Considering More-than-Human Ecosystems
Considering more-than-human ecosystems in fashion involves a holistic approach that recognizes and respects the intricate relationships between human activities and broader ecological systems. This perspective moves beyond human-centered design to include the well-being of non-human entities, such as animals, plants, insects, water systems, and other elements of the natural environment. The aim is to create fashion products and practices that minimize environmental harm, conserve resources, and promote ecological balance.
Incorporating more-than-human principles into fashion requires an understanding of the impact of materials, production processes, and the supply chain. Designers and brands must evaluate how their choices affect ecosystems and seek alternatives that reduce negative consequences. This includes selecting sustainable materials, such as organic fibers or recycled fabrics, and adopting production methods that minimize waste, reduce pollution, and protect biodiversity.
Furthermore, this approach encourages critical thinking about the lifecycle of products—from raw material extraction to disposal—and their environmental impact. By considering more-than-human ecosystems, fashion brands can develop practices that enhance planetary health, such as using regenerative agriculture, supporting ethical wildlife interactions, and reducing water and energy consumption.
A key aspect of this approach is the shift from a linear to a circular economy. In a circular economy, products are designed with their end-of-life in mind, allowing them to be reused, repurposed, or recycled, thus reducing waste and conserving resources. This aligns with sustainability principles and acknowledges the interdependence of all life forms within an ecosystem.
Adopting this mindset allows fashion brands to create products that not only meet human needs but also respect and preserve the natural world. It fosters responsibility and stewardship, encouraging both brands and consumers to make choices that benefit people and the planet. This approach challenges the traditional fast-fashion model, advocating for slower, more thoughtful consumption patterns that prioritize quality, durability, and environmental integrity.
Case studies
Gucci – Equilibrium: Regenerating and conserving nature
Gucci Equilibrium’s “Regenerating and Conserving Nature” agenda commits the brand to nature-positive action through regenerative agriculture, deforestation-free leather sourcing, and biodiversity restoration in key sourcing regions. By targeting land use, raw-material sourcing, and habitat protection, the programme explicitly connects fashion value chains to soil health, forest ecosystems, and wildlife conservation.
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Fourth Element – OceanPositive collection
Fourth Element’s OceanPositive collection turns discarded “ghost” fishing nets and post-consumer plastic into dive wear and swimwear, directly linking garment design to marine ecosystem recovery. By sourcing ECONYL and other recycled ocean plastics, the brand reduces demand for virgin synthetics while supporting removal of entangling gear that harms fish, turtles, and marine mammals.
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Pangaia – Bee:Wild and nature-positive materials
Pangaia combines bio-based and recycled textile innovations (such as FLWRDWN and plant-based finishes) with the Bee:Wild programme, which funds wildflower corridors and pollinator habitats through each product sold. This model connects materials science with concrete biodiversity outcomes, framing clothing as a vehicle for supporting insects and wider agro-ecosystems rather than only extracting from them.
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Patagonia – Our Responsibility programs
Through its Responsibility programs, Patagonia links product design to watershed protection, regenerative organic agriculture, and habitat conservation, for example by investing in Regenerative Organic Certified cotton and long-term land stewardship initiatives. The brand’s environmental grants and activism treat rivers, soils, and species as core stakeholders, aligning apparel production with restoration of damaged ecosystems.
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Allbirds – Carbon-labelled, nature-linked footwear
Allbirds discloses product-level carbon footprints and prioritises materials like ZQ-certified merino wool, FSC-certified eucalyptus fibre, and sugarcane-based foams. By tying every shoe to quantified climate impacts and certified land-use practices, the company makes visible how fibre cultivation, forestry, and agriculture affect climate regulation and biodiversity, encouraging lower-impact choices across the footwear ecosystem.
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References
Ashiq, R. (2024). Weaving a sustainable future for fashion: The role of social enterprises in East London. Sustainability, 16(16), 7152. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16167152
Bildirici, M. E., Çetin, M., & Ersin, Ö. Ö. (2025). Unraveling the environmental impacts of the fashion industry: A Fourier-based analysis of pollution dynamics and causality across five countries. Sustainability, 17(1), 69. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17010069
Navarro-Gambín, P., Bonetti, M., Villa, M., Brunori, G., & Vergamini, D. (2025). Paving the ground for biodiversity-positive transformative change in fashion: An exploration of drivers of biodiversity loss and barriers to transformative change in the textile, apparel, and fashion sector. International Journal of the Commons, 19(1), 1458. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijc.1458
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9
Wu, D., Zhuang, M., Zhang, X., & Zhao, Y. (2023). Towards circular fashion: Design for community-based clothing reuse and upcycling services under a social innovation perspective. Sustainability, 15(1), 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010262