The fashion industry is a major cause of societal and environmental harm, putting profit first above people and planet. This directly contributes to climate change. In 2018, the global apparel industry produced more greenhouse gases than France, Germany and the UK combined, equal to 4% of total emissions around the world. With the increase of consumer demand, fast fashion brands bring out thousands of new styles each week, putting garment workers lives at risk, filling up landfills and using up non-renewable resources more and more. Something has to be done.

With this in mind, Amelia Twine founded Sustainable Fashion Week – a community project to support community action for a ground-up approach to creating a sustainable, representative and fair fashion industry.

‘‘Consumers are not responsible for the state the fashion industry is in, but we do have huge power to be the catalysts for change. We can’t move out of the climate crisis by just buying ‘better’ products, but need to really reconnect with how we buy and wear clothing. We can drive change by reducing the demand for fast fashion and holding fashion brands to account’’ – Amelia Twine

There will be a programme of activities throughout the year, with the flagship celebration being Sustainable Fashion Week itself running from the 11 – 19th of September. This main event will gather those in the industry and community to share knowledge and skills to make it easier for people to adjust their fashion habits in a way that will work for them personally!

The Core Objectives of Sustainable Fashion Week:

1. Share information about the environmental and social issues faced by the fashion industry

2. Increase awareness of sustainable alternatives to buying fast fashion and buying more than we need

3. Inspire a diverse range of people to be part of the sustainable fashion movement

4. Prompt action by individuals towards more sustainable behaviour in relation to fashion

5. Help empower people to use their influence to move the fashion industry towards a more sustainable model

6. To gather information on barriers to participation and to measure our impact on the ground

The social and environmental impact of a changing climate will be felt by everyone. SFW wants to create a movement that includes everyone, regardless of background, identity, or income. There are so many ways in which the fashion industry needs to change, and we can all be part of this movement inclusively.

With this in mind, SFW has created four themes in which we can all make a difference:

Onesta, SustFashWales and Repair Cafe Wales are bringing SFW to Wales!

Keep an eye on our social medias to be the first to find out more details...

Onesta: @onesta_style

SustFashWales: @sustfashwales

Repair Cafe Wales: @repaircafewales