While the conversation about sustainability in fashion has grown exponentially over the past five years, action is still too slow. That’s why “From Ambition to Action” is the theme of this year’s Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, an annual gathering of brands to drive the industry towards a greener future.
“Now is not saying we’re going to do [this] in five years or [years], or they want to When creating any goal,” CEO Federica Marchionni, head of the non-profit Global Fashion Agenda that arranged the summit, told Vogue. “It’s about what they’re going to do and what they’re already doing; sharing their practices and challenges.”
At the start of the session, Loewe and JW Anderson creative director Jonathan Anderson and LVMH Head of Image and Environment Antoine Arnault discusses their approach to sustainability. Other brands taking to the main stage included Nike, Gucci owner Kering and Zara’s parent company Inditex.
In keeping with the theme, three smaller stages were added this year, including one featuring case studies from companies such as Allbirds, which showcased its first zero-carbon The shoe’s prototype, along with Chloé and Vestiaire Collective, collaborated earlier this year on an instant resale. On the innovation stage, Ganni highlighted Rubi Laboratories, a California-based startup that captures carbon dioxide from manufacturing waste and turns it into textiles.
Here are the six takeaways from the Global Fashion Summit.
Textile waste remains a major issue
One of the most powerful discussions at the summit came from either African Foundation, a for-profit organization working to tackle the huge textile waste problem in Accra’s Kantamanto market. There, 15 millions of garments arrive every week, with young girls and women risking their lives transporting huge bales of clothing on their heads. “People are dying; said Sammy Oteng, the nonprofit’s senior community engagement manager, of the desperate reality on the ground. “This is not the time to argue; we need to act . “
At last year’s summit, The Or Foundation revealed it was getting million dollars from superfast fashion brands Funding Shein to help with this. While we wait for the EU to announce proposals to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations – which would make brands financially responsible for the collection, sorting and recycling of end-of-life goods – Oteng called on brands to introduce Voluntary EPR initiative to expedite action.
