Believe it or not, the World Cup is not solely about deducing this year’s global soccer champion, but also about creating a positive impact on people and environment. FIFA, a self-governing association for football/soccer, organizes events like the World Cup with changes in mind including everyone from local businesses to national soccer teams.

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Aside from having each city hosting a World Cup game put 82,000 square feet of real grass in their stadiums, FIFA requires them to create sustainability plans that will positively impact these areas in the long term. Host cities around the United States have been creating installations, works of art that showcase the environmental goals of each city, and present the consumer with an opportunity to interact with them. Houston, one of the 2026 U.S. World Cup host cities, is partnering with businesses and nonprofits to fashion displays all over the city with efforts to educate the public on Houston’s unique natural environment and the ways they can protect its health.

 

Magpies & Peacocks is one of the incredible nonprofits that has been working hard to romote sustainable practices in Houston, most importantly, waste in the fashion industry. As an integral part of Houston’s 2026 World Cup Sustainable Hospitality Program, Magpies & Peacocks has their own display in Hobby Airport. For this, they

partnered with Southwest Airlines to create a clothing line completely out of the leather from airplane seats. The materials were donated by Southwest’s Repurpose with Purpose Program which strives to reduce fabric waste by giving the leather to businesses that will recycle it into something new. This mission is not unique to airline

couture though; Magpies & Peacocks work every day to mitigate the effects of fast fashion by reusing recycled fabrics. In fact, they are the only non-profit design house in the nation that seeks to lighten the heavy load of waste the fashion industry provides.

 

Magpies & Peacocks has their own retail store in Houston that serves as a headquarters for their business. It houses all their stored textiles, as well as their finished products, which can be bought by the average consumer. Their resource library contains a wide variety of fabrics generally donated in large amounts from big corporations that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Magpies & Peacocks then fashions the fabrics into stylish pieces fit for any runway or average consumer.

 

Magpies & Peacocks also strives to serve the common good and empower others through their MAKR Collective workforce program. Through this initiative, the non-profit employs trauma survivors, including survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, as well as individuals from impoverished communities, allowing them to gain work experience and skills that can move them forward in creative industries. Whether these individuals work in retail or hands-on in the workroom, they are being supported and uplifted by not only Magpies & Peacocks but also customers and consumers. All of this ties into their mission of educating others on skill-building and sustainability to lessen the effects of textile waste on our planet.

 

While Magpies & Peacocks is local to Houston, they continue their mission on a global scale as well. Since their establishment in 2011, the company has attended various events with their designs. In addition to hosting their own events, like their 2024 After Dark Fundraiser, Magpies & Peacocks were showcased at London Fashion Week in 2019. They also designed a signature outfit for a select artist at the 2026 Grammys. The World Cup has maintained a vision of sustainability since 2006, seeking to provide long-lasting change for host cities and World Cup spectators alike. Their sustainability mission is gracefully presented this year through Magpies & Peacocks’ efforts as they work to convey the importance of maintaining the beauty and function of our natural world. Through all, Magpies & Peacocks is a completely unique nonprofit, simultaneously changing the fashion industry and preserving our earth one piece at a time.