4 years ago
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A thought-provoking hub for conversations about fashion’s role in the climate crisis
CNN Style’s Global Editor introduces this special digital issue
Access a suggested reading path tailored for you
Your starter pack to help you see the bigger picture
Get to know some of the fashion industry’s leading activists
Compelling takes on some of fashion’s most pressing issues
Thoughts and opinions from leading experts
Curated lists of what’s out there to help you do and learn more
The fashion industry, built on the idea of regular rebirth and innovation, could be attempting its most dramatic makeover to date.
As the industry continues to reckon with its role in contributing to a global climate crisis, and consumers begin to ask more questions about how their clothing is made, many fashion houses, retailers, and manufacturers have been racing to develop ways to reduce their carbon emissions and improve their “green” credentials.
And then came the twist, while in the clutches of an unrelenting global pandemic, the $2.4 trillion global industry has been forced to slow down – at least temporarily. Begging the question, will things just go back to “normal,” or is there a better way forward?
Historically, September is one of the fashion industry’s busiest months – it’s when the four major fashion weeks take place, one after the other. But as New York, London, Milan and Paris continue to grapple with the
threat of another major coronavirus outbreak, these often elaborate events will be notably muted. Digital presentations will replace many physical shows and there will be significantly less travel. This is set to be a very different fashion season.
We wanted to take this unprecedented moment to focus our attention on the larger issues at play, particularly when it comes to the health of our planet and the people living on it.
And so, we present The September Issues, a sustainability focused special collection of facts, features, guides, profiles and opinion pieces. We partnered with Fashion Revolution, a non-profit organization dedicated to campaigning for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry, consulting with their experts on several stories.
Scroll on for what we hope is a thought-provoking hub for conversations about fashion and the climate crisis.
– Fiona Sinclair Scott
Global Editor, CNN Style
The fashion industry, built on the idea of regular rebirth and innovation, could be attempting its most dramatic makeover to date.
As the industry continues to reckon with its role in contributing to a global climate crisis, and consumers begin to ask more questions about how their clothing is made, many fashion houses, retailers, and manufacturers have been racing to develop ways to reduce their carbon emissions and improve their “green” credentials.
And then came the twist, while in the clutches of an unrelenting global pandemic, the $2.4 trillion global industry has been forced to slow down – at least temporarily. Begging the question, will things just go back to “normal,” or is there a better way forward?
Historically, September is one of the fashion industry’s busiest months – it’s when the four major fashion weeks take place, one after the other. But as New York, London, Milan and Paris continue to grapple with the threat of another major coronavirus outbreak, these often elaborate events will be notably muted. Digital presentations will replace many physical shows and there will be significantly less travel. This is set to be a very different fashion season.
We wanted to take this unprecedented moment to focus our attention on the larger issues at play, particularly when it comes to the health of our planet and the people living on it.
And so, we present The September Issues, a sustainability focused special collection of facts, features, guides, profiles and opinion pieces. We partnered with Fashion Revolution, a non-profit organization dedicated to campaigning for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry, consulting with their experts on several stories.
Scroll on for what we hope is a thought-provoking hub for conversations about fashion and the climate crisis.
– Fiona Sinclair Scott
Global Editor, CNN Style
Not sure how to start? Let’s get you going.
How much do you know about fashion’s role in the climate crisis?
Glossary of terms
Get some clarity on “sustainable,” “carbon neutral” and other commonly used and misused terms
Myth-busting
Explore some of the common misconceptions about shopping and living sustainably
Through design, research, activism and building more ethical business models, here are some of the people working to change the fashion industry for good.
Bethany Williams
Fashion designer
Since launching her eponymous label in 2017, London-based designer Bethany Williams has set out to create an alternative system for clothing production, using...
Since launching her eponymous label in 2017, London-based designer...
Emma Watson
Actress, model
Actress Emma Watson has regularly used her global clout to speak out for a number of causes, from supporting victims of sexual harassment to raising awareness about...
Actress Emma Watson has regularly used her global clout to speak...
Priya Ahluwalia
Fashion designer
Priya Ahluwalia launched her namesake label in 2018 to give deadstock, vintage and sustainable materials new life. The year before, trips to new life. The year before, trips to...
Priya Ahluwalia launched her namesake label in 2018 to give deadstock, vintage and sustainable materials...
Céline Semaan
Founder of Slow Factory
Lebanese-Canadian Céline Semaan founded her Slow Factory label to sell products in order to raise awareness about issues such as...
Lebanese-Canadian Céline Semaan founded her Slow Factory label to sell products in order to raise...
Dana Thomas
Fashion and culture journalist
For much of her career Paris-based Dana Thomas had been exposing the good and the bad of the fashion industry -- including...
