In recent years, the idea of a circular economy has gained significant traction across industries, governments, and academia. Unlike the traditional linear model of “take, make, dispose,” the circular economy aims to separate economic growth from environmental harm and the overconsumption of natural resources. The ultimate goal is a system with minimal to no waste, where materials are continuously reused, repaired, or recycled throughout production, distribution, and consumpt

These people are making Planet Money T-shirts, and they’re deeply curious about the production process from start to finish. They want to know every step—where the fabric comes from, how it’s made, and how it travels through the supply chain. In this podcast, they take us all the way to Bangladesh, visiting the ateliers where the T-shirts are crafted and speaking directly with the women who work there. The show highlights the profound economic and social changes that garment

Fashion’s environmental impact has been widely known for years, yet the industry continues largely as if nothing has changed. While climate crises dominate headlines, fashion persists in business as usual. One might expect sustainability to be a central concern—but in reality, conversations around it are inconsistent and often misguided. The term “sustainability”  itself has become almost meaningless. Brands apply it to anything that seems marginally better than conventional

I recently listened to a discussion from the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2014, where industry leaders debated the role of fast fashion—and H&M’s contribution to it. The conversation was fascinating, especially because H&M was directly confronted. A representative from H&M, who shared that she had lived in Bangladesh for several years, defended the company by highlighting its contributions to the local economy and women’s employment. While there was truth in her statement, the d

Fashion has always been a field shaped by creativity and constant reinvention. In recent years, there has been a renewed appreciation for craftsmanship, slow production, and locally made pieces. This shift stands in clear contrast to the fast, machine-driven mass manufacturing that dominated the last century. But to understand where fashion is moving today, it helps to revisit the long history of clothing itself. Researchers still debate the exact moment humans began wearing