Fashion Week has come to be an event that embodies the glitz and all things glamorous. It is a hot event for thousand-dollar ensembles and for celebrities and the elite to flock to. Fashion Week grabs the attention of the cream of the crop. It thus encourages the involvement of the top figures in the entertainment and fashion industry. However, in recent times, the focus is shifting towards environmental impact; the awareness of Fashion Week and its carbon footprint have increased.
Fashion Week’s Carbon Footprint
The many elements of Fashion Week unite to create a phenomenal show, but it comes at the expense of a high global impact. The carbon emissions, in particular of the event, comes from the extensive travel involved. The show moves from city to city. This means the sellers and buyers fly at the cost of about 241,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
To get to grips with this figure, consider this – the New York Fashion Week accounts for 37% of New York’s annual emissions. Now that is indeed alarming. Let’s not forget the journalists, influencers, stylists, and camera crews that have to travel as well as the sellers and buyers. The show production itself, the props and the sets used and the discarded décor, show-notes and invitations that come with the event. It all adds up.
A Hot Topic for Different Reasons
Fashion Week’s popularity is increasing over the years. However, its not just for fashion. The event has grabbed the attention of some of the world’s most influential environmental activists. Great Thunberg is one of the activists raising awareness on the ecological impact of the event. It is thus pushing a lot of celebrities to reconsider their travel activities.
The massive event is also under public scrutiny, with the environmental movement called Extinction Rebellion even protesting to have it shut down in London. It seems that for Fashion Week to maintain its brand value and reputability, it will have to appeal to the escalating demographic of the environmentally concerned.
Big Brands Take on the Challenge
The marketability of brands today hinges significantly on corporate social responsibility. Fashion Week brands have begun combatting criticism by prioritizing sustainable practices and reducing their carbon footprint. The megabrand Gucci for one has announced that it intends to make changes to its supply chain such that it will be entirely neutral. ‘
In the spirit of its reforestation efforts, Gucci has partnered with Redd+ of the UN. In terms of waste reduction, Patrick McDowell has been tackling its waste b means of upcycling fabrics and also through the use of ethically sourced materials. The Institute of Positive Fashion highlights brands that place focuses on environmental responsibility. The Institute of Positive Fashion is an organization launched by the British Fashion Council.
The Government’s Role
While Fashion Week has been progressing towards changes that reduce its carbon emissions and promote sustainability, at the Government level, there is a potential for reform in the way of tangible changes to the fashion industry’s structure. For example, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has implemented a ‘Fashion Pact’ recently. This pact aims at reducing the environmental impact of the French fashion industry.
About 150 brands have signed the pact, including the big boys like Alexander McQueen, Nike, Zara, and even Prada. This is significant as Paris is the fashion capital. Regulations are a necessary and considerable step towards the normalization of sustainable practices in fashion.
Fashion Week is an event that has an immense influence on the coming trends in the industry. It is only sensible that any motion made during the Fashion Week towards valuing sustainability will encourage a shift in the future of fashion as an industry.
The trend of sustainable fashion is gaining prominence. Some of the most popular fashion brands are embracing this trend. While the reason could be the rising face of environmentalism, as well as the rise of thrifting, the result is sustainable fashion, so we don’t complain. The world of fashion is not the world it once was, and neither should it be. The industry is as dynamic as the entertainment or the medical sector, keeping up with the times and making strides in its efforts of improvement. Say hello to a better, more sustainable future in fashion, folks!