for B2B offerings of sustainable materials.
At Seismic we understand that commercial challenges and sustainability initiatives should go hand in hand, and the most effective circular programmes need to focus on customer needs first, not just regulatory compliance.
3. Increasing supply chain transparency
Supply chain transparency has become non-negotiable for fashion brands. New technologies are transforming what’s possible, with origin verification specialists like Oritain pioneering scientific methods that can trace materials back to their source with unprecedented precision.
“Supply chains are really the beating heart of fashion – but a lot needs to change. We know the industry’s biggest impact lies within these vast networks that span the globe, often accounting for 90-99% of a brand’s carbon footprint, which makes them a prime target for impactful change.” – Millie Baldwin, Sustainability Consultant, Seismic
However, true transparency must be built as a strategic foundation rather than added as an afterthought. Our work with industry leaders has highlighted that technological solutions alone aren’t enough; meaningful progress means:
- A fundamental shift in communication
- Deeper collaboration between brands across shared supply chains
- Treating suppliers as genuine partners rather than just vendors
- Creating dialogue instead of one-way reporting requirements
- Embedding transparency as a value that flows in all directions
Embracing transparency allows brands to tell authentic sustainability stories backed by traceable evidence.
4. Long-term commitment over short-term trends
Sustainable growth requires patience and persistence. The brands succeeding in this space are the ones making longer-term commitments:
- Moving from seasonal to annual buying forecasts
- Building sustainability costs into their core brand proposition
- Developing strong, consistent supplier relationships
- Making strategic decisions based on fundamental values rather than short-term growth opportunities
- Improving efficiencies through more accurate material forecasts and purchasing decisions
- Enabling lower-impact logistics by prioritising sea freight over emergency air shipments
Finisterre, a brand that has stuck with this approach, made what they call “brave decisions” and seen huge success as a result. As their CEO says, “Pick a good solution and then stick with it.”
Did you know? As many as 40% of clothes made each year – 60bn garments – are not sold. – The Guardian
This doesn’t just have a huge impact on the environment, but also financially on the businesses who are fundamentally investing in waste.
Creating a sustainable fashion ecosystem
In a climate of increasing urgency but reduced sustainability budgets, we support and empower existing sustainability teams to expand their influence and impact.
We’ve seen firsthand the passion that can be found within fashion brands and supply chains. People want to be more efficient, sustainable and ethical – but often don’t know where to start or feel too stretched to capacity to drive actions on top of their existing priorities. All too often we see sustainability activities becoming siloed, with barriers between design, materials, buying and corporate sustainability teams. This fragmentation, combined with the absence of a holistic approach and strategic framework, frequently leads to slow progress and missed opportunities for meaningful change.
Our approach focuses on supporting brands to:
- Embed sustainability into core business operations rather than treating it as an add-on, using holistic frameworks like B Corp to guide decisions and measure progress
- Reframe sustainability costs as investments into business value creation
- Educate consumers to bridge the gap between sustainability interest and purchasing behaviour
- Build technical expertise to navigate fashion’s unique sustainability challenges
- Encourage collaboration across the value chain, recognising that systemic change requires collective action
Join the movement
The fashion brands leading the way in 2025 understand that sustainability isn’t a constraint; it’s an opportunity for positive change, strengthening customer loyalty, and building long-term resilience.
Whether you’re just beginning your sustainability journey or looking to accelerate your impact, our experts are here to help you navigate the complexities of sustainable fashion with passion and pragmatism. Speak to our team today.
