The results of the MU Tendenze Sostenibilità F/W 2025-26 project
Fabrics and accessories for the future of the planet
Creativity, quality and sustainability are now recognized as established and distinctive values of Milano Unica, which for 13 editions has been dedicating space to the most committed exhibitors. In this edition, the MU Tendenze Sostenibilità Area features even more sustainability combined with even more creativity.
The tags of the samples showcased in the area graphically represent the core values that inspire sustainability. These include the protection of the health of workers, consumers and citizens through the elimination of hazardous chemicals; attention to reducing the use of natural resources and the principles of circular economy; and, last but not least, the promotion of social justice, combating climate change and biodiversity protection.
In addition to these 5 core values, the product tags specify 3 important characteristics of the manufacturer: the implementation of a sustainable business management system; the availability of a declaration of the product environmental footprint (PEF) that complies with the methods outlined by the European Commission to measure the environmental performance of products; and the implementation of a supply chain traceability system.
The MU Tendenze Sostenibilità project is now firmly an invitation - and a challenge - to creative talents to explore new and more sustainable solutions and materials without relenting on quality, beauty, style and originality.
Trends and sustainability at Milano Unica in figures
The samples of fabrics and accessories presented by the 410 exhibitors selected for the MU Tendenze Sostenibilità area totaled 3,432. These products meet the criteria set by the Milano Unica Technical Committee. These numbers show extraordinary growth again compared to the previous edition: +23.6% in total number of samples and +19.9% in number of participating exhibitors. This is a new record for the project, which confirms the growing interest and its relevance in the industry.
Data confirms that the principles of chemical safety used in the supply chain and circularity are now embedded in the vast majority of the samples presented.
82.8% of the samples selected by the Sustainability Technical Committee are manufactured with processes that comply with the main certifications, standards and protocols regarding the elimination of chemicals that are harmful to humans and the environment. These samples bear the "Chemical Safety" label.
In the second edition, 90.3% of the samples present characteristics related to circularity. In most cases, the samples are made from recycled materials or a single fiber to make recyclability easier. The attention to reducing the waste of the planet's limited natural resources plays a central role in the exhibitors' sustainability strategies. These products bear the "Circular Economy" label.
79.5% of exhibitors submitted samples with certifications explicitly requiring compliance with international conventions on labor and human rights throughout the supply chain. 63.8% of the samples bear the "Social Justice" label.
More than half of the exhibitors, 64.6% presented samples that have reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to their characteristics, and thus contribute to combating climate change. These samples generate lower emissions because they are made of materials that replace fibers originating from fossil sources, or are produced in Europe. In the latter case, if used by European textile manufacturers, emissions resulting from transportation are reduced. Other samples are produced using energy generated from renewable sources or by companies that have implemented carbon offset plans. These samples bear the "Climate Action" label.
An emerging theme in the fashion industry concerns biodiversity conservation, including also its restoration and improvement using regenerative farming methods. In this respect, more than half (63.2%) of exhibitors presented samples in line with this vision. While the use of organic farming materials is now an established practice, the persistent low availability of these materials and the lack of widespread certification systems for regenerative farming limit the number of samples. A total of 34.3% of samples bear the "Biodiversity Conservation" label.
Considering sustainability in organizations, over 110 exhibitors confirmed to have implemented a corporate sustainability management system. In addition, 16 exhibitors have a supply chain traceability system in place and there is an increasing number of exhibitors that have a product environmental footprint (PEF) certification in compliance with the methods outlined by the European Commission. Even if the number of these exhibitors is still small (9), it doubled compared to the last edition.
Standards, protocols and certifications
Certifications, standards and protocols may relate to the individual product or the organization.
The most common product standards and labels (Chart 3) relate to chemical safety and recycling. 41% of the samples are Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified and 32% are GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified, with an additional 2% being RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certified. Samples with an organic sourcing certification total 11% for GOTS and 1% for OCS; 11% are FSC certified. With percentages lower than 10%: RWS (Responsible Wool Standard), BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), Bluesign, Biobased ISCC Plus, and others covering less than 1% of the samples.
It should be noted that many of the aforementioned certifications have adopted a multi-criteria approach in recent years, adding broader requirements, such as respect for workers' rights and the elimination of hazardous substances, to the main scope of chemical safety, recycling, organic farming, forest management, etc.
The standards and labels related to the organization (Chart 4) include compliance with ZDHC protocols (25% of exhibitors) in the first position, followed by ISO 14001 certification (21% of exhibitors), Oeko-Tex STeP (13% of exhibitors), the Camera della Moda/SMI chemistry guidelines (14% of exhibitors), and the 4sustainability protocol (10% of exhibitors). With percentages lower than 10% are SA 8000, Textile and Health, ISO 45001, Seri.co, TF Traceability&Fashion, ISO 50001, EMAS and B Corp.
