Ethical Fashion and Sustainability News – Week 18

A week without coal and sustainability at the Met Gala. 

Hello, how are you? 

I’m feeling very zen after a few nights away at the weekend. We drove down to Saxon Switzerland National Park which is a couple of hours drive from Berlin in order to get into nature. It rained until the day we left but thankfully we still managed to make up for it on the last day with a hike! The internet was mostly non-existent, in fact, the hotel wifi had trouble sending WhatsApp messages. I kind of like that there are still spaces in Europe without a signal but will definitely try to be more prepared for it next time!

Here are your sustainability links for the week. I’ve added a couple in that aren’t to do with fashion to mix it up. One of them is even good news! (Number 3)

11 Links

The Frills Are Alive! The Unexpected Return Of The Laura Ashley Look. A look into the history of Laura Ashley. Moreover, for anyone who likes the look, this is one that can definitely be done secondhand! The Guardian

Fashion’s Sustainability Push Isn’t Keeping Up With Rapid Growth. The Business Times

Britain Goes  A Week Without Coal Power For The First Time Since Industrial Revolution. This is huge news and it has only been a year or two since Britain went a day without burning coal for a day. Although the alternatives to coal aren’t perfect, they are a lot better than coal. With wind energy taking a cool 11%. Independent 

Slow Fashion: Tell Us About The Oldest Item Of Clothing You Own. A chance to tell the Guardian about your oldest piece of clothing. (To read about mine, click here.) The Guardian

Vintage Fashion As An Ethical Lifestyle Choice. Elgin Observer

Instagram Wants To Become The Future Of Shopping, But It Has A Massive Fake-Fashion Problem. Business Insider 

Met Gala 2019: Livia Firth Wears Richard Quinn For The Green Carpet Challenge. I was particularly disappointed there weren’t more sustainable looks at the Met Gala this year. Of course, Dior created a beautiful sustainable dress for Gisele, Gypsey Sport created a 90% sustainable outfit for Big Freedia and Livia Firth wore a sustainable outfit – in the article linked. While many of the outfits are couture, which takes hundreds of hours and are created by individuals who are masters at what they do and (hopefully) earn a living wage. I can’t help but think this is a poor show on the sustainable design front. Eco Age

Made Of Plastic And Doomed To Landfill: Why Your Cheap Underwear Is Killing The Planet. Glamour

One Million Species Face Extinction, U.N. Report Says. And Humans Will Suffer As A Result. Indeed worth a read to see the kind of situation we are facing. Species are facing extinction at a far faster rate than before which turns our whole ecosystem on its side. Washington Post

Blood Mountain – An Art Installation By Suzie Blake Artist. Fashion Revolution 

Forever 21 ‘Steals’ Anti-Fast-Fashion Artist’s Work. Forever 21 is a fast fashion retailer and conversely used a popular image to make a joke about that fact. BBC