Iraq Fashionistas Champion Climate-friendly Vintage Wear

Global fashion accounted for two percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and climate-conscious social media influencers are pushing for sustainable fashion. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
Global fashion accounted for two percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and climate-conscious social media influencers are pushing for sustainable fashion. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
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Iraq Fashionistas Champion Climate-friendly Vintage Wear

Global fashion accounted for two percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and climate-conscious social media influencers are pushing for sustainable fashion. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
Global fashion accounted for two percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 and climate-conscious social media influencers are pushing for sustainable fashion. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP

In a palm grove north of Baghdad, bemused Iraqi shepherds looked on as models paraded second-hand garments down an improvised catwalk, seeking to raise awareness of the fashion industry's environmental impact.

Haute couture has given way to upcycled outfits, sourced entirely from used clothes, as the models strut, pause and pivot on the runway, a sign of the growing popularity of chic, environmentally friendly vintage wear among young Iraqis, AFP said.

"We don't want overproduction of clothes, we have to reuse them," said Mohamed Qassem, 25, a hairdresser and organizer of the fashion show near Al-Hussainiya village.

The global fashion industry accounted for two percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to the World Resources Institute.

Campaigners and a growing number of climate-conscious social media influencers have led a push toward sustainable fashion.

Many young people in climate-stressed Iraq, like Qassem, have become passionate about vintage clothing.

The palm grove event showcased fluorescent green puffer jackets, long black leather coats, ample double-breasted blazers, and modern takes on traditional costumes.

In many parts of Iraq, scarred by decades of conflict, peaceful rhythms are gradually returning to daily life and second-hand clothing offers aspiring fashionistas an affordable chance to express themselves.

Climate threats
As Baghdad's streets see more "fast-fashion" and imported brands, the outfits at the Al-Hussainiya event predominantly feature green elements, a nod to the show's environmental message.

Iraq, synonymous with date production, has seen its iconic date palms placed under stress by the effects of climate change and the years of conflict.

"The goal is not to focus only on clothes, but also abandoned orchards, palm trees that disappear every day," Qassem said.

The United Nations says oil-rich Iraq is one of the five countries most exposed to the impacts of climate change, already witnessing extreme summer heat, frequent droughts, desertification and regular dust storms, which will exacerbate as the planet heats.

The designs at the fashion show will not be put on sale. Organizers mainly hope the symbolic parade will raise awareness.

Ahmed Taher, a 22-year-old stylist who put together the sets for the show, said "second-hand pieces are clothes of excellent quality".

"When you wear them, you have the impression of wearing luxury clothes. It's different from what you find in stores."

A business student, Taher offers Baghdad's hipsters vintage clothes on Instagram -- where he has around 47,000 followers -- selling pieces for around $20.

"We want to wear unique clothes and not all look like each other," he said.

'Last a lifetime'
A student-turned-model for the day, Safaa Haidar, said she was attracted to vintage clothes as she could shop "according to my personality".

But in Iraq, where the UN estimates nearly one-third of the 42 million inhabitants live in poverty, many wear used clothing out of necessity.

In the winding alleys of central Baghdad's second-hand clothes market, stalls overflow every Friday with shirts, shoes and jeans, with shoppers checking sizes in front of the sellers.

Here a shirt can cost barely $2, while other pieces can sell for as much as $60 or even $200.

Mohamed Ali, a 20-year-old engineering student, came to buy shoes.

"It's not that we can't afford to buy new, but here we find better quality and unique pieces," he said.

Ali recounted his parents' stories from life in the 1990s, when Western sanctions against Iraq meant they would wear clothes, even "inside out, until they were worn out, because they could not afford" new ones.

Now, Ali and most of his friends shop for vintage clothes for their durability and style, he said.

Merchant Hassan Refaat, 22, sells imported second-hand clothes which find a new life in Iraqi wardrobes.

He also imports goods from Iraq's northern autonomous Kurdistan region, bordering major textile producer Türkiye.

"Second-hand clothes are of better quality than the new clothes available on the market," he said.

"Very often, they are branded pieces, and the brands last a lifetime."



Struggling Puma Names Former Adidas Sales Chief as CEO

FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa
FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa
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Struggling Puma Names Former Adidas Sales Chief as CEO

FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa
FILED - 04 November 2022, ---: Arne Freundt poses for a picture. Photo: Christoph Maderer/PUMA/dpa

Sportswear brand Puma said on Thursday former Adidas sales chief Arthur Hoeld would take over as CEO, replacing Arne Freundt due to what the company called "differing views on strategy execution".
Puma has struggled to boost sales and profitability for more than a year. Its pick for the top job marks the latest talent swap between the competing brands, two years after its CEO Bjorn Gulden jumped ship to lead Adidas through a successful turnaround, Reuters reported.
Based across the road from each other in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the companies have a rivalry going back 75 years to a feud between shoemaker brothers Adolf Dassler, founder of Adidas, and Rudolf Dassler, who started Puma.
Puma said Freundt, CEO since November 2022, would step down on April 11 and Hoeld would take over as chairman and CEO effective July 1, with the board leading the company in the transition phase.
"I am incredibly excited to join the PUMA family as their new CEO," Hoeld, who left Adidas in October last year, said in a statement.
Adidas has enjoyed strong sales growth as it surfed a trend for its Samba and Gazelle sneakers, while Puma sales have been sluggish as it struggles to boost interest in new sneakers like the Speedcat.
Puma last month warned its 2025 sales would likely be weaker than last year, and said uncertainty was denting consumer spending in the US, which accounts for between 20-25% of its global sales.
"We expect this news to be taken positively, given ongoing investor concerns around performance and strategic execution," said Citi analyst Monique Pollard.
US tariffs on China, Vietnam, Indonesia and other key manufacturing hubs hit sportswear retailers, sending Puma shares down 10% on Thursday.
Puma sourced 28% of its products in China last year, while Vietnam was its second-biggest sourcing country with 26%, and Cambodia was third with 16%.
The share price, pummeled by slowing sales, is close to its lowest in nine years.
"We are convinced that thanks to his strategic vision and focus on product and brand, Arthur will lead Puma into a new chapter of strength and growth," said Heloise Temple-Boyer, chair of the supervisory board at Puma.