How New Zealand’s fashion industry is tackling the sustainability crisis
Sunday, 28 September 2025
With 500kg of clothing being sent to landfill every five minutes, Samantha Murray Greenway discovers what’s being done to break the fast fashion cycle.
We know that the fashion industry has a dark side that’s responsible for massive carbon emissions, pollution and vast textile waste as well as labour exploitation and public health risks from toxic chemicals used in production. So, during New Zealand Fashion Week, it was good to hear a frank discussion on fashion, sustainability and regeneration.
A panel of local fashion designers and leaders of B-Corps (businesses independently verified to meet high standards that benefit people, communities and the planet ) was convened by the non-profit industry body for New Zealand's fashion and textiles sector, Mindful Fashion NZ. Among the topics up for discussion: How can fashion in New Zealand do better? How can we enjoy fashion without compounding the problem? How can we break the fast fashion cycle?
“This industry? It’s heartbreaking…” says Peri Drysdale, founder of fashion business, Untouched World. “Once you know what’s going on in the environment and with the people involved?… A whole lot’s got to change.” She calls her label, ‘a sustainable lifestyle brand’. That’s not a convenient turn of phrase: Untouched World is not only a B-Corps but was the first fashion company in the world to be recognised by the United Nations for sustainability.“Authenticity is the only thing that works,” says Drysdale. “The public can see through greenwashing.”
Her Christchurch-based business creates clothes that are designed to look good for years. They use renewable, natural fabrics and fibres that are ‘easy on the earth’ (like the innovative new textile made from sugarcane, called Brewed Protein TM), thereby paving the way for a regenerative way of working. “You can wear beautiful clothing,” confirms Drysdale, “Without hurting the environment.”
However, the eco answer to fashion’s problems is not always clear cut. Take the thorny issue of recycled polyester: its relatively low price (compared to, say, silk or wool) combined with its durability and the fact that reusing it avoids sending more to landfill must be weighed against the reality that the fibre is still derived from fossil fuels and continues to shed microplastics. “Recycled polyester is a useful stepping-stone, but it’s not the end goal,” says Jacinta FitzGerald, Chief Executive of Mindful Fashion NZ. “As an industry we need to break our dependence on virgin fossil fuels and move rapidly towards truly sustainable, bio-based alternatives… I truly believe the future of fashion depends on bold innovation, not more disposability.” To help make informed decisions on what fabrics to buy, FitzGerald suggests checking out the website Good On You.
Rory William Docherty is an Auckland-based designer with an international reputation. His view is surprisingly pragmatic: “We don’t need more fashion,” he says, while highlighting the industry’s responsibility to, “try to do it the best way we possibly can.” For him that means a craft-led approach, working with known suppliers, producing a perfectly finished, seasonless collection, much of which leans toward the classic, some of which is on repeat, and will not date.
Often the well-made, ethically-sourced, quiet classics known as investment fashion cost more (even if the initial expense can be amortized over years of wear vs the trend-driven, fast-fashion alternative). The Liam range of paper patterns, sold at RUBY, are not just a way to encourage creativity and a certain amount of resourcefulness in people who want to make their own clothes (they also sell fabric Offcut Bundles, as part of a zero waste to landfill initiative). “They teach people how tricky making clothing can be,” says managing director of RUBY, Emily Miller-Sharma. With the bonus that, even if the patterns don’t convert you to sewing (there is a beginner level), at least you’ll appreciate the work, effort, extra details – and therefore price – of well-made clothes which will hopefully leave you less inclined to buy fast fashion.
To make change on a broader scale, we must change the way we shop, says FitzGerald. “Buy with intention. Choose pieces you’ll truly wear and love - and invest in the best quality you can afford so they stand the test of time.” Whatever your expenditure on clothes and whether or not you enjoy fashion, prioritising quality and simple style is cost effective in the long run.
Things need to change higher up the chain, too. In June, the French government introduced a bill to apply taxes and advertising bans on ultra-fast fashion chains (hitting fashion giants such as Shein and Temu). “New Zealand sends 52,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill every year, that’s 500 kilos every five minutes,” says FitzGerald. “We need business models built on social and environmental responsibility, backed by strong policy - from supporting local makers, jobs and innovation to eco-design principles, and creating national systems for textile recycling and product stewardship. If this matters to you, let your local MP or Minister know.”