Read the key news items to know in May 2026, including Etsy’s incoming fur ban and the lawsuit against Levi’s. Plus, find out which top-rated brand just won a Global Fashion Agenda award for its practices.
Apparel Brands Turned Disclosure Into a Performance of Responsibility After Rana Plaza (TexFash)
TexFash breaks down a new study examining brands’ sustainability reports following the Rana Plaza disaster, which has revealed that some brands still aren’t taking transparency around labour justice seriously, while positive framing of other issues intensified regardless of what was happening in brands’ supply chains. The report analysed 322 sustainability reports from 69 companies over seven years, with researchers noting that “among the firms most directly implicated in the [Rana Plaza] disaster, we find a striking prioritisation of environmental issues over labor concerns.”
Levi’s Sued for Allegedly Misleading Consumers on Ethical Labour Practices (Business of Fashion)
Clean Clothes Campaign and four Dutch consumers are suing Levi’s for misleading customers over its labour practices. The case states that Levi’s marketing of its responsible production standards, including the right for workers to unionise, was deceptive given the brand’s links to alleged labour exploitation at its supplier factory Özak Tekstil in Turkey, where workers who protested for improved conditions in 2023 faced violence and were dismissed. Claimant Patrick van Klink said in a press release, “Levi’s gave me the impression that they care about social responsibility … Knowing what happened in Turkey, I feel misled.”
Will AI Make Fashion More or Less Sustainable? (Vogue Business)
For Vogue Business, journalist Sophie Benson reports on one big challenge facing the fashion industry today: figuring out whether using AI will actually make brands’ impacts better, or worse in the long run. Benson looks at the ways brands’ sustainability teams are using AI to aid their work, while considering the hurdles associated with measuring and accounting for the technology’s environmental impact.
Texas Attorney General Probes Lululemon Over Potential ‘Forever Chemicals’ in its Activewear (Reuters)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has commissioned an investigation into whether PFAS or, “forever chemicals”, are present in Lululemon’s clothing. Per Reuters, the brand claims it phased out the chemicals in 2023, but the Attorney General wants to examine Lululemon’s testing protocols, restricted substances list, and supply chain practices against the US state’s safety standards.
Etsy Bans Animal Fur as Industry Sentiments Continue to Shift (FashionUnited)
Etsy will ban the sale of animal fur products from August 2026, FashionUnited reports. It follows recent campaigning by Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT), which disrupted Etsy’s presentation at a San Francisco conference back in March.
Sneaker Company Allbirds Plans to Pivot to AI. Yes, AI (New York Times)
After struggling to turn a profit, Allbirds, the sneaker company long associated with sustainability claims, has been sold and will pivot its business to AI infrastructure. As part of the shift, the company asked its stockholders to approve the removal of “references to the company being operated for the environmental conservation public benefit,” confirming Allbirds’ backpedalling on its position as a proponent of sustainability.
Fashion Revolution to Close UK Headquarters (EcoTextile News)
Fashion activism organisation Fashion Revolution announced in April that it would close its UK headquarters as a result of a challenging funding landscape, EcoTextile News reports. The world’s largest fashion justice organisation launched in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster and created viral campaigns including #WhoMadeMyClothes, as well as hosting Fashion Revolution Week every April and publishing an annual Fashion Transparency Index that helped to hold the biggest brands to account. It will now run as a decentralised global network instead.
Circular Fibre Collective Launched to Speed Up Recycled Textile Adoption in Fashion (Retail Gazette)
The Fashion Pact and Fashion for Good have launched the Circular Fibre Collective, a new initiative to help identify clearer signals of demand for textile-to-textile recycling and next generation materials. According to Retail Gazette, the Collective will help solve a key challenge in the space, where “suppliers [are] unable to invest without demand certainty, and brands unable to commit at scale without reliable supply and infrastructure in place.”
‘Good’ and ‘Great’ news
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Ask Scandinavia Named One of 15 Winners of Recycle the Runway Programme
“Good” brand Ask Scandinavia has been named one of 15 winners of the Global Fashion Agenda and Visa’s Recycle the Runway programme, which supports businesses that are working to help consumers make better choices. The brand will receive a portion of funding to continue its work. “Being recognized by this jury is an important moment for us. It reinforces our mission to help everyone Carry What Matters and pushing for a kinder and more gentle future in fashion,” the brand said in a statement.
‘Great’ Brand Armedangels Launches in the US
Much-loved German brand Armedangels has announced its launch in the US. The top-rated fashion label, which sells men’s, women’s, and kidswear, will now ship to the States.
Nudie Jeans Introduces Live Music Concept
Top-rated denim label Nudie Jeans has launched a live music series in partnership with Goldmine Magazine, which will see it host performances in its retail spaces. It continues a trend that the brand has been leading the way on for a while: using its physical stores to engage with customers and build a greater brand universe. The first event takes place on May 21st in Nudie Jeans’ Soho, London, boutique.
BEEN London Launches More Sustainable Corporate Gifting
BEEN London, the “Great”-rated bags and accessories brand, has launched a custom corporate gifting service. The offering is designed to improve an aspect of business that has been overlooked in sustainability and is often a source of opaque production and waste.
