Extinction Rebellion Demands End To London Fashion Week
Image Courtesy of Extinction Rebellion
On the 26th of July, Extinction Rebellion, together with Maria Chenoweth, CEO of Traid, and Safia Minney MBE, Founder of People Tree, delivered a letter to the British Fashion Council calling on them to cancel London Fashion Week.
“With all due respect to the sustainability initiatives of the BFC, we, Extinction Rebellion, cannot stand by this parade of excess whilst the natural world is being taken from beneath our feet. We must consider how fashion can be reborn as a cultural medium with a regenerative effect on all people, planet, animals and generations to come. How can the influence of fashion be used to tell the world to stop consuming that which they don’t need and demand systemic change?
The theatre of excess that surrounds fashion weeks is hugely out of step with the climate emergency that we face.
The fashion industry is one of the world’s most polluting and influential industries. Massive labour rights issues and animal abuse also plague this industy. As a cultural barometer of the times, fashion has a responsibility to Tell The Truth about its environmental impact.
Total greenhouse gas emissions from textile production is more than those of ALL international flights and maritime shipping combined. [1] At the same time, 34.5% of primary microplastics are due to laundry of synthetic textiles. [2] According to the Pulse Report 2019, global apparel production is projected to rise by more than 60% by 2030; from 62 million tonnes today to 102 million tonnes. [3] The effects on the planet are predicted to be beyond repair.”
Following the cancellation of Stockholm Fashion Week, Extinction Rebellion, Maria Chenoweth, CEO of Traid, and Safia Minney MBE, Founder of People Tree, have asked the British Fashion Council (BFC) to cancel London Fashion Week to respect the climate and ecological emergency
Designers Phoebe English and Patrick McDowell support the call for transformation of the fashion system
Extinction Rebellion have creative disruptive actions planned through the duration of London Fashion Week, 13th – 17th September
Extinction Rebellion will end the week, on 17th September, with a funeral procession starting at the main LFW venue, 180 The Strand, to commemorate the loss of life due to climate and ecological breakdown
In their letter of response, Caroline Rush, BFC CEO agrees that “We are facing a climate change emergency and all need to act”. However, the BFC believe they can “use the platform of London Fashion Week to communicate not just to the industry, but to the wider public, that not all businesses are equal, that those that support a better future, are committed to change, are those that should be supported.”
The BFC and Extinction Rebellion will meet to “share their plans.” Extinction Rebellion will continue their LFW RIP campaign to call an end to London Fashion Week.
Sara Arnold, from the Extinction Rebellion Boycott Fashion team and founder of fashion rental company Higher Studio, says: “We understand that the British fashion industry is trying to change its ways but Fashion Weeks are fundamentally at odds with the urgent need to stop needless consumption and to direct resources to regenerating nature. Humanity cannot afford for London Fashion Week to continue.”
Last month, the Swedish Fashion Council made the bold decision to cancel Stockholm Fashion Week, in order to set new sustainability standards in the industry.
In London, designers Phoebe English and Patrick McDowell have announced their support of Extinction Rebellion’s calls for London to be the first major fashion week to follow Sweden’s game-changing move.
Designer Patrick McDowell says: “We are running out of time and we must stop business as usual. We must slow down and stop supporting a broken system.”
Designer Phoebe English says: “Fashion is in a new era. Whether it likes it or not. We must start working together towards solutions and reject damaging practices at an unprecedented speed. It is only as a communicating body across the entire industry that we can build a new type of making, selling and using fashion. When the world has run dry of resources, it will look at the wasteful and excessive garment industry as the climate criminal it currently is.”
LFW RIP Actions – #BoycottFashion, #XRFashionAction and #XRYouth join together to declare London Fashion Week as deceased.
Comprised of fashion industry experts, the Extinction Rebellion #BoycottFashion and #FashionAction teams, together with Extinction Rebellion Youth, will be taking to the streets throughout the duration of LFW, in a campaign to declare LFW over. There will be actions on each day, from the 13th – 17th, ending with a funeral procession, to which all are invited. Extinction Rebellion will mourn the environmental impact already caused by the fashion industry, before symbolically laying fashion to rest.