On leaving the comfort of ambition for the trenches of action
GLOBAL FASHION SUMMIT 2023
Last week, the annual Global Fashion Summit took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Global Fashion Agenda gathers fashion actors from all aspects of the industry in the name of Ambition To Action. If you are not familiar with it, the GFS is hosted by the Global Fashion Agenda, a non-profit organisation that fosters industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion to drive impact. With the vision of a net-positive fashion industry, it accelerates action by mobilising, inspiring, influencing and educating all stakeholders. It is a bold mission that requires bringing together fashion representatives from all fronts to tackle the industry’s complex issues. It’s also inspiring to see the industry move towards more sustainable and equitable practices. But what does it all really mean? Beautifully hosted by Samata Pattinson, CEO of RCGD and guided by the theme Ambition To Action, the summit motivated, challenged, and connected its participants from around the globe. But if the ambition is action, how do we take everything we collectively know about the damage the fashion industry causes and not just talk about it but also act urgently? That is what needed to be addressed this year and we’re glad the GFA created the space for this to be tackled. Here’s our take on the fun-packed two days.
On the importance and limitations of ambition
If there is something the fashion industry has always had, it is ambition and ambition is good. However, for the past decades, that ambition has been directed at the wrong things: aggressive sales, excess production, over-the-top consumption, and exaggerated and even misleading marketing. All this led to the exploitation of people and the destruction of our planet for profit, with fashion owning 4% of the global CO2 emissions in 2018. It’s only in recent decades that the industry attempted to redirect those ambitions. The truth is we have known about the devastating impact of the industry on people and the planet for long enough. It has been analysed, documented, and debated and there is no doubt that change is needed now. For context, the apparel and footwear industry emits the same quantity of CO2 per year as the economies of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined. The global apparel market is projected to grow in value from 1.5 trillion USD in 2020 to about 2.25 trillion USD dollars by 2025, and it employs 60+ million people along its value chain; of which 80% are women. Since the Sustainable Development Goals, the industry has claimed to be planning, plotting and acting for change but the reality is that global garment production is set to increase by 63% by 2030. This begs one question: when will ambition turn into real action? As long as excessive production drives the industry, turning things around on other fronts will be nearly impossible. On a planet with 8 billion people, why are 100 billion garments produced each year? We felt this is an issue that could have been further addressed at the summit, especially with brands like Mango producing 100 million clothes a year yet boasting about their (still amazing) sustainable actions and goals. Encouraging their positive action while holding them accountable is key.
For too long ambitious claims have been the industry’s comfort zone, so much so that it became fluent in greenwashing, a false marketing phenomenon that still sweeps across brands (yes we are referring to Shein in particular).
It is fantastic to hear and see some implementation of action but we don’t need more ambition, we need bolder action. Action that will alleviate the burden of the Global Majority of countries currently dealing with fashion’s enormous waste problem.
Imperfect action now is the solution
We loved seeing the action brands have taken so far to reduce some of their Scope 1 & 2 climate impact. During the carbon Zero Moonshot panel, Allbirds, a leading sustainable and ethical shoe brand shared their journey to creating the world’s first net-zero carbon shoe. What an achievement! The brand set goals, did not delay trials and embraced collaboration with other brands like Addidas, worked with a net-zero carbon farm in New Zealand and since 2018 kept trying, failing and persisting. They reached this goal by immersing themselves in the trenches of action. They are a great example of how imperfect action taken now is the solution.
“Action means jumping in and swimming. It also means a long-term commitment”
- Muchaneta ten Napel, founder of FashNerd
We spoke to Muchenata ten Napel, one of the summit hosts and founder of FashNerd and Shape Innovate about her take on what it means to act now: “ I think when it comes to taking action, companies really need to stop waiting for the perfect solution or waiting for a competitor to take the leap, they need to leap. Time is running out and really is against us so what are we waiting for exactly? The only way a solution becomes perfect is when everybody gets involved in it so we can improve it with time and makes sure it works. It’s important to look at the potential of a solution because when you invest in something with potential it grows and becomes accessible to more people. The problem with innovation is that it’s not always accessible. The only way it works is by making sure everybody is on board and taking action. Action means jumping in and swimming and also it means long-term commitment. A lot of brands get excited about tech and innovative solutions like it’s a new toy but never really commit, but these are there to actually be improved and to make the industry better.”
