Fashion industry must embrace sustainability now: 4 key takeaways from Copenhagen Fashion Summit
‘Time for action is now,’ the annual discussion forum tells leading figures, such as Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault and designer Katharine Hamnett
Over 450 brands and organisations from 48 countries gathered in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, to discuss the need for sustainability in the fashion industry during the two-day Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2019.
The May 15 and 16 event, which marked the summit’s 10th anniversary, featured 78 renowned and respected speakers as well as 1,300 guests, including Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, patron of the event, fashion industry leaders, innovators, journalists, designers and manufactures from all over the world.
We can solve the planet's and the industry's biggest issues if we work together and take action now. We need bold leadership to accelerate the change and push policymakers to support this journey
The talks centred on subjects ranging from executive leadership, design, manufacturing, policy and investment, climate change and circular economy to the power of creatives and how the fashion industry can address overconsumption.
‘Sustainability’ the buzzword
Two days before it began, Victor Vescovo, a retired US naval officer, brought the issue of sustainability and plastic waste into sharp focus as he set a world record for the deepest dive in a submersible by reaching a depth of 35,853 feet (10,927 metres) in western Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth.
While spending four hours at the bottom of the ocean – beating the previous mark set in 1960, by 52 feet – he discovered what appeared to be a plastic bag in a place where no human had visited before.
The next day in Hong Kong, EcoDrive and The New Youth Energy Think Tank launched the “Enough Plastic” campaign, calling for less use of single-use plastic.
About 60 local celebrities, including Aaron Kwok, Donnie Yen, Gigi Leung and Sammi Cheng appeared in a powerful video and a series of striking images, taken by award-winning photographer Wing Shya, to raise awareness about the need to reduce unnecessary waste and the problems caused by single-use plastic.
The message about the problem of plastic waste is growing louder and clearer – all around the world – and the next decade will be crucial for saving our planet.