Fashion is really something special to see up close, especially at events like fashion week. It’s exciting to hear from new designers who not only showcase cool collections but also share their thoughts on sustainable fashion. Many are rethinking materials, focusing on natural fibers like cotton to meet consumer demand while being kind to the planet.
Jay Erzulie from Monday Blues, Studio emphasized the importance of denim and natural fibers for their Fall ’26 collection. He mentioned how they blend burlap with denim to create unique pieces. “We want our designs to feel like art you can wear,” he explained.
Designer Becca Flood from Hudson Valley, N.Y., shares a similar vision. Her collection is over 70 percent natural fibers, featuring cotton, denim, wool, and mohair. Flood aims to limit synthetic materials in her clothing due to both eco-commitment and the quality of natural textiles. “My love for animals and nature drives my choices in fashion,” she said, underlining a strong connection to sustainability.
Today, around 274 million pieces of clothing are produced each day—about 100 billion a year. Shockingly, around 85 percent of textiles end up in landfills. With nearly 70 percent of apparel made from polyester, which can take up to 200 years to decompose, designers like Flood are pushing for change.
Recent surveys show most consumers prefer clothing made from cotton, denim, or blends—75 percent, in fact. In the 2025 Global Lifestyle Monitor Survey by Cotton Council International (CCI), more than half of consumers said they’d pay extra for natural fibers, citing comfort and quality as reasons.
Fashion is evolving, and designers are noticing that customers are increasingly conscious about what they wear. For instance, 79 percent of shoppers are concerned about sustainability. Many associate natural fibers like cotton with being eco-friendly and safe for the environment. Comparatively, less than half of the consumers believe synthetic fibers are safe.
At the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), students are keen on learning about sustainable practices in fashion design. Professor Mallorie Dunn noted that students expressed a desire for more sustainability topics in their coursework. One student remarked, “I had no idea it was this bad. We are the future of the industry.”
Such feedback showcases a growing awareness and commitment among upcoming designers to reshape the fashion landscape for the better.
For more insights, check out the ongoing Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor Survey here.
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Cotton Incorporated,Lifestyle Monitor,Sustainability
