How Social Responsibility Is Changing the Fashion Industry

Textiles influence not only the environment, they also have an impact on a social level. Behind every garment are people, working conditions and global supply chains. This is exactly why social responsibility plays an important role at COSH! and shapes many of our decisions.
Worldwide it is becoming increasingly clear how closely ecological and social challenges are linked: rising temperatures, political instability and increasing social inequality. Many organisations are therefore calling for more binding social standards, better audit structures and living wages as a minimum requirement.

Social responsibility starts with ourselves. At COSH!, people from different generations work together. Our team includes colleagues born between 1984 and 2002 who represent various gender identities. As we come from countries such as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, each person brings their own linguistic and cultural background. We also provided working and learning opportunities to interns from all over the world such as Indonesia, Iran, Peru and Serbia. The combination of experiences and perspectives helps us to consider social issues in a more nuanced way and to approach them responsibly.

The year 2025 was characterised by encounters, educational work, local initiatives and efforts to make more responsible practices in the textile industry more visible. This year once again saw COSH! contribute to strengthening information and transparency on critical fashion topics. Information on the situation of marginalised groups in global supply chains, unequal structures, the lack of living wages and other social issues has been shared with a broad audience. Numerous local entrepreneurs were supported in creating a positive social impact.

At the same time, people using COSH! were able to make fairer purchasing decisions, whether through transparent information, through alternatives such as second-hand, swapping, renting, upcycling or through completely consumption-free options like the Digital Wardrobe. Guidance is provided on what more responsible working conditions can look like.
In addition, the respectful use of cultural expressions has been highlighted, alongside explanations of why certain power structures persist in global supply chains and how quickly workers worldwide can be affected by economic decisions. Our social impact does not consist of a single project, but of many small and larger steps that together create impact.

Our commitment is most visible where we are active together with others.

Again this year, cooperation took place with individuals and businesses driving social change. These include above all women-led businesses, entrepreneurs with a migration background and brands that work inclusively, whether gender-diverse, culturally diverse or socially engaged. Advocacy for a gender-diverse society remains an ongoing focus.
Initiatives such as Hul le Kes in Arnhem offer people with mental health challenges the opportunity to find structure and calm through therapeutic sewing work. In Antwerp at REantwerp and in Nijmegen at Fraenck, social participation is created by providing refugees with access to new professional opportunities and developing long-term prospects. Remake Society trains new Dutch citizens and mothers on welfare in textile crafts, while JIWYA and Indikon in India promote safe working conditions, fair wages and the appreciation of traditional craftsmanship.
Such approaches can contribute to social inclusion and support people in different circumstances.

Human rights in the fashion industry remain a continuous topic of attention. Connections between exploitation and global supply chains are explained to create more transparency for consumers and brands. We also include topics that often remain in the background, such as the role of second-hand systems in labour-market integration or the challenges faced by self-employed people in our network on a daily basis.

This year, much has emerged within the COSH! community and beyond that has created social value, with COSH! playing a supportive role in several areas. We have accompanied initiatives that strengthen community engagement, make fair trade more visible, promote social participation and involve people in challenging life situations. COSH! also contributed to projects that open cultural perspectives on conflicts and address global inequalities in waste trade, including the Waste Colonialism project in West Flanders. 
As part of EU Green Week, we were able to share knowledge that helps citizens and companies make more responsible decisions. Another highlight was the IMEC Impact Award, which recognised our commitment to always prioritise making impact. This encouragement and attention helps us to make issues around more responsible consumption more visible.

The many encounters and collaborations this year have advanced social issues and made clear how much positive movement there is in our environment. In the future, we want to strengthen these developments: information should remain accessible to everyone – multilingual, free of charge and with options that do not require new purchases. At the same time, we will continue to highlight grievances, explain global inequalities and show where fair working conditions and more equitable supply chains are possible.
Furthermore, future priorities include supporting local and social entrepreneurs, backing initiatives that involve disadvantaged groups and promoting diversity within teams and networks. By keeping responsible brands and projects visible, fair working practices gain more attention and room for action. This ongoing visibility can help ensure that, in the coming year, many different steps contribute to easier, more responsible decisions and further positive change in the fashion industry.