EDITOR’S LETTER

he traditional ‘welcome’ is perhaps not the best way to introduce this one-off publishing project that has been a year in the making. Exploring the disastrous reality of what will happen if we don’t all commit to fighting climate change is not a jolly conversation to invite you to join. But it is a vital one, and we hope this edition represents a rallying cry to the luxury industry to unite and pledge its commitment to Race to Zero. To coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), we invited 26 luxury industry leaders to talk honestly about the challenges they faced as they began changing the ways they did business. Many were initially anxious talking about sustainability, afraid of being accused of greenwashing. Almost all claim to be very far from perfect. Others admit to feeling overwhelmed by publicly committing to cut their emissions –but did it anyway. We are therefore by no means presenting a collection of congratulatory pats on the back. Instead, we are attempting to broaden the conversation by sharing the stories of 26 brands at varying stages of their journey towards zero emissions. We chose some of them in partnership with Walpole, the official body for the luxury sector, whose Sustainability Manifesto inspired us. No company has paid to be featured, because all the CEOs who took part wanted to share freely what knowledge they have, to inspire others to start the process.

Smaller brands have as much to offer as big ones. As Andrew Keith, MD of Selfridges, says, we will not solve this gigantic, complex problem without diverse voices (p92). Osman Yousefzada, creator of his eponymous multidisciplinary design label, suggests that the industry produces

FROM ABOVE: Fashion with purpose; Christopher Raeburn is a brand that delivers on sustainability, says Lucy Siegle; even Bentley has pledged to be end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030; designs by Osman Yousefzada

less and returns to being valued for its precious rarity (p88). Indeed, as journalist Lucy Siegle points out on page 27, the fashion industry produces more than 100 billion garments a year, incinerating or dumping 87 per cent of clothing materials. This is the context in which futurist Mark Stevenson berates the industry in his hard-hitting ‘call to arms’ essay, in which he demands radical changes (p12).

Mark’s piece makes for uncomfortable reading, but if consumers are prepared to pay a premium for luxury products, then industry leaders are well-placed to use that willingness to drive change – and change is visible. As I write, award-winning menswear label Ahluwalia, with an ethos that puts environmental and socially positive practices at its core, is wowing London Fashion Week. Founder Priya Ahluwalia’s views were formed by visits to Panipat in India, capital of garment recycling. Now the pillars of ‘Reduce,Reuse, Recycle, Resell’ are fundamental to many young and established brands alike as they strive for a more circular, regenerative economy.

I started thinking about this letter in August when parts of Athens and the island of Evia were in flames while, largely unreported, fires raged through Siberia, vaster and more savage than all the other wildfires in the world combined, destroying tens of millions of acres. Meanwhile, Germany was devastated by floods and Syracuse in Sicily recorded Europe’s hottest day ever (48.8 degrees).

I’ve been worrying about the environment since I was making documentaries with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) over 30 years ago. While recording the looming catastrophes suggested by deforestation or the thinning ozone layer, it seemed difficult to know what else to do as an individual, a condition that young climate activist, Clover Hogan, defines as ‘ecophobia’ (p18). We might feel overwhelmed by such a massive problem, yet collectively we can act. And act we must. As designer Bethany Williams says (p52), ‘It’s irresponsible to allow the next generation to inherit all the problems.’

Minister Grimstone, If BRITISH BRANDS are to retain any sense of PURPOSE and RELEVANCE in a world of from the Department of Trade, says Great British Brands stand globally for alarming UNCERTAINTY, ‘innovation, creativity, reliability and increasingly sustainability’ (p11) and they must now pledge their so it behoves them to harness their influence and send a strong message COMMITMENT to saving the PLANET to world leaders gathering at COP26. There is a confusing plethora of accreditation bodies, from B Corp to Planet Mark, but the luxury industry leaders interviewed here reveal a collective willingness to help each other navigate this challenging landscape. Jeweller Anabela Chan calls for ‘luxury with a touch of humility’ (p44), and I hope this publication heralds the dawn of a humbler, more collaborative, less competitive age of British luxury. If they are to retain any sense of purpose, aspiration and relevance in a world of alarming uncertainty and change, brands must now pledge their commitment to saving our planet by signing up to Race to Zero or the SME Climate Commitment. Finally, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Julia Prescot. Without her financial support and continuing encouragement, this edition would not have been possible.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Anabela Chan earrings; designs by Bethany Williams; activist Clover Hogan; a problem with plastic