London Fashion Week – one of the most glamorous events in London’s social calendar. Behind the scenes of this notorious event, you would usually see the frantic dash of anxious designers checking through every last look as eager journalists, bloggers and guests make their steady way through London’s traffic hoping not to be too fashionably late. It is a glorious celebration of creativity, glamour and latest trends. But in a climate conscious world, how relevant is this extravagant affair and does it feed the beast that is throwaway culture?
The press have been scrutinising Fashion Week and its impact on the planet for the past few years. A global event that plays into overconsumption and leaves us feeling ashamed if we’re not wearing the latest looks surely has no place in today’s eco-conscious world?
But controversy does not only exist on the runway. The problem runs far deeper into the very fabric of fashion – often requiring unsustainable materials and manufacturing processes that are detrimental to the planet.
The flights alone in attending the physical shows may form part of the glamorous lifestyle but contribute 241,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually according to an article released by business of fashion website, Ordre. Drastic action must be taken to slow down the rate of climate change and help the planet recover.
Nevertheless, the fashion industry has been taking gradual steps to make fashion more sustainable. And there has been considerable progress since the LFW19 show where Extinction Rebellion staged a 200 person funeral march aiming to end Fashion Week.
As more consumers shift their attitudes away from supporting fast fashion to become more environmentally aware, some brands are now adopting more sustainable practices. Bottega Veneta had adopted a more hybrid approach to its fashion shows by combining womenswear and menswear collections in 2017, whilst other designers such as Victoria Beckham are now opting out of showcasing their designs at London fashion week at all and have chosen a more digital approach to present their designs.
So what place does sustainability have in the future of fashion?
Designing For A Better Future
We are now seeing more and more fashion shows digitalised (made even more popular thanks to the global pandemic). By using technological advancements to view shows, we can get closer to making Fashion Week sustainable.
Some may miss the bustle of a traditional Fashion Week; however, making the shows more of an intimate spectacle will dramatically help to lower harmful emissions – even through travel alone. As well as the positive effects on the environment, digital shows allow for more inclusivity into the high-end fashion world and help to combat elitist traditions in the industry.
The “Big Four” Fashion Weeks (London, Paris, Milan and New York) are now taking a more globally conscious initiative to the shows by spotlighting sustainability-focused designers and encouraging fashion houses to combine their collections to only produce two collections a year. By only showcasing one spring/ summer and one fall/ winter collection instead of the usual eight will encourage customers to purchase their seasonal collections and benefit the planet by reducing manufacturing waste.
As well as this, many designers are now taking innovative approaches in their craftsmanship through using upcycled fabrics with low environmental impacts. Priya Ahluwalia, in particular, has repurposed deadstock and vintage clothing to create her menswear collections and was awarded The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design for her pioneering work and helping to change the industry for the better. While Marques’Almeida reversed the focus away from denim, one of the fashion industry’s most damaging fabrics to the environment, and instead created the new collection from locally made dyes, waste products and recycled ocean plastics to challenge the way designers manufacture clothes.
Alongside the designers, we are seeing a change made through education. The University for the Creative Arts has launched a MA Digital Fashion course this year. The groundbreaking higher education course will explore digital couture and encourage its students to innovatively explore fashion through technology to further reduce the impact physical fashion has on climate change.
Another course on Fashion Values is now available at The Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion. In partnership with Kering, Vogue Business and IBM, this free educational platform promotes sustainability within the fashion industry.
These exciting developments in education, designing and major fashion events are ways in which we can address climate change and gradually move towards a more sustainable fashion future. So despite the controversies and the negative impact fashion has had on the planet, there may be sustainable solutions that allow us to view and celebrate upcoming talent and innovative designers while opening the dialogue on more globally conscious thinking.
Fashion’s huge stage and creative minds should be used as an advantage – to help show the world how to reinvent and reduce for a better world.
May Garland 