Insights from Copenhagen: Responsible Innovation in the Fashion Industry

The Youth Fashion Summit

https://vimeo.com/167694724

“This is the first generation of people who really understand climate change, and the last ones who can really do anything about it.”  - Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, quoted by Dilys Williams, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion

For the three days, over 100 students, from 40 nations, gathered together in the dappled courtyards and halls of the The Royal Danish Academy to unpack and reinterpret the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Their mission was to devise seven demands on the fashion industry, which would be presented at the Concert Hall, only two days later.

This was no easy feat, especially for a diverse group of perfect strangers. As facilitator for the circularity working group, Project Manager of Circle Economy's Circle Textiles Team, Gwen Cunningham saw, first hand, how they grappled to come to terms with these complex topics during the intensive workshop days. The driving questions emerged; can the fashion industry be a vehicle for change? How can we harness it’s spark, it’s creativity and it’s omnipresence, to address issues surrounding the environment, climate change, ethics and workers’ rights and welfare.

What rang clear was the total, unanimous agreement that the fashion industry was due for a major overhaul and that this next generation has no interest in inheriting the industry, as is. Their passion and unwavering clarity on the need for change kept the energy at fever-pitch and translated into powerful statements of intent, that industry judges called ‘presidential’, ‘eloquent’ and ‘purposeful’.

The Copenhagen Educators Summit

Picture by Gianluca Mazzarolo from GM Creative Studio

“Thank you for the work you do- the students’ ideas are changing the game” - Angela Snow, Senior Director, Global Design, Culture and Community, Nike

During a productive evening of workshops, networking, and panel discussions including Claire Bergkamp, Head of Sustainability and Ethical Trade at Stella McCartney, Angela Snow, Senior Director of Global Design, Culture and Community and Nike and Caroline Kahn Manager of Product Sustainability at Nike three core take-aways emerged:

• Universities have a responsibility to challenge the basic logic of mass consumption and mass production. Isn’t a curriculum which asks for 8-piece collections, or packs five projects into one academic year, supporting the fast-paced, waste-ridden mentality that is at the heart of the problem? Can an institution also play a role in teaching students how to advocate for responsible consumerism?

• Sustainable thinking is an emerging competency that is now actively sought after by the industry. But what hard and soft skills does a sustainable designer, brander or manager need? And how can universities nurture qualities such as empathy, critical inquiry, material innovation and systems thinking?

• There is a need for more direct conversation between industry and education. Snow exclaimed ‘we find that students are producing work (theses, collections, innovations) based on what they think the industry needs- we know what we need’. There is a clear need for structures like Beyond Green, that facilitate continuous interaction, within a framework.

The Copenhagen Fashion Summit

Picture by Gianluca Mazzarolo from GM Creative Studio

“This idea of a sustainable ‘journey’ is killing us. It’s not a journey, it’s a mission’  - Linda Greer, Scientist, National Resources Defence Council

Fighting Summit fatigue, we forged our way to the largest and the last event of the week; the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Over 1.200 attendees, from 52 countries joined, including senior sustainability leaders from G-Star, Nike, Filippa K, Stella McCartney, H&M, as well as noted individuals such as Suzy Menkes, Renzo Rosso and Vanessa Friedman.

With such a vast and specialised audience, the risk of preaching to the converted was high. Nike and Patagonia emerged as clear highlights, sharing commitments to circular solutions, with Hannah Jones confessing that she ‘never knew she would love waste so much!”.

Livia Firth was  a solid favourite too, bravely calling attention to the ‘elephant in the room’; the fast fashion business model on which we still depend. “Because the impact, the pace, the volume and the economics pre-ordained by this current business model – will not get us to the point we want to get to: one where producers are in partnership with brands, rather than in servitude to them.”

Yet as her passionate voice reverberated from the walls of the concert hall, we were left wondering where is the discussion in these moments? What good is a lone speaker at a lonely podium, when what’s desperately needed, and repeatedly called for throughout the course of the day, is industry collaboration, critical conversation and clear consensus?

Indeed, the highlight was the rallying cry of the next generation who boldly demanded change, and outlined solution-driven actions. You can read their entire manifesto here. May we not only  listen and learn but take action.