Key Takeaways from the 2019

Copenhagen Fashion Summit

At Fortress of Inca, sustainability has always been a priority, and we know our consumers share the same passion. For the past two days, we’ve been closely following the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, an annual conference that highlights critical issues of sustainability in fashion. We’ve listened to the experts, sorted through industry jargon, and jotted down the most important takeaways from the fashion summit to give you a clear view of what the future of fashion holds.

Kering’s Promises

Gucci fashion show

François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering, kicked off the event with a major bang by announcing in his keynote address that the luxury group would no longer employ models under the age of 18. With fashion houses like Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Saint Laurent under its belt, this is major news for the conglomerate and will hopefully inspire other leaders in the industry to follow suit.

Open Source Innovation

Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability at H&M Group

A major topic of discussion throughout the fashion summit was the recently released Pulse of the Fashion Industry report, which advised that accelerating progress in the fashion will involve major cooperation between big brands. In agreement, Anna Gedda, Head of Sustainability at H&M Group said, “Sustainability needs to be a non-competitive area. We need to work with open source and using our experience.”

Youth Fashion Summit

Pandora Group's Youth Fashion Summit 2019

The summit also included a set of demands from fashion students around the world who presented their ideas during Pandora Group’s Youth Fashion Summit. At the center of their argument was a push for gender equality and a call to “address people as humans and not genders.”

Innovation Forum: Solutions

Vestiaire Collective's Spring sneaker launch

A lot of the program involved discussing everything the industry has gotten wrong about sustainability. On the contrary, the ‘Innovation Forum’ was a refreshing look at the bright side, offering up the names of companies that are currently embodying Global Fashion Agenda’s goals for the industry. Among the featured solutions was Vestiaire, an expertly curated resale site that promotes a sustainable way of consuming luxury fashion products. Another interesting solution came from The Bear Scouts, a consultancy group whose aim is to assist luxury brands in achieving sustainable practices through responsible sourcing, supply chain, and product development initiatives.

Things are definitely looking up in the fashion world, but we've got a long way to go. It's encouraging to see that major industry professionals are incorporating ethical practices into their business models, but we also know change can come from either side of the equation. If you're feeling inspired by the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, check out our 'Beginner's Guide to Ethical Shopping' and start your journey towards sustainable consumption!