BBC launches sustainability project at London Fashion Week

BBC launches sustainability project at London Fashion Week

Last month saw the bi-annual London Fashion Week showcase its usual range of stunning, inspiring, and controversial showpieces, with the BBC also taking the opportunity to launch a new eco-friendly fashion brand and a sustainability project.

The new brand, in partnership with Mother of Pearl, will aim to promote a sustainable lifestyle and will target television viewers who have been inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet series into making more sustainable choices.

London Fashion Week

The London Fashion Week (LFW) takes place twice a year, in February and September, and is considered one of the “Big Four” fashion weeks, along with the Paris, New York, and Milan.

Now in its 36th year, the event is attended by over 5,000 press and buyers and has estimated orders of over £100 million.

Mother of Pearl is a luxury womenswear brand that celebrates individuality and authenticity, and was in attendance at the show.

Amy Powney was appointed Creative Director of Mother of Pearl in 2016, and having grown up off the grid in a caravan in the north of England, sustainability has always been a lifelong passion for her.

Amy started taking steps to ensure that sustainable fashion becomes the norm, not the exception, and three years ago, started on a journey to trace back the origins of the materials her brand uses.

The result is the “No Frills” line, a sustainable collection with a transparent supply chain, organic natural materials, social responsibility, respect to animals, a low carbon footprint and great quality.

BBC sustainability project

Teaming up with the BBC

Mother of Pearl, in conjunction with BBC Earth, hosted a series of talks focused around the importance of sustainability in fashion, re-embracing circularity and what that means, and the fashion industry re-designed.

A short film for the sustainability project, created by the award-winning BBC Studios Natural History Unit, was also premiered at the event.

The video shows how the natural world inspires creativity, addressing the impact that fast fashion is having on the pollution of our planet, and demonstrates how a change in our attitudes towards consumption can help to create a more sustainable future.

The video explains how the planet is suffocating because of our increasing desire for Fast Fashion, and how by producing billions of clothes every year, the industry is also releasing waste and chemicals into our world, polluting and driving species to the brink of extinction.

The Sustainability Project

Over 100 billion items of clothing are produced annually around the world, but 3 out of 5 of those items will end up in landfills within 12 months.

The aim of the BBC sustainability project is to show people that every time we invest in an item of clothing, we can consider every purchase. The video tells us to learn to love our choices and buy quality rather than quantity.

By consuming less, recycling and repurposing more, together we can change our attitudes towards Fast Fashion.

Sustainable, considered and clean fashion is possible, if only we make the effort.

The BBC is asking people to make a #SustainableMe pledge on social media, and commit to being a more conscious shopper.

By publicly pledging, the aim is to keep you on track with your sustainability goals and even inspire others to do the same.

Here are some suggestions if you need help making your pledge:

I pledge to…

  • Consider every purchase
  • Avoid fast fashion
  • Buy quality and consume less
  • Recycle and repurpose my clothes
  • Repair my clothing and footwear

 

The future of sustainability and the fashion industry

It’s no coincidence that sustainability was one of the main focus points of this year’s London Fashion Week. The issue is becoming more and more prescient as the effects of climate change become more apparent.

Consumers are also demanding change in practices, and with Millennials now entering their thirties and spending more than other demographics, money talks. Those brands that don’t listen to their customers will surely fall behind.

Sustainability isn’t just a marketing buzzword, it’s the future of the industry, and immago will be here to help steer our clients in the right direction.

Contact us today if you have any questions about how we can help your business take on more sustainable practices, or if you have any questions about becoming more eco-friendly or taking a sustainability pledge.

Our experienced and friendly team will be happy to help in any way they can.