If the coronavirus has put the textile industry in check, with sales forecasts that are not at all encouraging, the second-hand clothing sector is spared the disaster. According to the consultancy firm Global Data, this market is expected to double its profits in the next five years. Among its advantages are the cheaper price and the more responsible consumption by extending the useful life of the garments. London-based COS, famous for its minimalist and timeless collections for men, women and children, announced the launch of Resell on its website in 2020, in which it offers a selection of pieces from other seasons under an original system. It is the users who are responsible for putting their used clothes up for sale, setting the price themselves, while COS will resell them as an intermediary, keeping 10 percent of the profit. The programme offers a new digital space that hosts a buying and selling platform for the brand's second-hand pieces, offering its community the opportunity to reinvent their wardrobe in a sustainable way. Resell reinforces COS's aim to become a fully circular and renewable brand, developing innovative ways to continue the brand's commitment to quality and longevity by reinventing the lifecycle of each piece. With pieces carefully selected by the COS community and available online, Resell will offer the opportunity to offer for sale those garments that have featured prominently in the wardrobes of its retailers and also to acquire a selection from the brand's archive, spanning the last 13 years. With a focus on simplicity and functionality, each garment will tell a unique story, while bringing a contemporary wardrobe staple to last through the seasons. The word sustainability is echoing ever louder in the fashion industry. In addition to ecological collections and more committed productions, there are new initiatives that invite us to rethink the current model and question the viability of fast fashion. COS, a brand belonging to the H&M group, is starting out in second-hand e-commerce. If Patagonia, Madewell and Eileen Fisher have already done so, which major brands could be next? At the moment, one of COS’ core goals is to achieve 100% recycled, reused or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030, if not sooner. What we do at COS is also part of a broader vision.
The Good Cashmere Standard The use of sustainable materials is a fact that is increasingly present in the fashion industry and COS didn’t want to be left behind with this advancement. The Swedish brand is aware of the environmental impact it produces and has therefore opted for other less conventional materials, especially cashmere, launching a collection based on this natural fibre, but recycled. This new line is in collaboration with Aid by Trade Foundation and certified by The Good Cashmere Standard, two groups that try to create, promote and implement sustainable cashmere as a textile material. The garments with this seal mean that the yarns used come from farms where the goats are treated responsibly. Farms that are aware of both the protection of the environment and the social and economic conditions of the workers. In recent years, the rise of cashmere has led to "overexploitation and, therefore, an increase in the risk of desertification in rural areas", acknowledges the company. For this reason, the COS collection only deals with material that is 100% from Mongolia. In addition, there is another part of the collection in which COS has made pieces from recycled cashmere. To do this, it has mixed surplus from other garments from past productions and blended it with a virgin material. This experimental way of making clothes is part of its ambition to close the circle, maximize circularity and minimize waste. Innovation for the Environment In the same year, the firm presented its 'Denim by COS' line. Within the collection all the designs are made from 100% organic cotton. The idea of using this material is not only due to the fact that it is sustainable, but also because it can help the garments in this collection last longer. And by avoiding premature deterioration of the garments, we can also avoid excessive and compulsive buying, one of the factors that most affects the environment. The 'Denim by COS' collection is divided into the three classic lines - women's, men's and children's - and includes everything from trousers to accessories. For instance, the women's line features high or medium-waist jeans, with the novelty of not having rivets to facilitate recycling. In the case of men's garments, the designs stand out for their wide, straight lines. The biggest surprise was undoubtedly in the children's section. COS has designed clothes for the youngest members of the family so that they can be returned when they outgrow them. Children grow with every blink of an eye and a big problem for parents is the fact that they have to buy new clothes every few months. Nor can we fail to mention the accessories, amazing jewelry made from recycled denim. What’s more, COS has renovated its signature COS carrier bag to 100% recyclable, and now made of FSC Certified paper, as well as less than 10% print coverage, using only water-based ink. The tissue paper used to wrap our products in store is already recyclable. However, the design team has taken this one step further by making it from 50% recycled paper. On the note of sustainable certifications, COS' website proudly states that they use certified ethical materials such as The Responsible Wool Standard, and the Global Recycle Standard.