Source: Vogue
Fashion has stepped up its climate goals as part of the United Nations Fashion Charter, with brands committing to slash their greenhouse emissions by half by 2030. But it’s clear that reducing the industry’s impact on the planet remains a major challenge, one that requires both innovation and collaboration.
These were the key themes of a Great campaign X British Fashion Council (BFC) showcase held during Cop26 in Glasgow, which highlighted the work of brands such as Stella McCartney, Burberry and Ahluwalia, alongside innovators that have the potential to help the industry move towards a more circular model. “It’s important that the fashion industry has had a much stronger voice at this Cop,” Caroline Rush, chief executive at the BFC, told Vogue. “We know from the designers and businesses that we’ve got showcasing here [that] there’s incredible work being done in the UK, but there’s so much more we need to do. [It’s about] joining the dots and how we empower creativity and innovation to help us achieve our net zero targets.”
As part of a Future Of Fashion installation, visited by Prince Charles last week, McCartney highlighted the new-gen materials she’s been championing, from Mylo leather made from mushroom roots (the first bag made from the material featured in her spring/summer 2022 collection) to Evrnu, a fibre that’s made from discarded clothing and is fully recyclable.
Meanwhile, Priya Ahluwalia – who recently launched Circulate with Microsoft, an app that crowdsources used clothing that can be upcycled – also featured at the event. “I think Circulate is a starting point for what I believe is a really innovative sourcing tool,” the designer said. “And it’s a nice way to build a community, but also to allow people to feel like they’re doing something positive.”
For Ahluwalia, the showcase was all about learning from the other designers and innovators taking part. “There are all these different points of view and I think it’s about testing my own thought process. Sustainability isn’t an absolute; it’s about learning,” she added.
The importance of knowledge sharing was also highlighted by Mother of Pearl’s Amy Powney, who previewed her new documentary Fashion Reimagined, which follows her mission to achieve full traceability throughout her supply chain. Phoebe English, meanwhile, shared her research on regenerative agriculture as part of the showcase. “I wanted to be here today because one of our main objectives in the studio with our research isn’t to sell clothing, necessarily, but to help pass on information and knowledge in the industry as a whole,” English explained.
While English, Ahluwalia and Powney exemplify the independent designers currently championing sustainability in the UK – alongside the likes of Bethany Williams and Helen Kirkum, who also featured – Burberry represented the major brands who are also working to reduce their environmental impact. The British fashion house has set the ambitious aim of becoming climate positive by 2040 (meaning they would remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than they emit), as well as launching its new biodiversity strategy last week.
It’s the major brands that will have to transform the most dramatically in order for fashion to truly lessen its environmental impact – and that is likely to require the support from policymakers, too. With the showcase being hosted by the UK government’s Great campaign, which champions British talent and businesses around the world, in partnership with the BFC – and featuring video messages from both Boris Johnson and Prince Charles – it’s clear that fashion is officially on the map when it comes to broader climate policy.
“The impact that the fashion industry has is finally in everyone’s consciousness,” Rush concludes. “But the need to collectively move together is really important.”
