BFC and CFDA join forces to call for change

The British Fashion Council (BFC) and the Council of Fashion Designers
of America (CFDA) have joined forces and issued an open letter calling for
a global “reset” on how the fashion industry does business and presents its
collections.

The letter, entitled ’The Fashion Industry’s Reset’, states that the
Covid-19 pandemic has open up an opportunity for the fashion community to
“rethink and reset” the way in which fashion brands and designers show
their collections as well as how they work, including a focus on “no more”
than two collections a year.

“We are united in our steadfast belief that the fashion system must
change, and it must happen at every level. We are listening to many
conversations taking place,” states the BFC and CFDA. “These changes have
been overdue for a while, and the fallout from coronavirus has forced us
all to prioritise the process of rethinking how our industry should
function.”

The joint statement follows last week’s open letter from Dries Van
Noten, signed by designers including Joseph Altuzarra and Mary Katrantzou
calling on the transformation and reset of the fashion calendar, which was
followed days later by a Business of Fashion initiative also calling for
radical change. /p>

The BFC and CFDA are encouraging its brands, designers and retailers,
who are used to “fashion’s fast, unforgiving pace, to slow down,” stating
that with existing inventory stacking up due to the coronavirus crisis that
now is the time to look at the collections cycle and be “very strategic
about their products and how and when they intend to sell them”. /p>

With this in mind it is strongly suggesting that designers focus on “no
more than two main collections a year”. /p>

BFC and CFDA calls for “no more” than two main collections a year
moving forward

The two organisations added: “We firmly believe this can provide our
talents with the time they need to reconnect to the creativity and craft
that makes our field so unique in the first place. A slower pace also
offers an opportunity to reduce the stress levels of designers and their
teams, which in turn will have a positive effect on the overall wellbeing
of the industry.”/p>

This will allow a shift in the delivery schedule, allowing merchandised
to be sold “closer to the season for which it is intended”. /p>

With regards to fashion shows, the BFC and CFDA recommend that once the
pandemic is over, that brands should attempt to show “during the regular
fashion calendar and in one of the global fashion capitals in order to
avoid the strain on buyers and journalists travelling constantly.” /p>

Doing so would “avoid the strain on buyers and journalists travelling
constantly,” the letter added, “and significantly increased each
individual’s carbon footprint.”/p>

For the upcoming spring/summer 2021 season it did note that “physical
in-person presentations are likely impossible,” however, both organisations
would help to organise “virtual presentations” to highlight collections. /p>

The letter also placed an emphasis on keeping sustainability front and
centre of the conversation: “Through the creation of less product, with
higher levels of creativity and quality, products will be valued and their
shelf life will increase.”/p>

Concluding the joint statement, the BFC and CFDA, added: “The need to
align as a global industry during these times has become more apparent. We
will continue to work side-by-side, while each city will develop its own
local initiatives. Fashion is a business of creativity and new ideas and
difficult times are also ones for innovation. We will work to our
industry’s benefit as we reimagine and create, with our members and
partners, a successful future. /p>

“We all understand the difficulties that all of you are going through in
this devastating time and are here to help you and provide information in
any way that we can.”/p>

Image: courtesy of the BFC/London Fashion Week