Sustainability by Design: Rethinking NYFW
Partners: The Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Boston Consulting Group
Location: New York City, USA
NYFW SUSTAINABILITY BY DESIGN: RETHINKING NYFW
Sustainability by Design: Rethinking NYFW is a study featuring a comprehensive Executive Summary and Report focused on the environmental impact of New York Fashion Week as well as a Playbook for Positive Change. Both provide the fashion industry with a strategic set of guidelines and recommendations tailored for design, production, and PR teams as a blueprint to make informed, responsible decisions to transform fashion shows and presentations.
The project is led by the Boston Consulting Group and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA), a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962 with a membership of 477 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers. The organization provides its Members with timely and relevant thought-leadership and business development support. Emerging designers and students are supported through professional development programming and numerous grant and scholarship opportunities. In addition to hosting the annual CFDA Fashion Awards, the organization owns the Fashion Calendar and is the organizer of the Official New York Fashion Week Schedule. Members include Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Aurora James, Tommy Hilfiger, Mara Hoffman, Prabal Gurung, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren.
“It is imperative that the global fashion industry addresses climate change and the impact of fashion week on the environment. Given New York Fashion Week is global fashion’s largest ecosystem, the CFDA felt it was important to lead and supportively guide the fashion industry towards positive change.”
COMMITMENT TO ACTION
The CFDA announced New York Fashion Week’s sustainability strategy to align with the Sustainable Development Goals in an effort to lead the fashion industry towards responsible consumption and production, take action on climate change, and make cities more sustainable.
PARTNERSHIP
The CFDA and Boston Consulting Group, supported by the Conscious Fashion Campaign and UN Partnerships, developed the two-fold study ‘Sustainability by Design: Rethinking New York Fashion Week’. With a focus on seven key Sustainable Development Goals, the Executive Summary and Report include an assessment and analysis of NYFW’s current ecosystem, while identifying priorities and opportunities to transform the season of fashion shows and presentations. The Playbook organises its proposed actions into six impact areas: content, samples, production, venue, public relations, and transportation and logistics. Sustainable Development Goals of focus:
SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy, SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth, SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
The CFDA is planning a series of virtual engagements to guide fashion week stakeholders via education and collaboration with Boston Consulting Group, and support from the Conscious Fashion Campaign.
Access Sustainability by Design: Rethinking New York Fashion Week
INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT
CFDA authors: Steven Kolb, CEO; Sara Kozlowski, Director of Education + Sustainable Strategies and Mark Beckham, Vice President of Marketing & Communications. The Research Steering Committee Members included Maria Cornejo, Gabriela Hearst, Virginia Ritchie of Tommy Hilfiger, Brandon Sheffield, Alicia Loehle, Tracy Reese, Hillary Taymour of Collina Strada, Kerry Bannigan of Conscious Fashion Campaign and Lucie Brigham of United Nations Office for Partnerships.
Gabriela Hearst
Hillary Taymour
Maria Cornejo
Tracy Reese