As of January 28, 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week launched its Sustainability Action Plan 2020-2022. According to the brand’s website, the initiative is all about “reinventing Copenhagen Fashion Week – reducing negative impacts, innovating our business model and accelerating industry change as per the brand.”
CEO Cecile Thorsmark spoke candidly at a press conference on the subject, explaining that “all industry players – including fashion weeks – have to be accountable for their actions and be willing to change the way business is done. The time frame for averting the devastating effects of climate change on the planet and people is less than a decade, and we’re already witnessing its catastrophic impacts today. Put simply, there can be no status quo.”
It marks a huge move in the right direction for fashion weeks internationally, but it’s no surprise the progressive shift is being spearheaded by the Scandinavian city. Dubbed by The Telegraph as “the greenest city in the world,” Copenhagen is revered for its clean air, green spaces, intelligent approach to waste management, thoughtful hospitality industry, biking culture, and ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2025.
The action plan for CPHFW specifically details the banning of single-use plastic (hangers, garment bags, etc), zero-waste shows by 2022 and carbon offset management in place for guests. As far as the fashion industry broadly, CPHFW will also produce a sustainability report and only come to accept brands that follow certain due diligence. According to a release, these standards include “pledging not to destroy unsold clothes, using at least 50 percent certified, organic, upcycled or recycled textiles in all collections, using only sustainable packaging and having zero-waste set designs for their shows.”
Overall, it’s an incredibly necessary move, and one the rest of the industry needs to adopt. For more information, see https://copenhagenfashionweek.com/sustainability.
