STATE OF AFFAIRS: FASHION BRANDS ON SUSTAINABILITY Fashion and sustainability: much ado, but how much of it is more than a silver lining to an otherwise polluting and unethical industry? I set out to Copenhagen Fashion Week to hear what the fashion brands there had to say on the matter.
Interviews conducted at the CIFF, Vision (picture) and Defining Scandinavia Fairs, Copenhagen, January 2013. Participating brands were the green suitcase, Robe, Senze of Joy, Octopus, Cream, Oi Soi Oi, Louise Roe, Gestuz, Mayla, I am Mosh, P&T Furs, Blui & Marc Lauge
Design. Wonderful. Special. Ethical. Fur. Colorful. Natural. Fashionable. Notebook at hand, I’m scribbling down what the fashion brand representatives answer me when I ask them what the three words are that describe their brand. Their tone of voice covers the spectrum from enthusiast to hesitating to downright skeptic. They seem to smell that I am up to something, and they are quite right: this question is a test to see how many brands spontaneously associate themselves with sustainability. Admittedly, suppressing my prejudgment while asking the question is a tough job. The halls of the fashion fair are gigantic and filled to the brim with next season’s clothing, surrounded by white walls and lightning that make the interior about as cozy as a hospital from the late 70’s. The atmosphere doesn’t exactly breathe ecological concern. And yet, the answers to my first question exceed expectations. When optimistically counting all terms such as sustainable, organic, ethical and natural, 30% of the interviewed brands mention some sort of sustainability as one of the top three characteristics of their company. The infinite stacks of clothes that make up the scenery inspire to thereafter ask the sellers and designers whether they believe that are too many clothes in the world. Again, the question is met with some hesitation, but also with some sincere contemplation. The answer is evenly divided. About 50% answers no,