Photo by Yogendra Singh on Unsplash
Fashion weeks are exciting events. But behind the scenes, a lot of waste occurs. One 15-minute runway experience can take six months to create, and moments after the lights come up, the music stops, much gets tossed into the garbage: the paper invites, plastic water bottles, leftover food, and a lot more. The processes involved in making the clothing are mostly unsustainable too. Will the Fashion Week experience survive?
Then there is travel. Buyers and designers emit so much carbon when they travel to international shows. Organizers of Copenhagen Fashion Week required all designers at the show to meet 18 sustainability standards set by the UN. They also tried to mitigate their carbon footprint by sending out invites digitally and banning single-use plastics on the show. It proved that the fashion industry could become sustainable. Eyes are now on the bigger fashion weeks organizers to see if they will adopt similar sustainability standards.
