Paris Fashion Week plans to measure the environmental impact.
Giorgio Armani
The French fashion governing body has teamed up with PricewaterhouseCoopers to develop two new tools to measure the environmental, social and economic impacts of its many runway shows that sees fashion houses - including Giorgio Armani - travel to show their collections.
Pascal Morand, executive president of Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, said in a statement: “We have developed a tool that can be duplicated in space and adapted to different types of events. Paris is the world’s capital of fashion, and it has been said that Paris is the world capital of digital fashion with online fashion week. It's our responsibility to develop the necessary tools in terms of sustainability.”
An advisory committee around the PwC development included fashion show production company Bureau Betak and PR agency DLX, while 37 stakeholders, including fashion houses such as Chanel, Hermès, Kering, model agencies and venues, also participated in the project.
Sylvain Lambert, PWC partner, co-head of sustainability, advising Paris Fashion Week, added: “All the environmental, social and economic parameters are taken into account; it’s a balance. We have to be wary of preconceived ideas: it is clear that one can think that travel has an impact. But we have to know what it encompasses, and the tool will allow that. We have intuition, but we will wait for the figure.”
It comes after the yearly event received scrutiny for its hefty environmental footprint as the shows require editors, buyers, models and other talent and attendees to travel across the globe several times a year.
Cecilie Thorsmark, chief executive of Copenhagen Fashion Week, has already held a test pilot for a system in which houses will have to fulfil 18 minimum standards and score necessary points by 2023 to participate in the event.
He said: “Measurement is an important step to gain insights and knowledge. As fashion weeks organisers, we have an impact and should use it to accelerate the sustainability effort in the industry.”
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