New York Fashion Week recently wrapped and it’s clear that natural fibers like cotton will be having a moment once Fall/Winter 2025 comes around.

From the billowing, wide-leg denim jeans and parade of woven shirts at Calvin Klein’s show to the embroidered, color-blocked car coat at Christopher John Rogers, on to the work apron sweatshirt from emerging designer Meg Kim and still more wovens and cozy corduroys from designer Jack Sivan at New York Men’s Day, cotton proved its luxurious versatility time and again.

Whether or not an item is sustainable is as important to us as whether or not it fits. Sustainability is something that can mean a lot of different things but for us it means considering the environmental impact of the fabrics we use, the emissions of our supply chain, and the functionality and longevity of our final garment.

Jack Sivan, Designer

“Natural fibers make up our collection entirely, down to the buttons,” said Sivan in an interview with the Lifestyle Monitor™. “The only exception is the occasional use of synthetic fusible. We find that good natural fibers beat synthetics for anything we would need.”

For Fall, the cotton in the Sivan collection includes shirtings, trousers, corduroy pieces, and a pleated skirt.

“We consider sustainability to be a cornerstone of our business,” Sivan said. “Whether or not an item is sustainable is as important to us as whether or not it fits. Sustainability is something that can mean a lot of different things but for us it means considering the environmental impact of the fabrics we use, the emissions of our supply chain, and the functionality and longevity of our final garment.”

“We use 100 percent natural fibers and when we don’t they’re always deadstock materials,” Sivan continued. “We source our materials from local dealers in the States (with the exception of one Italian wool maker) and make sure all mills are vetted. We do all our manufacturing locally, which has the added benefits of being able to reduce delivery times, the ability to verify labor standards and the option for quality control during the manufacturing process.”

Designers that weave cotton into their collections are making an astute choice, considering nearly three-quarters of all consumers (73 percent) say cotton and cotton blends are their favorite fibers or fabrics to wear, according to the Cotton Incorporated 2024 Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey. Cotton dominates all other fibers, as the next choices by consumers are polyester and silk – both at 3 percent – followed by wool (1 percent), linen (1 percent), Lycra or spandex (1 percent), and rayon (0 percent).

Notably, the majority of consumers (62 percent) say they are willing to pay more for a natural fiber such as cotton, according to the Monitor™ research. That may not be all that surprising, since fully 81 percent of shoppers say they think better quality garments are made from all natural fibers such as cotton.

One NYFW event featured Australian designers who were either established or emerging, as well as sustainable. Designer Kelly Atkinson, whose collection is One Of/., and her husband Richard Poulson co-founded #WeWearAustralian, an initiative that presented a curated edit of Australian design in an immersive concept store for three days during Fashion Week. Besides Atkinson’s brand, other Aussie brands at the concept store included Acler, Christian Kimber, Jac+Jack, Morrison, Re/lax Remade, R.M. Williams and Viktoria and Woods.

“We champion Australian brands by collaborating together,” Poulson said in an interview with the Lifestyle Monitor™at the opening night of the pop-up. “We’re all working at the same level. It doesn’t matter the size of the brand.”

The initiative saw accessible luxury labels share the floor with unique, artisanal brands. For example, Acler features classic silhouettes that are updated with couture draping techniques and luxurious finishings – “equal parts sophisticated and rich in interest.” Meanwhile, Re/lax Remade’s trademark is creating one-of-a-kind hats, jackets, bags and rosettes crafted from vintage towels. Re/lax Remade touts, “No more faceless over-production, this is the new luxury.”

“I think a key aspect to Australian design is that there is care of our environment attached to it,” Atkinson said in an interview with the Lifestyle Monitor™. “What we have in Australia, we’re so lucky. Our environment is so beautiful that we really respect it. So, we’ve really paid homage to that.”

Natural fibers like cotton aren’t just part of the sustainability story for designers. Nearly 7 in 10 consumers (67 percent) say they most associate cotton with being sustainable, according to the 2024 Monitor™research. And more than 8 out of 10 consumers (82 percent) say they most associate cotton with being natural. That compares to just 12 percent who consider bamboo/wood pulp natural, 4 percent who attribute “natural” to polyester, and 2 percent who feel that way about rayon, viscose, or Tencel.

Additionally, the majority of consumers (81 percent) say they think better quality garments are made from all natural fibers such as cotton, according to the Monitor™ research. Further, more than half (55 percent) say if a garment has more cotton in it than other fibers, it is more comfortable, followed by softer (51 percent), more natural (36 percent), and lasts longer (28 percent).

Those factors are also why designer Sivan is captivated by and employs natural fibers in his collections.

“On the design end,” Sivan stated, “we develop our concepts around longevity, shunning any short- term trendiness, building garments whose use will keep them in someone’s wardrobe for years. And hopefully, one day, these pieces end up being sold again in a vintage store for another generation to love — and to keep out of a landfill.”