When Risk Becomes Opportunity: The Fashion of Corporate Sustainability

Regulation is often framed as something we must frustratingly be constrained and adapt to. On top of that, it’s easy to feel the pressure of culture wars and the increasing eyes of consumers on brands and companies to be socially responsible. While cultural conversations and expectations are undoubtedly ebbing and flowing, it’s up to companies to navigate the headwinds and tailwinds of this flux.

For the past two weeks, Polecat has been following Climate Week in New York City along with the 80th United Nations General Assembly. At the same time, September also saw Fashion Weeks occurring around the world, with New York, London, and Milan all wrapping up in September. Most recently, Paris Fashion Week just finished up and made headlines with designers taking strides towards responsible and sustainable fashion.

PolecatX AI radar for "Paris Fashion Week" from the past 90 days.

Stella McCartney’s show was most notable with a show that was 98% sustainable and 100% cruelty-free. Not only did McCartney make a splash with her sustainability efforts, but her show also reflects the positive reaction to her innoPolecatX AI radar for "Paris Fashion Week" from the past 90 days of coverage.vation with FEVVERS, a plant-based alternative to feather, and PURE.TECH, a programmable fabric that absorbs pollutants from the air. Beyond Paris Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week also demonstrated the overwhelming positive reaction to sustainability initiatives in fashion, with Goodwill and eBay participating in sustainability efforts by highlighting second-hand fashion.

So What? 

These sustainability efforts across Paris and New York Fashion Week demonstrate that adapting to cultural expectations of more responsible production and climate accountability provides the opportunity for innovation. It is important to note, though, that our PolecatX sentiment graph for “Sustainable Fashion” highlights the need for true innovation and accountability as companies move towards more sustainable solutions, with some fashion brands facing backlash for greenwashing.

PolecatX sentiment graph for "Sustainable Fashion" pulling from the last 90 days coverage.

Nevertheless, our PolecatX sentiment chart shows a steady increase in positive sentiment when it comes to coverage about sustainable fashion. Recent coverage reflects positive engagement with new initiatives and rewards to recognize fashion brands moving towards more sustainable fashion. For example, Lagos’ Fashion Week has recently been named a finalist for the 2025 Earthshot prize. This recognition further highlights the need for industry recognition for innovative players, especially though who are forward-thinking in their responsible and sustainable fashion.

The Other Side of Fashion Sustainability

We would be remised to discuss sustainability efforts at Fashion Week without also mentioning the accessibility to trendy clothing at the cost of forced labor and further threats to the climate. When we put the fast fashion industry into PolecatX we see that the conversation is considerably centrifugal, with overlapping positive and negative engagement with a variety of related themes. Most striking is the overwhelming negative coverage when it comes to legal and regulatory practices within the industry as well as the environmental impact and public perception and activism.

PolecatX AI Radar for "Fast Fashion Industry" from the last 90 days of coverage.

When it comes to consumer behavior, there is positive coverage when it comes to consumers buying more frequently from second-hand shops as opposed to fast-fashion brands. Moreover, while high fashion has demonstrated its knack for innovation in sustainability, PolecatX thematic analysis also reveals that those in the fast fashion industry are also exploring greener solutions. Nevertheless, there is an overwhelming amount of coverage regarding legal and regulatory challenges within the fast-fashion industry, which highlights the growing pressure of consumer expectations while simultaneously adapting to legislation that is pushing companies to a more sustainable future.

Moving Forward with Polecat

While Polecat can help you and your company avoid risk, we’re also here to help you understand where risk can become opportunity. While the coverage around fashion weeks often revolves around new trends and designs, the centering of sustainability in Paris, New York, and Lagos fashion weeks reflects how the retail industry is arguably at the forefront of harnessing change to become more innovative. In a world where change is inevitable, Polecat empowers companies around the world to stay strong in change and harness risks as moments of opportunities.