It’s no secret that the fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to environmental waste. 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually from the industry, and that’s not the worst of it. The global apparel industry uses up to 215 trillion litres of water each year and with the sudden rise of fast fashion, we have seen the fashion industry enter into a phase of over-consumption. It’s now been left down to the new generation of designers, consumers and creatives to responsibly put a major focus on sustainable fashion and become more eco-conscious when creating as well as buying. Called to action, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched several initiatives that aim to address the worldwide sustainability issue and in 2021 established The West Asia Sustainable Fashion Academy (WASFA).
WASFA has students that are enrolled from top fashion design schools from the West Asia region (Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen) who aim to become the next-gen driving force in achieving a sustainable fashion industry. Taking action, the WASFA network will participate in a three-day zero-waste fashion design marathon powered by the Lebanese American University at their Beirut campus. The workshop includes sessions hosted by experts in sustainable fashion and hands-on projects.
World-renowned fashion designer, Mr Rami Kadi noted that “the partnership with LAU in this field, will increase awareness on sustainable fashion and the way we perceive the textile industry. It will also start a wave that touches upon future decision-makers to consider the environmental impacts of the activities within their businesses whether it was small or large.” He also added that “it will help them implement the change we all want to see to ensure a sustainable planet for our current and future generations.”
