Is Cactus Leather the Future of Fast Fashion?

It also announced a new initiative, Innovation Stories, to showcase “innovation, sustainable fabrications and design” throughout the year. The first collection features “fabrications of the future,” like a yarn made from castor oil and a plant-based leather alternative made from cactuses.

Jessica Ching, senior principal analyst for Gartner for Marketers, noted that material sourcing is a big theme in the sustainability movement now—and alternative leathers are particularly hot: “Consider H&M’s cactus leather, but also Hermes’ mushroom leather [or] Stella McCartney’s mushroom leather,” she said.

Environmental toll

While Ching noted H&M is among the few mainstream brands leading the charge here—and H&M itself said it “has long been dedicated to making positive change and to drive progress within sustainable fashion”—it’s no...