Nature is becoming fashion’s most underpriced risk

This article discusses how the fashion industry's reliance on natural resources creates supply chain risks due to environmental degradation.

What happened

As fashion week rolls through New York, London, Milan, and Paris, buyers and editors are working out where the money will go for spring/summer 2027.

Why it matters

But behind the catwalks, the people who actually make those collections are watching something less reassuring. Almost every material the industry runs on, from cotton and wool to leather and cashmere, depends on ecosystems that are increasingly under pressure from drought, land degradation, and changing weather.

Nature loss has long been perceived by the fashion industry as an environmental or reputational issue. The uncomfortable truth is that it is a supply chain one.

We have seen where this leads. Coffee is the most recent warning. Drought across Brazil and Vietnam, the two largest producers, cut harvests and drove wholesale prices to their highest in decades, forcing roasters worldwide to raise prices and take the rest on their own margins.

This news brief is based on reporting published by FashionUnited on 2026-10-07. The original report is linked below.