On decentralising solutions
The few Global Majority representatives at the summit demanded action now. Their sense of urgency was contagious and crucial. The Global North needs to act with that same urgency. The OR Foundation passed discarded beach secondhand clothes from Ghana around at their session, while Re-Made in Cambodia explained the grunt young designers have to bear taking care of the end-of-life cycle of Global North garment waste. The truth is despite some major progress such as the International Accord, these countries do not feel seen or supported enough. Even when they are on panels at events like the GFS. As Miram Ali, VP of Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) stated: once the panels were over, the Western representatives would most likely walk into rooms and shut him and any other representative of the Global Majority out of key decision-making that affect them. In short, collaboration has to go beyond being on a panel together, it’s about everyone being in the decision rooms.
“...a new generation is coming in Cambodia, it’s coming hard. Everyone wants to do something great for their country and it’s actually an honour to be here to represent my country because something is wrong (with textile waste coming into Cambodia) and as a designer there is an opportunity for sure to design those clothes but it’s also us handling the mistakes of bigger Global North brands and that’s what’s wrong.”
- Tiffany Bophadavy Doche, Global Ambassador and lead designer at Remade in Cambodia
Often the conversation around climate justice and sustainable fashion elevates Western leaders and voices as the solution creators and leaders. Whereas Global Majority countries are seen as places of problem but not necessarily of solution. This stems from a deeply engrained neo-colonial mindset of the Western saviour. The summit started shifting this by inviting some Global Majority countries to the table and hosting summits in places outside of Europe. Still, the ask to these countries should no longer be: tell us about your problems but rather how can we also prioritise your solutions. It is time to see the Global South as a place of solution, to no longer think of its people as needing saving but rather needing investment in the solutions already taking place in these countries. Whether it is India’s female-led garment unions, Cambodia’s young designers or Ghana’s upcyclers and tailors, these countries often stem from cultures already steeped in sustainability, bearing the weight of Global North textile waste but are acting now. There is so much to learn from them.
On the power of coming together
The Global Fashion Summit is in itself a space of incredible solutions. Like any solution, it is imperfect but crucial. Its power lies in bringing as many of the fashion puzzle pieces together in the hope that collaboration will create a new picture. Exchanging, debating, conversation and exposure to each other’s ideas and perspectives enriches solutions. Holly Syrett, Impact Programmes & Sustainability Director at GFA, recognises that there are unanswered questions but she is hopeful about the change that bringing everyone together to talk and challenge each other brings:
“My hope for the future of fashion is for the industry to break its cycle. I think of the quote: “Madness is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different outcome” - so as we talk about redesigning the fashion industry, transitioning to circular and all these types of things I hope the whole conversation starts from a different approach with different people around the table and that it is implemented in a collaborative way. So not just from Europe, the US or brand dominated but from across the world. We want to keep learning and listening, developing something positive while being honest and transparent about it.” There is an urgent optimism in her words. All in all, if we walk away motivated to act then the summit has accomplished its mission. We’ve learnt that real action requires less fluff, fewer vague words and more candour. We look forward to seeing concrete actions from the various actors, especially those with the most change power during next year’s summit.
OVER TO YOU -
OVER TO YOU -
—> Support the work of GFA, you can take action with them via donation for example, plus learn about their impact projects and resources.
—> Support Re-Made Cambodia by visiting their space. Support their work, contact them to participate at your capacity or just encourage them around their work. You can also support ad shop Tiffany’s brand Revivre Studio.
—> Sign the #stopwastecolonialism campaign by the OR Foundation. You can also donate to them in support of their projects in Kantamanto Market.
—> Hold your favourite brands accountable, ask not only who made my clothes but where do my clothes end up - you can do this via social, email or whichever channels of contact you have with them
—> Find people, projects and brands in your local community you can support with your time or money if possible. Even a shout-out on social media could raise awareness about important causes
