Last June 10th, the British Fashion Council (BFC) celebrated its long-awaited Intitute of Positive Fashion Forum (IPF Forum), in which the fashion industry’s greatest leaders all gather to discuss and come up with solutions to the key issues facing fashion today. The goal of the Forum is to bring about positive change and inspire individuals to take action. 51 globally renowned speakers such as Virgil Abloh (Off-White), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (BFC) and Emmanuel Gintzburger (Alexander McQueen) came together to discuss the imminent issues surrounding fashion globally, namely sustainability. This comes as the result of the BFC recently joining the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign, pledging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by half before 2030, reaching zero by 2050 – a remarkable feat.
The key themes touched upon at the forum were several: firstly, a call for transparency throughout the supply chain as an essential part of any business. The fashion industry holds a powerful role as ‘custodian of the Earth’, therefore the responsibility of ensuring people, planet and profit befalls them.
Secondly, another important theme which was touched upon was that of conscious buying and responsible consumerism. In eBay’s UK discussion, it was highlighted how in this day and age, the latest trend appears to be buying second-hand fashion, and an awareness of avoiding fast fashion is on the rise amongst younger individuals who are more frequently embracing vintage items.
A call for innovation was unanimously made by the participants, especially that of technological nature. Stella McCartney was the superstar of this segment, as she proved to be evidence of how designers are able to work consciously by using new fabrics, exploring new innovations and working closely with suppliers.
Another agreed upon subject was the importance of collaboration. The immediate urgency of fashion businesses utilising their clout to create equity across the industry, especially regarding staff, consumers and partners.
Finally, it was highlighted by all that all of the aforementioned issues are of the utmost urgency, and there must be cooperation from industry professionals and government officials alike, especially vis-à-vis diversity in hiring. The idea of a ‘new nepotism’ was raised, where organizations were to hire ‘10 young people from diverse backgrounds within the next 24 hours’, thus creating a new system.
Check out the event’s highlights here:
