Student's guide to greenwashing in the fashion industry
From Lauren McLeron
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Now more than ever, sustainability, the climate crisis and social justice are at the forefront of the international dialogue. As we enter into a period where meaningful engagement and strong commitments are required of corporations, fashion brands are noticeably starting to use words like ‘ethical’, ‘eco-friendly’, and ‘conscious’ in their marketing techniques. While the fashion industry is making great strides in becoming more sustainable and responsible, many companies are simply capitalising on the climate crisis as a means of marketing without applying fundamental change, otherwise known as greenwashing. At this event, you’ll learn how to spot when a company is greenwashing, the impacts of fast fashion, and what you can do about it!
Speakers:
Anna Copeland: University of Edinburgh Fashion Society
Anna is an online learning Masters student at the University of Edinburgh studying Carbon Management. She has been working in the environmental field for five years and is interested in pursuing a career in fashion sustainability. Anna will be moderating the event.
Audrey Marti: Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh
Audrey recently graduated with a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh. During her studies at Edinburgh, for a module called "Participation in Policy and Planning", she was part of a group consultancy project for the Scottish Parliament, Zero Waste Scotland, and the Scottish Youth Parliament, on how to promote a circular fashion economy. This project opened her eyes to the impacts of fast fashion, and has inspired her to make better, more sustainable choices in the clothes she purchases. The part of the research that Audrey found most interesting were the barriers to sustainable fashion choices that students face, and how these can be overcome.
Jo Elston: SHRUB coop
Jo is the swap-shop coordinator at the SHRUB coop and helps to run the sustainable fashion meetups they host. After starting Maths Degree at the University of Edinburgh, Jo decided to change directions and instead pursue her interest in environmental and social responsibility by working at a community cooperative.
Kelly Drennan: Fashion Takes Action
Kelly Drennan is a systems thinker, thought leader and disruptor devoted to making change within the fashion industry. In 2007 she founded Fashion Takes Action, out of her desire to create a better, more sustainable future for her two daughters. Her role at FTA is to identify the barriers to sustainability that exist for both industry and consumers, and do what she can to remove them.
Olga Kovaleva: President of R Sustainable: Social Enterprise
Olga Kovaleva is the President of R Sustainable Social Enterprise with the University of Edinburgh. R Sustainable strives to educate on and promote sustainable fashion and lifestyle through a variety of events, such as conscious styling and up-cycling workshops, Instagram lives with professionals from fashion industry and virtual tours of sustainable stores in Edinburgh as well as annual R Sustainable fashion show and exhibition featuring sustainable designs from across Edinburgh as well as from all over the world.
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