For much of her career Paris-based Dana Thomas had been exposing the...
Nkwo Onwuka
Fashion designer
After launching her brand in London in 2007 and relocating it to Abuja in 2012, Nigerian designer Nkwo Onwuka has emerged at the forefront of...
After launching her brand in London in 2007 and relocating it to Abuja in 2012, Nigerian designer...
Stella McCartney
Fashion designer
Ethical choices and sustainability have long been at the heart of Stella McCartney’s work and brand philosophy. A long-time environmental activist, the British designer was a pioneer...
Ethical choices and sustainability have long been at the heart of...
Zhang Na
Fashion designer
Nearly a decade ago, Shanghai-based designer Zhang Na launched Reclothing Bank, an initiative dedicated to ethical design and production, using second-hand donated, upcycled...
Nearly a decade ago, Shanghai-based designer Zhang Na launched...
Dan Widmaier
Co-founder and CEO of Bolt Threads
Dan Widmaier is the brains behind Microsilk, a groundbreaking lab-grown fabric that is already being used by brands like Stella McCartney and Patagonia. Widmaier was a...
Dan Widmaier is the brains behind Microsilk, a groundbreaking lab-grown fabric that is already...
Shefalee Vasudev
Journalist, editor and co-founder of The Voices of Fashion
In 2018, Shefalee Vasudev co-founded The Voice of Fashion (VoF), an ad-free India-focused digital magazine covering topics at the intersection of culture, fashion heritage and...
In 2018, Shefalee Vasudev co-founded The Voice of Fashion (VoF), an ad-free India...
Gabriela Hearst
Fashion designer
Since founding her brand in 2015, Uruguayan-born, New York-based Gabriela Hearst has been dedicated to a sustainable life cycle and...
Since founding her brand in 2015, Uruguayan-born, New York-based...
Katharine Hamnett
Fashion designer
Katharine Hamnett is synonymous with the protest T-shirt. The designer, who established her eponymous label in 1979, was a pioneer in...
Katharine Hamnett is synonymous with the...
Eva Kruse
CEO of Global Fashion Agenda (GFA)
Eva Kruse is the mastermind behind the annual Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the world’s most highly regarded conference on...
Eva Kruse is the mastermind behind the annual Copenhagen Fashion...
Daniel Lee
Creative director, Bottega Veneta
Since taking the helm of Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta in 2018, Daniel Lee has sent models down the runway in footwear made...
Since taking the helm of Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta in...
Vivienne Westwood
Fashion designer
The grand dame of punk fashion, Vivienne Westwood’s environmental agenda includes a broad spectrum of issues -- from embracing transparent labor practices and...
The grand dame of punk fashion, Vivienne Westwood’s environmental agenda includes a broad spectrum of...
Seetal Solanki
Founder and director of Ma-tt-er
Seetal Solanki founded London-based studio and consultancy Ma-tt-er in 2015 to explore the ways materials can be responsibly used across industries and...
Seetal Solanki founded London-based studio and consultancy...
Rabih Kayrouz
Fashion designer
Rabih Kayrouz crafts couture from old stock and adheres to a near-zero waste model rather than creating garments from scratch. He celebrates the manual work of his...
Rabih Kayrouz crafts couture from old stock and adheres to a near-zero waste...
Amesh
Fashion Designer
Sri Lankan designer Amesh Wijesekera is one of a new generation of young creative workers using fashion to celebrate localism and...
Sri Lankan designer Amesh Wijesekera is one of a new generation of young creative workers using fashion to celebrate localism and...
Marie-Claire Daveu
Kering's chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs
After building a career in France’s civil service and public sector, Marie-Claire Daveu joined French luxury group Kering in 2012 with the task of ramping up the...
After building a career in France’s civil service and...
Reema Al Banna
Fashion designer
In 2009, UAE-based Reema Al Banna was one of the first in the region to launch a contemporary fashion label, Reemami, committed to...
In 2009, UAE-based Reema Al Banna was one of the...
Nishanth Chopra
Founder of clothing brand and textile supplier Oshadi
Nishanth Chopra believes re-ruralization is the future of fashion manufacturing. Chopra grew up in South India, the center of the country’s textile manufacturing industry, and...
Nishanth Chopra believes re-ruralization is the future of...
Laura Coppen
Circular & sustainable business development lead at H&M
If in recent years H&M has carved out a name as one of the few fast-fashion giants to actively promote sustainability, Laura Coppen is partly to thank for...
If in recent years H&M has carved out a name as one of the few fast-fashion giants to actively promote sustainability, Laura Coppen is partly to thank for...
How to shop responsibly
While we can’t shop our way out of the climate crisis, these small changes to buying habits can help reduce our carbon footprint.
