SUSTAINABILITY IN TIMES OF CRISIS

The Nordic industry challenges its neighboring equals to promote and increase sustainable textile projects and developments in digital, hybrid, and face-to-face presentations.

After presenting its 2020-2023 sustainable action plan, setting the goal of being the first C02-free Fashion Week, and kicking off a hot-topic discussion of the fashion industry, the Copenhagen Fashion Week team led by Cecilie Thorsmark got down to work and after several months unveiled the new presentation methodology along with his digital platform to renew itself after a pandemic without sacrificing its sustainable objective.

One of the objectives this year was to reinforce its alliance with the CIFF trade fair, diversifying brands in the region and creating an online sales and networking platform. Within the latter, a panel has been formed with exhibitors and professionals from the area to answer questions and support independent projects to stay afloat. One of them is Thomas Nissen, CEO and partner of Save Agency, a consultancy that combines sustainability, strategy, and innovation. Thomas helps make the transition of the Danish textile industry 100% sustainable, robust, and with proximity. To explain, he refers to the pyramid of Abraham Maslow. "Needs are organized hierarchically and according to the importance they have for our well-being. If the base of the pyramid of our basic needs: health, education, home, and work are not covered, it is very difficult to build a solid structure. Sustainability for the Nordic countries is at the top of the pyramid of self-realization and moral needs, we seek to be sustainable in a hedonistic way. " This search resulted in "Meet the Nordics", a meeting between designers, buyers, and communicators, developed to present the projects of established and independent Nordic brands within the fashion week where they seek to raise awareness in the circuit and expose technological and textile innovations. Here are the most relevant projects of this Spring-Summer 2021.

Carcel: Since its creation in 2016, its designer Verónica Da Sousa has broken all business stereotypes. Carcel is a Danish brand that seeks to generate environmental and social awareness and a positive impact on the consumer. They use local resources and materials from production centers such as baby alpaca from Cusco, Peru, and silk and lyocell from Thailand. Verónica does not work with seasons, she believes in the quality and emotional life of clothes. The brand doesn’t work with offers and sales, its production is in limited quantities to avoid the excess stock. Her garments are made by single mothers serving prison sentences for non-violent minor crimes. They are taught in sewing and craftsmanship, dignified with a fair salary to help them rebuild their future and to become financially independent after serving their sentence. By operating their own production center, they manage demand in real-time. The profits are re-invested in the brand, and its objective is to build a solid sustainable business model. A soon-to-be-carried-out project is the opening of a third workshop in Chiang Mai, to employ women who have served their sentence. During the pandemic, they launched “Community pricing” a special program to be able to continue meeting the salaries of their workers. Pay what you can for the garments you want, with amounts from 50% to an increase of 25% over 100% of the value of the garment. Quality (human) over quantity.

Ganni: It is the Danish brand with the greatest international projection in the country, but little is known about Ganni's journey. It does not recognize itself as sustainable but as responsible for its actions and for finding its best version each season. They work in tandem with three UN Sustainable Development Goals, Gender Equality, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Climate Action, and have committed to the UNFCCC, NPEC & GFA guidelines. Last year they introduced more than thirty responsible initiatives, including a return plan, a rental platform, and the introduction of more certified, organic, and recycled fabrics in future collections. In April of this year, they launched their sustainable report in which they list forty-four goals for the next three years, divided into six sections: Planet, Products, People, Prosperity, Reports together with a list of areas where they should improve. In early 2021, Ganni will launch an upstream collaboration through a rental platform with Levi’s. Garments chosen from their archives, deconstructed and fused with Ganni's signature style. A democratic way to share fashion. "Use, share, repeat" is the mantra of the circular system, opting for one or three weeks of rental, with free return and taking all the necessary collections for the care of the garments and the health of its customers. In addition to a partnership with SharpEnd, a curation experience that through a QR Code can unlock the history of each garment and who previously rented it.

Rains is a Danish brand of waterproof outwear based in the city of Aarhus and with offices in Copenhagen. Their garments are synonymous with the Nordic climate and culture. In May, after years of fighting in the Danish maritime and commercial court, Rains won a lawsuit in favor of the brand's rights over the Spanish fast-fashion giant, Inditex. The lawsuit was not based upon an economic demand, but a demand of principles, an exact copy of design lacking the sustainable values ​​representative of the brand. Committed to addressing and mitigating adverse impacts in the environmental, social, and economic area, they comply with the internationally recognized principles for sustainable development expressed by the UN Global Compact and the United Nations Department on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD), including basic labor rights from the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the UN Convention against Corruption and the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The project for the coming year is to reduce the use of virgin polyester from 100% to 50% by introducing recycled PET, a polyester microfiber material made from recycled water bottles. And replace 50% of virgin nylon production with waste fabric and plastics. As well as all the packaging and merchandising by biodegradable materials made with corn starch.

Gestuz: Sanne Sehested: Since 2008, Gestuz has been focused on sustainable production and well-being in the workplace for years. 40% of its collections are produced with renewable materials and they were the first to use recycled polyester in their garments. In 2021 it is committed to continuous integration of initiatives to reduce the impact on the environment, that is why they foresee an increase of 25% in sustainable materials in all its lines and the near future to the reduction of one collection per year.

Remain Birger Christensen x (DI) Vision: This Spring-Summer 2021, in collaboration with (DI) Vision, Remain Birger Christensen launches a capsule collection of circular garments. It has seven unique pieces created from recycled surplus leather scraps from its warehouses. Among them, two-color garments revisiting the classics of the Remain brand, with the set of patterns and silhouettes by (DI) Vision. The garments are made locally, by Huset Venture, Copenhagen, a non-profit tailor shop that provides opportunities for citizens with physical or social barriers and helps to onboard them onto the labor market.

Rabens Saloner: The creative director Briggite Rabens has since 2007 divided her years between Copenhagen, from where she runs the company HQ, and Bali, where Rabends Saloner produces and dyes their garments with local artisans, using natural products and fabrics. This season they continue to bet on production according to commercially agreed orders. Their packaging is FSC certified or made from recycled plastic. They work by socially promoting the sustainable development of the UN: No poverty, good health and well-being, quality education, and life on earth.

Designers Remix: Since 2002 this brand has been living up to its name starting exclusively as an upcycling brand. Throughout almost twenty years they have been lecturing on the subject of the Nordic fashion industry, supporting and promoting the development-plan of sustainable goals of the UN, especially responsible consumption and production, climate action, and the use of renewable energies.

Since 2019 its collections have been free of furs and leather. Instead, they use "Magic Genres", a friendly selection that has a lesser impact on the environment. Polyester, cotton, and recycled wool tensel a genus based on eucalyptus trees in certified and sustainably managed forests and without the use of unpleasant chemicals. It uses five times less land and 80% less water for production than conventional cotton.

Viscose from certified forests, organic cotton, and the reuse of scraps and fabrics from past seasons. Pre-Loved is next year's collection made from recycled materials, men's deadstock, and antique furniture textiles. Their goal is to go back to the roots, distance themselves from mass-production, slow down design, and avoiding static seasons.