Prevalence of greenwashing in the fashion industry

In fact, 63% of consumers think fashion brands are making misleading claims about how environmentally-friendly their business is at least some of the time, and 29% think this happens regularly. Call it what it is: fashion’s dirtiest open secret. Greenwashing is everywhere.

In fast fashion, especially fashion sustainability has become a marketing tactic rather than a genuine commitment to change. Brands are capitalising on good intentions while delivering very little in the way of meaningful action. The result? Consumer confusion, environmental harm, and a culture of complacency.

Greenwashing in the fashion industry is widespread and pervasive. According to the Changing Markets Foundation, more than 60% of sustainability claims by fashion giants are misleading or unsubstantiated. That’s such a huge amount of fibbing by the industry.

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is when a company exaggerates, fabricates, or misleads the public about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. In fashion, it might look like vague promises of being "eco-friendly," "green," or "ethical," with no evidence or measurable data to back it up. It's a deception that plays on our desire to do better, without any real accountability.

The term was coined in the 1980s by environmentalist Jay Westerveld, criticising hotels for encouraging guests to reuse towels in the name of saving the planet, while making no other sustainable changes. Today, we see that same performative behaviour everywhere in fashion. Brands claim to recycle, reduce emissions, or support fair labour but offer little proof or third-party validation.

If a brand says it’s ‘eco’ but can’t prove it, it's probably not. Trouble is, most can’t prove a thing. Red flags include:

• Buzzwords without data (think, "conscious”, "planet positive")
• Lack of transparency about supply chains
• Self-created eco-labels with no independent accreditation
• Emphasis on a single 'green' product line while the rest of the brand remains unchanged
• Carbon offset programs that lack third-party verification
• Claims about recycled materials that only account for a small fraction of the overall product

As a consumer, you have to be a detective, questioning what lies beneath the surface of sustainability claims. But that shouldn’t be our responsibility! Brands have a duty to communicate clearly and honestly.

The impact of greenwashing

Greenwashing deceives consumers and corrodes trust. When customers feel misled, we disengage. We become sceptical not only of the offending brand, but of sustainability messaging across the board. That hurts genuinely ethical businesses and stunts progress we might otherwise be making.

What is greenwashing in fashion?

• Vague environmental language with no specifics
• Highlighting limited-edition "sustainable" capsules while ignoring wider production impacts
• Overemphasising recycled packaging as a major sustainability win
• Promoting carbon offsets while emissions continue to rise
• Making bold claims about "organic" or "natural" fabrics without disclosing chemical usage or water consumption

The reputational cost is high. In recent years, major fast fashion brands like H&M, Boohoo, and Zara have faced criticism and legal scrutiny for misleading sustainability claims.

The Norwegian Consumer Authority even called out H&M's Conscious Collection for its lack of clarity and documentation, suggesting that it went as far as deceptive marketing. In 2022, Boohoo faced backlash after appointing Kourtney Kardashian as a sustainability ambassador while continuing to sell $4 dresses, essentially the definition of greenwashing.

This erosion of trust has a flow-on effect on brands. It reduces consumer loyalty, undermines brand equity, and negates any positive branding.

But perhaps the greatest cost is to progress itself. Greenwashing distracts from the real work required to shift fashion toward a low-impact future. Instead of investing in cleaner materials, circular economies, or fairer labour practices, brands spend on green PR. The result? Style over substance; an illusion of change rather than actual transformation.

Sustainability transparency for fashion brands

So then, what is fashion sustainability? True fashion sustainability requires systemic change. Brands need to shift from marketing-led green claims to operations-led accountability. Sustainability should be embedded in the business model, not just the branding.

Transparency is key. Consumers want to know what materials were used, who made their clothes, and under what conditions. They want proof rather than vague promises. But achieving transparency is difficult. Fashion supply chains are notoriously complex, spanning multiple countries, with little visibility at each stage. For many brands, tracing raw materials or ensuring ethical labour is a logistical challenge.

However, complexity should not be an excuse.

The United Nations Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook outlines seven key principles: be humble, educational, evidence-based, clear, transparent, constructive, and credible. These principles challenge brands to stop greenwashing and start educating, empowering, and engaging consumers.

Brands can demonstrate transparency by:

• Publishing detailed impact reports that include clear metrics (e.g., water use, carbon emissions, living wage compliance)
• Joining third-party certifications like Fair Trade, GOTS, OEKO-TEX, or B Corp
• Offering product traceability tools (like QR codes linked to supply chain data or blockchain-based verification systems)
• Investing in lifecycle analysis and publishing the results
• Being open about limitations and areas for improvement, rather than presenting a curated version of the truth
• Partnering with independent auditors to verify claims

Transparency is a tool for accountability, as well as a lever for innovation and consumer connection. Brands that lead with integrity are not only more credible, they are more resilient long term.

Sustainable fashion brands

While most brands fall short, others are setting a new benchmark for ethical fashion. Two names stand out: Veja and Eileen Fisher.

Veja, a French sneaker brand, is known for its radical transparency. From organic cotton sourcing in Brazil to fair-trade rubber and detailed cost breakdowns, Veja opens its entire supply chain to public scrutiny. Its marketing is minimalist, letting the facts speak for themselves. The company avoids paid celebrity endorsements, choosing instead to let values lead. Even its packaging is made from recycled materials and shipped via low-emissions transport.

Eileen Fisher goes even further. The American womenswear brand has embedded sustainability into every layer of its business. Its "Renew" program encourages customers to return worn items, which are repaired, resold, or upcycled. "Waste No More" transforms textile waste into new garments and artworks. These initiatives are backed by public reporting and data, not just storytelling. The brand has also committed to becoming fully circular by 2030.

Other notable mentions include:

• Patagonia: Known for its activist stance, transparent supply chain, and Worn Wear resale program
• Outland Denim: An Australian brand focused on ethical employment in Cambodia and full supply chain traceability
• Nudie Jeans: Offers free repairs for life, promotes transparency, and publishes detailed sustainability reports

These brands prove progress beats perfection. They’re not saints, they’re disruptors. And that’s what makes them credible. They publicly acknowledge shortcomings, share learning, and focus on long-term impact. And consumers respond. By choosing transparency over tokenism, they have built brand loyalty that no ad campaign can buy.

Greenwashing is a symptom of an industry in flux. Fashion knows it needs to change, but not all brands are ready to walk the talk. As climate deadlines loom, vague messaging and superficial claims no longer cut it.

Fashion at Billy Blue

The future of fashion is transparent, measurable, and accountable. The brands that survive will be those that tell the truth, back it up with data, and put sustainability at the centre of their operations, not just their marketing. Because consumers are watching, and they’re asking the right questions: what is fashion sustainability?

At Billy Blue College of Design, we’re training the next generation to answer them. Sustainability and design aren’t separate. They’re intertwined. We teach our students to question assumptions, communicate with clarity, and design with purpose.

We don’t teach sustainability as an add-on. We bake it into everything. Our students design to disrupt: building circular systems, ethical sourcing strategies, and real-world solutions that make greenwashing look lazy. Because real change starts with people brave enough to disrupt the status quo.

Fashion can be a force for good, but only if we demand better. The world doesn’t need more noise. It needs more clarity, more courage, and more creativity. That’s where we come in.

Ready to tear down fashion’s lies and design something better? Trouble starts here.