Made-By: key considerations around sustainability in fashion

Made-By together with Burak Cakmak, Director of Corporate Sustainability for the Gucci Group, as part of the Estethica Advisory Board, have developed a new set of principles as the basis for the selection process to show as a designer during Estethica. The aim of the new principles, unveiled during London Fashion Week, is to gain greater clarity on the social and environmental credentials of the brands that apply to adhere to Estethica. The British Fashion Council founded Estethica, which is sponsored by Monsoon, over four years ago to showcase the growing movement of cutting edge designers committed to working sustainably. Estethica, now in its ninth season, has evolved to become the hub of London's ethical fashion industry. The success of the initiative, internationally the strongest of its kind, has been evident in its rapid growth from the first season of 13 designers to the 37 designers involved in this season’s Estethica collective.

Key questions that have been addressed which designers and brands should ask themselves include design, raw materials, production, packaging and transport, consumer use, end of life of the product. The new questionnaire will be available for all new Estethica applicants for the February 2011 edition of London Fashion Week on the LFW website. Asked what her advice would be for a designer starting out and aiming to run their business ethically and sustainably, Allanna McAspurn, Made-By’s UK General Manager, said: “You must think about the whole process from design through to the end of life of the garments you will produce, and think about ways in which you can create a beautiful collection that is long lasting and has taken into account both social and environmental considerations at each stage of development. It may not be possible to achieve a sustainable collection straight away, but it’s important to know about the issues so that you can address them over time. Smaller brands by their nature can often be quite sustainable, for example the fabric they use may be end of rolls and or they may produce locally, but it’s important to think about how you will maintain those sustainability credentials as you grow.”
 

Made-By