The conversation on sustainability is about to get a lot bigger as Vogue Arabia will be hosting a virtual event joined by key members of the fashion industry. The Future of Sustainable Fashion will take place on June 28 at 4pm UAE time/3pm KSA time with insightful panel discussions and conversations hosted by Deema Al Asadi, and featuring sustainability editor-at-large Livia Firth; entrepreneur Karen Wazen; model and philanthropist Amber Valletta; Nicole Lovett, responsibility program director at Burberry; editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut; Burak Cakmak, CEO of Saudi Fashion Commission; and May Barber, Leed Green Associate architect and brand management consultant. The winners and runners-up of the 2020 Vogue Fashion Prize Powered by NEOM will also sit down for a discussion with Patrick Duffy, founder of Global Fashion Exchange.
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Given the ever-growing need for sustainability in fashion, it is up to the industry and the next generation of designers to ensure ethical and environmentally conscious practices are ingrained within their brands and adopted by their consumers. With this in mind, the event was put together to offer advice, highlight the importance of sustainability in a business, and see what’s in store for the future of sustainable fashion. The discussion is not one to miss for consumers trying to navigate sustainability and be more mindful with their shopping habits, start-up fashion brands keen on being sustainable, as well as established brands, whose impact on the environment affects the lives of all of us.
By now, many are aware of how fast fashion is affecting the world. According to the United Nations, it takes almost 8,000 gallons of water – what one person drinks in seven years – to make one pair of jeans, and 21 billion tons of textiles end up in landfills each year. The Fashion Revolution’s 2021 Fashion Revolution Week also revealed that 200 million trees are felled each year just to make cellulosic fabrics. A change in these shocking numbers and statistics can be made by those gearing up to take on the industry. In 2020, the Vogue Fashion Prize Powered by NEOM offered a platform to a few such designers from the region by challenging their creativity to the benefit of sustainable fashion. And now, the Future of Sustainable Fashion event will further Vogue Arabia’s ongoing efforts to promote sustainability and NEOM’s aim to foster innovation and sustainability in the fashion sector.
Read on to know more about the various panels and what you can expect from them.
Manuel Arnaut in conversation with Livia Firth
In this session, Vogue Arabia editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut and sustainability editor-at-large and 2020 Vogue Fashion Prize jury member Livia Firth will discuss the all-encompassing meaning of sustainability from preservation of crafts and abolishment of modern slavery in manufacturers, to how consumers should shop today.
Karen Wazen in conversation with Amber Valletta
Entrepreneur and digital influencer Karen Wazen will join Amber Valletta for a discussion on the model and philanthropist’s new eco-friendly collection with Karl Lagerfeld. The two will look at what methods were used to craft the conscious designs from sustainable materials.
Sustainability at the core of fashion
This is a panel discussion with Patrick Duffy, founder of Global Fashion Exchange, Mohamed Benchellal (2020 Fashion Prize winner), Karim Adduchi (2020 Fashion Prize 1st runner-up), Lurline, and Lama Jouni (2020 Fashion Prize 2nd runners-up). The group will focus on the importance of sustainability at the core of a business and what emerging brands can do to achieve this.
International fashion going sustainable
Moderated by May Barber, Leed Green Associate architect and brand management consultant, the discussion between Burak Cakmak, CEO of Saudi Fashion Commission, and Nicole Lovett, responsibility program director at Burberry will focus on the growing urgency with which international brands are approaching sustainability.
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