News / Sustainability
Sustainable Fashion Week returns to Bristol
Offering clothes swaps, panel talks and more, Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) seeks to “disrupt the fast-fashion cycle”.
The event, which is the first of its kind, returns to Bristol in September and seeks to change our mindset about mindless shopping.
According to Green Peace, the UK buys more clothes per month than any country in Europe.
is needed now More than ever
Taking place at The Mount Without, SFW will have four themes: regenerate, rewear, repurpose and reconnect.
Beyond regular fashion weeks with catwalks – and an increasing number of ‘seasons’ and collections each year – SFW aims to encourage Bristolians to develop more conscious fashion consumption habits.
Mya-Rose Craig, founder of Black2Nature and a partner for SFW, works to foster environmentally-focused conversations including ethically diverse communities.
She said: “Sustainable fashion is an important part of how we reduce the impact of climate change.
“Fast fashion items of clothing are taken from designs on the catwalk and are meant to last one season or even just weeks. We need to find better ways of re-wearing and re-using.”
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Expanding the scope of catwalks towards a more educational fête, events throughout the week include clothes swaps, panel talks, workshops, film screenings, augmented reality experiences and photo exhibitions.
Amelia Twine, founder of Sustainable Fashion Week, says: “By showcasing how pre-loved and sustainable fashion can work again and again in a variety of different ways, we hope to inspire visitors to look at what they already have in their wardrobes and get creative.”
The British Fashion Council estimates that, on a global scale, 26 per cent of the global carbon budget will be used by the fashion industry by 2050.
However, consumer demand has also grown in the past 15 years by 60 per cent. Even if the fashion industry has migrated towards some level of improvement, issues like greenwashing, and a considerable carbon footprint are still there.
Amelia Twine hopes to inspire people to get creative with the clothes they already own – photo: Lauren Jayne Hall
Initiatives like SFW might answer to growing pressure from consumers and activists, who are continuously questioning the real chances of the industry being sustainable at all.
If you’re interested in learning more about the fashion industry and its impact, you can visit: True Cost
This piece of independent journalism is supported by Natwest and the Bristol24/7 public and business membership
Main photo: Sustainable Fashion Week
Read more: Is this the future of sustainable delivery in Bristol?
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