Fashion has the reputation of being one of the least sustainable industries in the world, consuming lake-sized volumes of fresh water, creating chemical and plastic pollution, and exploiting workers to create clothing which we all too quickly throw away (31kgs per person each year).
But things seem to be changing. Consumer demands are driving the world biggest fashion firms to say that implementing sustainability measures is their top strategic priority in the wake of Covid-19. Clothing resale is predicted to outgrow fast fashion by 2029.
Join our panel of fashion retailers, campaigners and resale / rental businesses as we debate how sustainable fashion can really become, and find out how we as individuals can make more sustainable buying decisions.
Confirmed speakers
CEO-Founder at MUD Jeans
Bert van Son is founder and CEO of MUD Jeans, a fast growing sustainable jeans company from the Netherlands. The company allows customers to shop guilt free and do good for the environment, while looking fashionable and modern. As a 23 year old he moved to China his 30 years experience in the fashion industry has made Bert van Son see the impact fast fashion has on the environment and made him believe that there is an alternative way. In 2012 he started the idea “Lease A Jeans”, a concept that makes it possible for customers to use jeans and give them back after use. From ownership to performance. Allowing customers to regularly renew their wardrobe, while MUD Jeans makes sure the materials will be recycled after use. Bert van Son knows about the challenges in today’s (fast) fashion industry and how he and his team try to implement the circle economy in the fashion industry.
Head of Sustainability at Seasalt
Deap Khambay is Head of Sustainability at Seasalt, the Cornish fashion retailer, where she develops and leads the brand’s sustainability strategy. Seasalt has had sustainability at its heart throughout its history: It helped develop the Soil Association’s GOTS standard for organic cotton, which is now widely used across the industry, and in 2013 became the first fashion brand to win the Queens Award for Sustainable Development. Deap believes that sustainability should be integrated as part of a collaborative approach across every part of the business. Deap arrived at Seasalt in 2017 as the company’s first Head of Sustainability. This year, her department supported the launch of a new sustainable store concept in Norwich, which reduces carbon emissions by 68% compared to a normal store. Other achievements include converting the majority of the business estate into renewable energy and introducing packaging innovations that have allowed Seasalt to remove 18 tonnes of single-use plastic from the business every year.
Chere Di Boscio
Editor in Chief, Eluxe Magazine
Chere has always loved writing, fashion and languages, and holds degrees in Psychology and Art, and postgraduate degrees in Applied Linguistics and Education. Her long career in journalism spans several continents: she’s edited and written for prestigious magazines in Toronto, Dubai, Paris, London and Buenos Aires. She launched Eluxe Magazine, the world's first eco luxury publication, in 2013, and is currently living her most sustainable life in the Peruvian Andes.
Moderator
Former MP and Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (Published Fixing Fashion 2019 Report)
CEO at Living Streets
Mary Creagh has recently been appointed as Cranfield Visiting Professor 2020 and will be moderating the next in our Sustainability Speaker Series, Is there such thing as sustainable fashion? Mary is a passionate environmental campaigner who brings a depth of experience in sustainable fashion, including her lead role in publishing the while she was Chair of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee.
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