Elton & Jacobsen
Saara Lepokorpi
The idea was launched in 2007 when CEO of Oslo Fashion Week vented his frustration of lack of information on production in relation to ethical and environmental issues on clothing, and I flippantly countered: Well, it can’t be all that difficult for Norwegian designers to follow up; with their small collections they could virtually hand-write an explanation on each item. Half a year later, what had started out as Norwegian Initiative Clean & Ethical was launched in the garden of Copenhagen’s City Hall as a Nordic initiative (practical with n’s that can be exchanged), and with the Danish Fashion Institute, the Swedish Fashion Council, Helsinki Design Week and the Icelandic Fashion Institute as partners. Several things were rapidly achieved. A Nordic Look event in Riga in cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers,
Anna Bonnevier Design
hearings in all the Nordic countries resulting in a 10 year plan and a Code of Conduct, the first Fashion Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 with Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary in attendance and the first Nordic design competition featuring sustainable textiles – a stunning fashion show of 20 new gen designers. The web-site nicefashion. org was also launched, the Norwegian contribution which is the tool for designers, companies and consumers to make more ethical and environmentally safe choices. The web-page also hosts a newsletter and a Facebook-group, keeping everyone on their toes. As NICE, which is the main project of the Nordic Fashion Association, now moves forward; there are many activities and plans on the agenda. The NFA is expanding, and will soon include several