Earlier this summer, the Extinction Rebellion movement, led by Stella McCartney, rallied supporters to “boycott fashion.” The main objective behind this initiative is to prevent citizens from purchasing new clothing for a year in order to compensate for global manufacturing surpluses. According to reports, 100 billion pieces of fabric are produced each year. Every second, millions of products are burnt and buried along with the output.
Stella has never used leather or fur and does not burn or discard her items since action speaks louder than words. She places a greater emphasis on environmentally friendly technology.
This is not the first effort. During Victoria Beckham’s show at Tate Britain, there was a battalion dressed in green coats and holding a placard that said, “Ethical is always on-trend.”
This time, XR’s move appears to be more drastic. A group of citizens petitioned the British Fashion Council in July to cancel London Fashion Week. They intended to convene all industry members to proclaim a climate emergency and implement a viable response.
Regardless, their plan did not come to fruition. As a result, XR is already organising a protest campaign around the city.
Protesters were smeared in fake blood and staged a “die-in” at The Strand on the opening day of LFW. The entire collection highlighted the lives that have already been lost and will be lost as a result of climate change.
Finally, they’ve prepared a funeral march to commemorate the conclusion of fashion week.
Many people don’t find this method practical. To not shop for a year is not realistic for everyone.
Though her methods are tough, many designers are supporting her more or less. Earlier this week, Gucci announced to produce a fully carbon-neutral supply chain by the end of the month.
Sustainability was also emphasised in the Spring 2020 collections of New York designer Gabriela Hearst, 3.1 Philip Lim, CDLM, and Collina Strada.
Furthermore, the idea of fashion week disappearing is difficult to comprehend, but everything is possible. The fashion presentations this season have raised many questions regarding how they should interact with fashion. Should they forsake the Fashion Show Runway entirely?
“I think it’s important that we use our voices to say what we believe is necessary rather than what we believe is achievable within the current system,”
Furthermore, the XR was well aware that the fashion business would not immediately embrace their concept. They want people to be more open and talk about it for the time being.
Some may argue that the entire concept is new and unrealistic. But that’s not the main thing right now. They want people to be aware of what is required in the event of an emergency.