Fashion’s sustainability story is coming apart at the seams

Fashion has become fluent in the language of sustainability. But sometimes it takes a LinkedIn spat to remind us that behind ‘conscious’ collections, recycled fabrics and climate pledges, the industry still has a serious problem to solve.

The latest between H&M Group Ventures and an independent fashion organisation, has once again put green credentials, corporate influence and accountability in the spotlight.

Brittany Sierra, founder of the US based Sustainable Fashion Forum, called out H&M (on LinkedIn) over what she alleges, was the use of her organisation's name for an event being hosted by H&M Group Ventures. .

Sierra also claimed in her post she had spent nearly a decade building the platform and had been supported by industry giants, H&M's investment arm promoted an event using the same 'Sustainable Fashion Forum' name shortly before her own annual conference. Sierra also claimed H&M had committed $20,000 to sponsor her conference, had requested an invoice, then never paid.

So we reached out to both to find out more.

In a statement to The Chief Brief, H&M acknowledged the naming mistake and apologised, but firmly denied Sierra's claim of unpaid sponsorship. The company said:

"On 22 October, our investment arm H&M Group Ventures hosted an event for some of its portfolio companies, bringing them together to exchange ideas and explore innovations for the fashion industry. We acknowledge that we made a mistake in naming the H&M Group Ventures event, and we are deeply sorry. We have taken immediate action to remove references to the name wherever possible and have reached out to apologise directly.

Separately, we have found no records of any unpaid invoices related to sponsorships or events. Our records indicate that more than a year ago, we agreed to sponsor an in-person event, received an invoice, and were subsequently informed by the organiser that the event had been cancelled and the invoice voided. We have also reached out directly to the Sustainable Fashion Forum several times this week to open a dialogue and clarify any remaining misunderstandings. Unfortunately, we have not yet received a response."

The Chief Brief has had no response from Sierra, at the time of publication.

What's The Fuss?

This latest 'she said-they said' incident isn't some watershed moment in the fashion business. It isn't a deep investigation into the many questionable practices in the industry either.

But what it has done is once again raise wider questions about who really gets to shape the sustainability conversation? It's touched a nerve among some who feel there is a slow but sure walk-back on supporting activists and small operators, in an industry where major brands have considerable financial and cultural power.

The battle lines of credibility and influence are once again being drawn between independent fashion activists and corporates that control the industry.

Fashion's sustainability problem

Fashion in 2026 has seemingly been reduced to 'Get Ready With Me' videos, unboxing and outfit hauls and the latest micro-trend. Consumption has once again become du jour over the past two years, but with a catch - Hermes' Kelly or Birkin purchase videos are now as divisive as pundits and politicians on either end of the political spectrum. Fashion after all, is a serious business. And one with a significant impact on the economy and the planet.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that the textile sector accounts for between 2% and 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and generates around 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year.

Yet sustainability has become one of fashion's buzz-words to sell what it makes. Eco-friendly, recycled fabrics, conscious collections and circular fashion are part of the industry's marketing vocabulary.

Actual progress on any of these has been harder to pin down.

In 2023, just 8% of textile fibres came from recycled sources and less than 1% of the global fibre market came from textile-to-textile recycling, where old textiles are turned into new fibres. Tracking fibres back to the original source, sustainability managers at these firms will tell you, is near impossible at times.

Materials matter, of course. But sustainable fashion can’t just be reduced to simply swapping conventional polyester for recycled polyester or putting an organic cotton label on a T-shirt. A whole-industry lens has to be applied to a supply chain that is more convoluted and global than the components for AI Chips that every government in the world is currently trying to corner the market in.

Consumption, production volumes, resource use, workers' rights and what happens to clothes at the end of their lives all need to be considered. And the responsibility lies with every person on that supply chain. From the raw material farmers to the end consumer and every conglomerate and government in between.

The problem with greenwashing

Greenwashing occurs when a company makes its products or business appear more environmentally responsible than the evidence supports. It can involve vague claims, misleading labels or highlighting one positive initiative while saying little about the wider impact of the business.

A brand might launch a collection made with recycled materials, for example, while continuing to produce enormous volumes of clothing. The collection may represent progress, but it tells us very little about the company's overall environmental footprint.

There is also a fundamental contradiction at the heart of fashion. The industry relies on newness, frequent collections and encouraging consumers to buy more. Reducing its environmental impact means confronting that business model, not simply finding better fabrics.

Recycling has a role to play, but it cannot compensate for overproduction. And that's if it's even done right. The mountain of disposed clothing in the Atacama desert in Chile paints a graphic story of the reality of that consumption-production story.

In Ghana alone, 15 million items of global second hand clothes arrive in its Kantamanto Market every week. 40-60% of that inventory is unusable and bound for the landfill. In addition, the dumped washed up second hand clothes on the beaches of Accra and its surroundings tell an uncomfortable truth - that the industry has not even got the basics right, yet.

Who holds fashion accountable?

The latest H&M clash with an activist shines a light on the relationships between major brands and the independent organisations working to make fashion more sustainable. In the past decade it may have felt like that was changing. Large companies were using their resources to fund initiatives, host events and seeking credibility by association with campaigners who had no financial backing to scale their efforts. That trend seems to have come to an end, with the narrative ownership seemingly moving back, to corporate speak.

Critics would argue, the people shaping the industry's sustainability agenda should include more than the brands selling the clothes. From garment workers, independent designers and local producers to communities affected by resource extraction and the end consumer all have perspectives that must be heard.

H&M for example says it works with trade unions, civil society organisations and other initiatives on issues including workers' rights, wages, gender equality and environmental impact. A sentiment echoed by other large fashion brands.

Sustainability experts are clear that any commitments of fashion brands should be judged by evidence of progress, not just the partnerships a company lists or the statements it publishes. That's where the greenwashing more than an accusation, but a fact.

Beyond the green label

New regulations suggest that governments across the world are finally ready to hold fashion brands accountable.

In the EU, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive entered into application on 27 September 2026, strengthening protections against misleading environmental claims and sustainability labels. The rules apply across the EU, but not automatically in the UK.

France has gone a step further with legislation targeting ultra-fast fashion, introducing financial penalties for qualifying products and restrictions on advertising and influencer promotion. Germany and the Netherlands have also called for tougher European rules, while other countries are looking at making fashion brands more responsible for the mountains of textile waste they produce. It seems the industry might finally have to do more than put a green leaf on its packaging and call it progress.

Regulation can help lay a clear path for companies. But brands still need to confront the way they do business. That will take a strategic transformation and that takes vision and consumer buy-in.

A recycled fabric or a conscious collection makes for a nice marketing campaign, but as we have seen in recent years it risks becoming yet another conference, a marketing tool or simply another role in an industry in desperate need for transformation.

There's no magic material that can make overproduction sustainable.

Fashion has excelled in designing its sustainability credentials. Now it's time to see whether the industry is prepared to do the hard work to make the label truly wearable.