In the aftermath of a London Fashion Week during which sustainability was the major focus, we take a look at what it will really take to create a fashion industry that’s good for the plan.
With a flash of lightbulbs, a rustle of fabric and the stomp of heels down a catwalk, London Fashion Week kicked into gear earlier this month.
Extinction Rebellion’s demands are backed up by unsettling statistics. According to The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), approximately 11 million items of clothing go into landfill each year, while the 2019 Pulse Report stated that, without radical action, the global textiles industry will be accountable for one quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050. And the industry is expanding – the Global Fashion Agenda suggests that, by 2030, the global apparel and footwear sector will have grown by 81%.
It’s not all bad news however; sustainability is the topic drawing all the attention this season. A new generation of designers is putting the environmental and ethical imprint of their clothes firmly on the agenda, while established labels are keen to be seen to be shifting their practices. This change is coming from the top, with the British Fashion Council announcing the launch of a new initiative named the Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF), created to set industry standards that encourage companies to champion greener business models and enable positive change.
So what can we do to help break the cycle of production, consumption and disposal? Buy less and buy better. Download an app like Good On You to check out the green and ethical credentials of a brand before you purchase. Take clothes to be mended rather than throwing them away. Shop from second-hand, vintage or charity shops (more on that below). And, without question, start holding fashion brands to account. Demand clarity around their sustainability targets across the supply chain and the steps they’re taking to achieve them.
Last Friday, just as political leaders began to convene at the United Nations in New York for the 74th General Assembly, coordinated climate strikes involving unprecedented numbers of people, took place in cities all over around the world. People are demanding radical action and any industry that refuses to comply will be in danger of going out of trend.
“When a fire alarm goes off, someone needs to stand up and leave the room, otherwise no one thinks the alarm is real. We need fashion to be that person”
Sara Arnold, Extinction Rebellion
London’s best charity shops, as chosen by the TEDxLondon team
The high street charity shop is a great British institution and we all have our favourites! Here are the TEDxLondon team’s top picks to find that feel-good bargain…
- “Crisis, Finsbury Park – every time I go there I magically find something I’ve been meaning to pick up elsewhere, plus they serve great coffee” – Flo, Copywriter
- “I love Traid on Kilburn High Road – but all of their branches are amazing” – Rebecca, Creative Director
- “Shelter in Kings Cross – full of vintage and designer treasures, plus it raises vital money for those suffering from homelessness” – Josie, Marketing Manager
- “Barnes’ Living & Giving for Save the Children UK – the staff are lovely plus they do Gift Aid, which means the charity gets even more!” – Sarah, Marketing & Comms Director
- “Mary’s Living & Giving on Fulham Road – I can’t go in there without leaving with a fashion treat!” – Ashleigh, Speaker Scouting & Application Manager
- “Fara on Pentonville Road – it has a great little vintage section where I always find some gems” – Rebecca, Operations & Customer Service Manager
Global climate strikes: the movement in pictures
Photograph: EPA
Photograph:Marcel van Hoorn/AFP/Getty Images
Photograph:Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images
Photograph:Esra Hacıoglŭ/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Cleaning up our backyard
Here at TEDxLondon we’re committed to doing our bit too. That’s why we’re building our sustainability strategy through working with brands like Bags of Ethics™ – a positive label that puts the emphasis on the people and the planet behind every product their manufacturer Supreme Creations produces, and makes sure every member of their supply chain is paid fairly.
Bags of Ethics™ – a positive label that puts the emphasis on the people and the planet behind every product their manufacturer Supreme Creations produces, and makes sure every member of their supply chain is paid fairly.
Made in the company’s own factory in Pondicherry, India, where over 90% of the workforce are women – many of whom are the main breadwinners for their families – Bags of Ethics help build a sense of community. Here’s one of the team helping create our 2019 Beyond Borders bags!
Did you know: The fast fashion industry produces around 1 billion garments annually.
Further reading: Setting a trend
- These are the brands fighting climate change
- Scrap the catwalk: Extinction Rebellion is Right
- The Resale industry is booming
- What does ‘sustainable’ actually mean?
- The textiles of the future
[arve url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqewBoChWdA” align=”center” promote_link=”no” thumbnail=”1779″ title=”Who made your clothes? | Baroness Lola Young | TEDxLondonWomen” description=”There are currently more people in enslaved or forced and abusive labour systems than at any point in human history – and our obsession with fast fashion is a big part of the problem. Appointed as a member of the House of Lords in 2004, Baroness Lola Young has spent years fighting to eliminate slavery, calling on everyone from government representatives to individual citizens to confront their own role in the problem. Lola is currently working on revising legislation to eliminate modern forms of slavery in supply chains. Speaking in conversation with arts, culture, heritage and sports consultant Beverley Mason, Lola discusses how the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh rippled across the fashion industry and shares the question every consumer should ask to hold brands to account: ‘Who made these clothes?’. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx” duration=”14M39S” /]
