Category: Spending Patterns

The Paper Sneakers: Tyvek’s Shoes Offer a Dose of Sustainability, Innovation, and Cool

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A story on Tyvek’s paper-weight, water-resistant sneakers caught our attention last week as we’ve had more interest than ever in our latest Sustainability and the State of the Future Youth Culture Reports. The minimalist trends in sneakers these days and the rise in brands that have some component of sustainability or fair trade (i.e., TOM’s […]

Kelly Slater’s New Apparel Brand with Kering to be Called Outerknown—Sustainability at Its Core

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Surfing World Champion Kelly Slater has named his new apparel brand with Kering, “Outerknown.” Similar to trends we’re seeing in youth culture markets when it comes to fashion preferences, Slater is also going to bring sustainability into the brand’s DNA. After parting with Quiksilver last April and ending a 23-year-relationship, it makes sense that Slater […]

Abercrombie & Fitch Goes Logo-less—Plus Other Reasons Why Teens Hate Them

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Fashion news this past week has been ridiculously busy reporting on the fact that Abercrombie & Fitch is going to phase out their logos by 2015. Why this is considered such a big deal is beyond us. It simply shows how out of touch Abercrombie (and much of the adult fashion industry) has been for […]

Youth Culture’s Top Rankings of Most Sustainable Brands Reveals Changes in Spending Patterns and Influences

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One of the highlights within our 3rd Annual Sustainability and the State of the Future Youth Culture Study 2014 comes to what brands 13-25-year-olds believe to be the most eco-friendly or sustainable. The responses reflect a changing marketplace, including changes in spending patterns and why they buy the things that they do. In this story, […]

Bread & Butter Backtracks on Barcelona—Stays in Berlin

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Late-breaking news on Friday evenings are often the most intriguing: Bread & Butter has pulled back on its recent announcement of moving the January fashion trade show to Barcelona. Instead, they’re not going anywhere and will host the show once again in Berlin.  No word yet if their plans for Seoul, Korea, are changed for […]

TOMs Shoes Sells Half to Bain Capital—Now What

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Blake MyCoskie, founder and owner of the shoe-darling TOMs Shoes has sold half of his brand Wednesday, August 20, 2014, to Bain Capital, co-founded by none other than Mitt Romney. TOMs Shoes, which as our data has shown in the past Youth Culture Studies, has steadily climbed as a favorite brand among 13-25-year-olds for many […]

VF Corporation, Owners of Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Shares Latest to Improve Bangladesh Worker Safety…But There’s A Pink Elephant in the Room

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When the tragic event of Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza building collapsed in April 2013, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,100 garment workers, the veil masking fashion’s dirty secrets was stripped away. Suddenly, people demanded to know what was going on with the garment industry and workers’ safety, people questioned conditions, fair wages, building safety, […]

Patagonia Releases Environmental and Social Initiatives Book 2014, Grows Grassroots Initiative in Fiscal Year 2014 , Gives $6.6 Million to 770 Environmental Groups Worldwide

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Patagonia continues to set the bar when it comes to sustainability and its stewardship to the planet. Last week, they released their  “Environmental & Social Initiatives 2014” book that details the steps taken over the last year toward becoming more environmentally and socially responsible. The book is free and offered also in a e-book format. […]

H&M Once Again Reigns Number One in User of Certified Organic Cotton Globally

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According to Textile Exchange’s latest Organic Cotton Market Report 2013, H&M manifests its leading position as the number one user of certified organic cotton with its 29% increase in the last year. This is part of the company’s strategic target to use only more sustainable cotton by 2020. “We congratulate H&M on its continued impressive […]

Macy’s Plays Sustainability Catch-up—Adds More Measures to Become More Eco-Friendly

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When it comes to sustainability, it’s no longer about incorporating a strategy to get ahead of trends, but rather, a sustainability strategy is needed in order to not be left behind. With fast-fashion kingpins H&M and Uniqlo already far ahead of the status quo when it comes to strategies incorporating sustainability and fair trade, Macy’s, […]