Introducing the Autumn Edition of #WPresents

from #WPresents The Autumn Edition (Sustainable Luxury Report & Interiors Supplement)

by @Workinfashion.me

The Sustainable Luxury Report II & Interiors Supplement

UK Edition 2019

Mary Creagh MP & Fixing Fashion

What Happens Next?

What Do Millennials Want?

James M. Levelle Fossil Fuel Free

Mr Duffy & SourceMap

Taking on Transparency

Laura Ironside Slow Fashion

Fashion & Sustainable

Finance

Venetia Berry Ethical Art

Autumn

Edition

#SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

New Faces#WorkinFashion50

Slow Fashion with

Laura Ironside

#Profile

#WorkinFashionPresents

James M. Levelle: Race For Future By Yasmin Jones-Henry

With the destruction of the Amazon rainforest through fire and deforestation; increasing numbers of deaths caused by illnesses related to pollution; microplastics contaminating our oceans; global warming accelerating at an alarming rate as temperatures continue to soar: it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the chaos of it all.

It’s even easier to retreat to the safety of our armchairs (or duvets) smartphones in hand – tweeting posting (avec relevant hashtags) broadcasting our thoughts on the current political-socio-economicenvironmental crisis that seems to have gripped our planet in an ever tightening vice. But when the wi-fi goes down, or if for some reason (it’s happened before) Instagram goes down – what is actually being done #IRL (In Real Life?).

It’s a rhetorical question I ask myself on a daily basis when I find myself swiping, scrolling and double tapping in the search for a small daily dose of pixelated positivity.

So when I received James’ email, asking to meet me (in person) to discuss a new expedition he was planning in relation to all of the problems listed above, I was somewhat stunned.

My attempts to squeeze any information out over the phone or via email amounted to nada, and I was instructed to meet him at a hipster cafe in Stoke Newington (‘The Good Egg’). Now for those of you who know me, as a self proclaimed hermit, you know this an indication of his sheer force of personality – and persistence in ensuring I had absolutely no excuse to cancel.

I’d seen him action once before on a television docu-series about hurricanes. Hurricane Man (for those who haven’t seen it) depicts a team of explorers and storm chasers, gathering data about some of the world’s deadliest hurricanes. Unfortunately the first and only episode I watched had me watching through my fingers alongside other viewers as James confesses (later in our conversation) that he almost died – such was the risk. So why do it? “What’s this all about?” I asked him about five seconds after he sat down.

The Sustainable

Luxury Report

by Yasmin Jones-Henry

“While the luxury segment only represents a fraction of the marketplace, there is still a disproportionate onus on the sector to deliver sustainable products and carbon neutral footprints. In a world where every consumption choice is being increasingly scrutinized, nice-to-have products and experiences (versus need-to-have) must lead by example in their approach to sustainability; from the perspective of both product and communication.”

– Tom Punch, Global President & Chief Creative Officer, Spring Studios

Robert Skinner, (Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships) was also present at the Spring Studios Luxury Summit. He seemed almost weary, as he repeated the same statistics over again, about the Earth’s temperature, their targets for 2030 and the realisation that as fashion was one of the biggest polluters, the UN could not deliver their goals on time, without the industry’s accelerated participation. In other words, this is now the chapter of ‘Facta Non Verba’ for the fashion/luxury industry: Deeds Not Words.

While the collective has been slow to act, Kering Group under the guidance of their Chief Sustainability Officer Marie-Claire Daveu, have moved on from their groundbreaking delivery of the industry’s first Environmental Profit & Loss report of 2011.

Marie-Claire Daveu Image Courtesy of Kering Group

“ Sustainability has grown beyond a level of mere awareness , becoming a genuine strategic factor for the development of brands.

” Megan Higgins, PWC

They have now evolved a streamlined investment portfolio – enabling them to collaborate with the innovating start ups developing the low environmental impact materials and tech required to assist them in their drive towards complete sustainability and transparency. “The Circular Economy” Marie tells me (in my previous interview for the Financial Times), “It’s our main priority. It’s the Holy Grail.”

While Kering has been able to bask in the light of having been ahead of the curve in revaluating their business models to better reflect a corporate ethos that places ethical production and sustainable business practices as its cornerstones, they are not alone in this field of innovation within the fashion/luxury market.

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