RESULTS OF THE MU TENDENZE & SOSTENIBILITA’ FALL/WINTER 2027-28 PROJECT

Creativity, quality, and sustainability are the core and distinctive values that define Milano Unica. For the past 17 editions, Milano Unica has dedicated a special area to exhibitors that demonstrate a strong commitment to these principles. 

 

The tags accompanying the samples on display visually represent the key pillars of sustainability: protecting the health of workers, consumers, and citizens by eliminating hazardous chemicals; reducing the use of natural resources and embracing circular-economy principles; and promoting social justice, combating climate change, and protecting biodiversity.

 

In addition to these five core values, the product tags provide information on three key aspects of each company’s organizational structure: the adoption of a sustainable business management system; the availability of a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) declaration compliant with the European Commission’s methodology for measuring product environmental performance; and the implementation of a traceability system.

 

Milano Unica’s MU Tendenze & Sostenibilità project is both an invitation and a challenge for designers to explore innovative, more sustainable solutions and materials without compromising quality, beauty, style, or originality.

 

MU Tendenze & Sostenibilità in figures

For this edition, more than 3,100 samples submitted by over 360 exhibitors were selected for the MU Tendenze & Sostenibilità area based on the criteria established by the Milano Unica Technical Committee.

 

Samples and exhibitors by declared sustainability characteristics

These figures have remained consistently high over the years, confirming both the strong commitment of participating companies and the sound vision that inspired the creation of the project.

 

Chemical safety and circularity across the value chain have now become integral features of most of the selected samples. 

81% of the accepted samples were produced using processes that comply with leading certifications, standards, or protocols concerning the elimination of chemicals harmful to human health and the environment. These samples received the “Chemical Safety” label.

 

An even higher share (87%) of the selected samples was produced according to circular economy principles, including process water recycling, the use of recycled materials and the recovery of in-house production waste. These products received the “Circular Economy” label.

 

Certifications requiring third-party audits to verify compliance with international conventions on labor and human rights throughout the supply chain—both in manufacturing and in the raw materials farming—have become widely established. Overall, 76% of participating exhibitors and 56% of the selected samples met these requirements and received the “Social Justice” label.

 

More than half (54%) of the exhibitors participating in the MU Tendenze & Sostenibilità project presented samples whose characteristics contribute to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby supporting climate change mitigation. Lower emissions are achieved through the use of alternatives to fossil fuel-based fibers, the sourcing of materials produced in Europe, which helps reduce transportation-related emissions for European textile manufacturers, the use of renewable energy, or corporate carbon offsetting initiatives. These samples received the “Climate Action” label.

 

Biodiversity conservation is emerging as a strategic priority for leading fashion brands and, in the most advanced cases, is evolving towards biodiversity restoration through regenerative farming practices and enhanced animal welfare standards in fiber production. Overall, 37% of the selected samples reflected this approach. These samples were submitted by 61% of participating exhibitors and received the “Biodiversity Conservation” label.

 

With regard to companies’ organizational sustainability practices, the number of exhibitors holding a certified sustainability management system reached the significant milestone of 100.

 

Standards, Protocols, and Certifications 

Sustainability certifications, standards, and protocols were analyzed at two different levels: product-level certifications applied to individual samples and company-level certifications covering overall business operations. 

 

Among the product certifications and labels (Figure 3), those related to chemical safety and recycled content were the most widespread. 41% of the selected samples were certified under the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, and 26% according to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Regarding recycled content, an additional 2% were certified under the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS). Organic farming certifications accounted for 11% of the samples under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), and a further 3% under the Organic Content Standard (OCS). Other certifications, each representing less than 10% of the selected samples, included RWS (Responsible Wool Standard), FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), Bluesign, BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), and USDA Biobased label.

 

It is worth noting that many of these certifications have progressively adopted a multi-criteria approach, expanding their original focus—such as chemical management, recycling, organic farming, or sustainable forestry—to include broader sustainability requirements, including workers’ rights and restrictions on hazardous substances.

 

At the company level, the most widely adopted standards and protocols among exhibitors participating in the MU Tendenze & Sostenibilità project are reported in Figure 4. This year too, compliance with the ZDHC protocol ranked first, reported by 21% of exhibitors, followed by ISO 14001 (16%), Oeko-Tex STeP (11%), and the Chamber of Fashion/SMI Chemical Guidelines (10%). The 4sustainability protocol accounted for 7% while SA800 represented 5%. Lower adoption rates were recorded for ISO 50001, Tessile & Salute, ISO 45001, TF Traceability&Fashion, For Textile, B Corp, and EMAS.