BFC shares details on its plans to address sustainability

The British Fashion Council closed London Fashion Week with a reception
to celebrate British fashion and sustainability at Downing Street hosted
alongside the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Rt.
Hon Oliver Dowden, MP.

Dowden, with Stephanie Phair, chair and Caroline Rush, chief executive
of the British Fashion Council, welcomed designers, publishers, retailers
and business leaders from the fashion industry to the reception to share
further details of its plans for the Institute of Positive Fashion and its
global initiatives map to support UK fashion designer businesses, while
calling for an industry-led step-change to address climate change.

Phair opened proceedings discussing the “unprecedented challenges” that
faced London Fashion Week this season, as the fashion industry navigated
the impact of coronavirus, the ongoing negotiations post-Brexit, and Storm
Dennis, as well as what she called the “biggest challenge” the
sustainability of the planet.

In her opening speech, Phair said: “Since becoming chair two years ago,
I have seen the depth of commitment to supporting all aspects of this
industry. From championing emerging talent to raising millions for
education through The Fashion Awards to helping business prepare for
investment and of course showcasing our talent on a global stage. As the
first of the four global fashion weeks to open its doors to the public
London Fashion Week has become an even more powerful platform for
communication.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen first-hand the power of fashion to tell
stories and define our culture. This gives an incredible influence to bring
the consumer into the conversation as we address sustainability and build a
movement for change.”

Phair added: “Some have called on us to cancel fashion week and I accept
that our model, its frequency and its purpose need to evolve. But I do
believe that it can be a positive platform to showcase change and we will
work with consumers, the industry and our counterparts around the world
because we all care deeply about our industry and its legacy. I’m
particularly I’m proud that as an organisation we recognise the power of
activism but keep focused on practical actions.”

London Fashion Week closes with detailed sustainability plans

Fashion is a significant global industry worth 32 billion pounds to the
UK economy and employing 1 million people, and the British Fashion Council
is looking to be forward-thinking and reimagine the industry as a “force
for good” and with that asking for better collaboration from within the
fashion industry with its Institute of Positive Fashion.

Rush, added: “Climate change is the largest issue facing the planet
today, we know that both collective and individual action is needed to meet
the pace of change required. As an industry, there are some big questions
we need to answer, and some new ways of working required.”

Some of those “big questions” Rush explained are how does the fashion
industry use the power of the collective as a catalyst, how can the
industry move forward and share knowledge, without duplication, and
importantly how can the industry use their voice, platforms, and global
reach to communicate the need for change.

“We have marked 2020 as a year for positive change,” explained Rush. “In
a very British way, we are looking at a practical, action led agenda that
can help inform businesses, connect with global initiatives and bring
industry together to tackle big issues.”

The British Fashion Council is looking to address sustainability with
three action points, the first is its Mapping Global Initiative, which it
states will act as a baseline to avoid duplication and provide clarity
around where new resources can focus.

Rush called on all in the industry “to contribute, to help us make this
map go further and to ensure that none of us duplicate, ensuring
collaboration on positive change going forward”.

The initiatives currently on the Institute of Positive Fashion map,
located on the BFC’s website, are segmented by Pillar Environment, People,
Community and Craftsmanship, and by territory market. With the British
Fashion Council adding that it hopes by the time the Institute of Positive
Fashion launches later this year that there will be “deeper data to align
the initiatives to business verticals”.

Click Here: South Africa Rugby Shop

The Institute of Positive Fashion platform will become a hub for all
businesses to see what toolkits and information is available, and it will
also provide a framework that supports information flow to global
initiatives such as G7, UNFCCC and is already working with the United
Nations Office of Partnerships (UNOP).

The initiative will also invite industry to collectively look more
closely at innovation to address the issues that are discussed at
boardrooms and roundtables regularly.

The final action point mentioned by Rush was to use its platforms,
including London Fashion Week and The Fashion Awards to address the issues,
while also showcasing new businesses models and “create appetite for
engagement” such as it has seen with its Positive Fashion Exhibition
featured during London Fashion Week and its partnership with the UN Office
for Partnerships at The Fashion Awards last year.

Rush added: “It is no accident we are here at Downing Street sharing
this with you. We need government to work with us. These are challenging
times and your support and leadership is required to shape the future
together, to embrace innovation, address climate, people and cultural
challenges so that the fashion industry can remain an economic, creative &
cultural, positive contributor whilst ensuring that our natural resources
are protected, re-instated and the industry evolves for the future.

“Let’s work together, share, collaborate not duplicate and use our
voice. Fashion is a creative outlet for individual expression that touches
everyone, and as we have seen at London Fashion Week our businesses can
inspire, support communities with a huge capacity to be a social force for
good.”

Image: courtesy of the British Fashion Council – Stephanie Phair, chair,
British Fashion Council, Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for DCMS,
Caroline Rush, chief executive, British Fashion Council