Fast fashion news and archive

‘Loi Violland’, France's anti-fast fashion law: Brussels hits the brakes again

France's ambitious ‘anti-fast-fashion law’ (Loi Violland) is in limbo. Although the French Senate approved the law in 2025, the European Commission (EC), which had already raised objections last September, vetoed it again in April. Brussels argues that the law disrupts the principles of the European single market and is discriminatory, as stated...

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New German textile law aims to address fast fashion waste crisis

Fast fashion is creating growing disposal problems in Germany. Consequently, environment minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) plans to hold manufacturers more accountable by requiring them to contribute to the disposal costs of used clothing. This initiative is a response to the issue of overfilled clothing donation bins, which are predominantly...

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French report outlines plan to tax fast fashion and boost local production

On Wednesday, Clément Beaune, France's High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning, unveiled a strategic study designed to combat the "massive influx" of fast fashion. The report advocates for a tripartite approach: revitalizing French manufacturing, scaling textile recycling, and imposing heavy taxes on low-cost imports. Ahead of the full...

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Europe unites against ultra-fast fashion: eight countries call on Brussels to “strengthen” mobilisation

Led by France, eight European countries are calling on the European Commission and member states to “strengthen” their “collective mobilisation” against the “systemic risks” they believe are posed by e-commerce platforms such as Shein and its competitors. The letter was sent to Brussels on Monday. “We call on the Commission to mobilise strongly...

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France: one in five online clothing purchases is from ultra-fast fashion

During Fashion Reboot 2025, Gildas Minvielle, Director of the Economic Observatory at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM), delivered his annual report. Below are the primary insights regarding the shifts in the French fashion market from 2024 to 2025. Total turnover for the apparel and textiles sector in France fell by 1.3 percent between...

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Shein’s US Momentum stalls as De Minimis tariff exemption ends

Ultra fast fashion retailer Shein’s meteoric growth in the US has suffered a sharp deceleration following the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the so-called de minimis tariff exemption on August 29. According to Bloomberg’s Second Measure transactional data, observed US sales for Shein fell by about 8 per cent year-on-year in...

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European textile federations call on the EU for "urgent action" against ultra fast fashion

Paris - "Without delay", "immediately": European textile and clothing companies "can no longer wait years for measures to be taken against ultra fast fashion", they write in a joint letter to the European Commission. Fashion and textile players are growing impatient with the slow legislative response to Shein, Temu and AliExpress. These large...

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EU clamps down on food waste, fast fashion

EU lawmakers gave a final green light Tuesday to a law on curbing the environmental impact of so-called fast fashion and also slashing back the mountains of food wasted in Europe each year. Brussels estimates the 27-nation bloc generates around 15 kilos of textile waste and 130 kilogrammes of food waste per person each year. By curbing food...

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European parliament votes on law against textile waste and fast fashion

The European Parliament is poised to enact a new law that will tackle both food and textile waste, with a significant focus on the environmental impact of "fast fashion." This legislation, which revises a 2008 directive, marks the first time the textile industry will be subject to EU-wide waste reduction efforts. This initiative, championed by...

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The 'Prato system': corruption and illegal labour at the heart of the Italian textile industry

The fatal shooting of Zhang Dayong in Rome, who was found with six bullet wounds, initially seemed unconnected to Prato, Italy's textile hub. However, investigators now believe the murder is part of a brutal "hanger war" between rival Chinese mafia groups for control of Europe's largest garment manufacturing centre. This criminal escalation is...

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Fast fashion faces a reckoning as tariff loophole closes

For years, fast fashion has thrived on a global supply chain built for speed, scale and, most crucially, exemptions. But with the stroke of a pen, the US has redrawn the rules. President Donald Trump’s latest executive order, coming into effect on August 29, ends the de minimis tariff exemption for goods under 800 dollars, a loophole that...

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Shein reportedly files for Hong Kong IPO

Fast fashion giant Shein is believed to have confidentially filed for an initial public offering in Hong Kong as it looks to pressure UK regulators to approve of a London listing. This is according to sources for the Financial Times (FT), who said the China-founded, Singapore-based company had privately filed a draft prospectus with Hong Kong’s...