Drink more water. Exercise more consistently. Be more present. New Year’s resolutions can be a helpful push toward progress, but many of us make the same pledges each year, with little success.
Sustainable fashion is no exception. When Vogue Business asked industry leaders and experts to share their hopes for 2026, their responses could just as easily have come from any year prior.
Still, the new year is a chance to reset and refocus, so here are five New Year’s resolutions for the fashion industry to forge ahead with sustainability. Maybe 2026 will be the year things finally change for good.
1. Invest in resilience
In 2025, sustainable fashion was defined by instability, from tariffs and regulatory U-turns to extreme weather and supply chain disruptions. This will continue throughout 2026, pushing resilience ever-higher up the agenda for businesses. This is a critical reframing of sustainability plays — rather than making the moral case for change, sustainability teams are now making the business case on the basis of present and future risks, and the rising cost of inaction.
“The macroeconomic environment will remain a headwind for many organizations, which means sustainability investments must demonstrate real value and resilience,” says Claire Bergkamp, CEO of global non-profit Textile Exchange.
Exactly what resilience looks like depends on the business. Brands that rely heavily on natural materials might be prudent to invest in regenerative agriculture, protect water supplies and support biodiversity through nature credits. Businesses that operate in areas vulnerable to geopolitical disruption will want to diversify their supply chains or deepen relationships with strategic suppliers. Others might prioritize supply chain transparency and traceability, in a bid to weed out any potential malpractice that could transpire into reputational risks. Whatever resilience looks like to you, it will be essential to riding out whatever 2026 brings.
“Companies that invest early in understanding their supply systems, recognizing that there are no quick wins, and that choose credible standards and collective action as core strategies will be best positioned for the future,” adds Bergkamp.
2. Protect workers better
While companies seek to protect their profits, they should also be protecting their workers better — a win-win for boosting productivity, creating a happier workforce and building resilience upstream. There is a well-established roadmap for this, says Bangladeshi trade unionist and former child garment worker Kalpona Akter.
“In 2026, the industry must prioritize legally binding agreements, enforceable labor rights, living wages and freedom of association; just transition frameworks that protect jobs and incomes; direct engagement with unions and worker organizations; and shared responsibility, rather than pushing costs down the supply chain,” she explains. “Without these shifts, sustainability will continue to fail the people who make fashion possible. Change happens faster and more meaningfully when workers are organized, informed and protected.”
While the need for better worker protections has always been present, the consequences of inaction are rising, says Politecnico di Milano associate professor Dr. Hakan Karaosman. Over the past year, two distinct strands of his research have converged, revealing a growing reckoning for fashion production. Garment workers are facing increasingly dangerous conditions — not least because of extreme heat — and the recent probe into Italian luxury supply chains has cast new light on the challenges of working in fashion factories. These factors could drive potential workers away from fashion production — an existential threat to brands.
“The luxury industry relies on labor and craftsmanship, yet there is a growing disparity between its future skill requirements and the reality that younger generations are not interested in pursuing these jobs,” he says. “Fashion has long neglected its most important asset: its people. This must change.”
