2023-12-01 21:02:17
An old Scottish saying goes: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes” – if you don’t like the weather, you only have to wait five minutes for a change. However, how long you should wait if the weather hasn’t improved after five minutes will probably remain a Lowland secret forever.
The south of Scotland can become particularly uncomfortable in late autumn: waterfall-like precipitation is followed by drizzle, light gusts are followed by whip-like gusts of wind. The participants at this year’s “Fashion Future” conference also felt this in mid-November.
Surrounded by crunching pebbles and a labyrinth of carefully groomed boxwoods, the gray blanket of clouds pours over Dumfries House, which belonged to the British King Charles III. heard. Just the classic garden art of the country – and what you imagine meteorologically when you think of Great Britain.
Royal collaboration: The association is even a regular guest at one of the British King’s properties.Yves Claessens
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For the third time, the royal property in Cumnock, Scotland, is serving as the venue for a conference to discuss fashion and sustainability – and the extent to which the two are compatible. A few years ago, Charles, known to be a passionate eco-activist, even attended the event himself.
“We all consume fashion, we are all part of the problem”
“Around 20 percent of the population here in the UK causes 80 percent of the country’s emissions,” says Dilys Williams, professor of sustainable fashion design at the London College of Fashion, at the start of the conference. The textile industry and its consumers in particular contribute to this. “We all consume fashion. We are all part of the problem. However, everyone has the opportunity to change something about their behavior,” said the professor.
Together with the King’s Foundation, an educational organization of the British royal family that has its headquarters in Dumfries House, the Fashion Council Germany once again invited people to a joint conference in Scotland. The Berlin-based association carries out lobbying work for the German industry – but is always explicitly looking for international partners.
Dexterous: Workshops are part of the conference.Eleanor Kenny
In addition to lectures by experts and discussions between established designers and manufacturers, workshops with young fashion design students who would like to work for more sustainable developments in the industry also took place in Scotland in mid-November. The young talent program entitled “Fashion x Craft” is taking place for the second time.
Presentation of own designs at Berlin Fashion Week in February
A total of six designers were given the opportunity to benefit from international experts in workshops, webinars and coaching sessions lasting several months in advance of the conference. As the highlight of the program, the ambitious design talents can expect the presentation of their own designs, which they have developed over time, just in time for the next Berlin Fashion Week from February 5th to 8th.
Since its founding in 2015, the Fashion Council Germany, led by CEO Christiane Arp and managing director Scott Lipinski, has been committed to the economic and cultural promotion of the fashion industry in Germany. A particular focus is on promoting young talent, but the advocacy group is also trying to promote the “Made in Germany” label internationally.
On the podium: Journalist Cheryll Muehlen in conversation with Jörg Ehrlich from Odeeh, designer Nari Haase and Christiane Arp (from left).Eleanor Kenny
As part of the “Fashion Forward Network” project, for example, the association traveled to New York in October of this year to establish long-term partnerships between Berlin companies and brands located in the USA. A total of ten companies from the fashion and tech industry were invited to the American metropolis for this occasion to discuss possible connections in various seminars, workshops and pitch nights.
Heidi Klum is far from everything
“Fashion isn’t just about Heidi Klum,” explains Lipinski, the managing director, on the first evening of the conference at Dumfries House; Fashion is a serious industry – and not just a light entertainment program. “And there are plenty of opportunities for young talent to gain a foothold in the fashion industry.”
In addition to his role as managing director of the Fashion Council Germany, Lipinski has also been chairman of the board of the European Fashion Alliance (EFA) – a kind of European fashion council – since the middle of this year. Like the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the Parliament, it also meets in Brussels – in addition to the German representation, other comparable institutions are also members, including the Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin, the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and British Fashion Council. The most recent meeting took place on Wednesday (November 29th), at which the EFA members discussed the current state of fashion – also with regard to sustainability issues.
Holds companies accountable: Dio Kurazawa.Eleanor Kenny
In Scotland, sustainability also became a core issue. It became clear here that sustainable concepts often fail due to the question of who should actually be held responsible for rampant consumption and environmentally harmful fashion production. For Dio Kurazawa, participant of the conference in Scotland and co-founder of The Bear Scouts, a fashion brand that wants to declare war on environmental pollution, there is only one answer: “Companies have to take the first step. “Ultimately, consumers are always dependent on their financial background,” says the trend researcher – being able to act sustainably is also a question of budget, especially in the fashion context.
An opportunity for young talent at Dumfries House
Schoolchildren from all over Germany also traveled to the Scottish Lowlands and learned how new creations can be made from old clothing as part of the “Generation Future” project. A young fashion enthusiast from North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, sewed a two-piece suit in the Chanel bouclé style from an old dress, and an ambitious student from Cologne created unique trousers with checkered wool inserts from a pair of worn jeans.
Meeting in Brussels: Zuzana Bobikova from the Slovak Fashion Council, Carlo Capasa from the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Elke Timmerman from the non-profit organization Flanders DC, Pascal Morand from the Fédération de la Haute Couture de la Mode, Cecilie Thorsmark from the Copenhagen Fashion Week, Scott Lipinski from the Fashion Council Germany, Caroline Rush from the British Fashion Council and the member of the European Parliament Christian Ehler (from left).Yves Claessens
“I’ve only upcycled a pair of jeans and not made any new ones, but then you just notice how much work goes into it. I now have a different perspective on it,” explains Leon Kasten, who became aware of the project through a lecture at his school. The application process for participation in the conference had already taken place months before.
A total of 24 students impressed with their applications. One of them is Tim Lorscheidt: “We are the future,” he says in the workshop studio, not far from Dumfries House. “That’s why I think it’s extremely important that people approach us, inform us and not just leave us out.”
The unique mansion, which was built in the mid-18th century and was bought by King Charles, then crown prince, in 2007 and had it extensively renovated, stretches over 800 hectares. Dumfries House is one of the most valuable properties in Great Britain, not least because it is furnished to the ceiling with Rococo furniture – parts of which were even specially made by Chippendale himself: Surrounded by the beauty of the past, conference participants discussed the challenges of the future.
The last word of the conference belongs to Christiane Arp, the former editor-in-chief of German Vogue and founding member of the Fashion Council Germany: “After more than 40 years in fashion, for the first time I have the feeling that the industry is lagging behind,” warns the Berliner’s CEO club; There is a lack of innovation in the industry. Significantly more needs to be done, especially with regard to sustainability issues.
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