Berlin Fashion Week Announces New Sustainability Requirements
WORKING TOGETHER HAS ALWAYS DRIVEN MAJOR CHANGE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY IN SUSTAINABILITY, AND BERLIN FASHION WEEK HAS SET A NEW TONE ON COLLABORATIVE EFFORT! BERLIN FASHION WEEK, ALWAYS KNOWN FOR ITS INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY, HAS MADE A MAJOR STEP FORWARD WITH SUSTAINABLE FASHION. IT IS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK, WHO IN 2020 ANNOUNCED A SET OF SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS THAT BRANDS MUST FOLLOW IN ORDER TO TAKE PART, WHICH BY 2023 HAD BEEN COMPLETELY IMPLEMENTED INTO THEIR FASHION WEEKS.
words by HOLLY KELSEY
imagery COURTESY OF BERLIN FASHION WEEK
One of the new requirements for brands that showcase at Berlin Fashion Week is to ensure that a minimum of fifty percent of their collection is made from certified, upcycled, deadstock or recycled materials. They must also meet transparency and traceability standards, with the aim of encouraging brands to be open with customers about their supply chains. In addition they must undertake not to destroy any unsold clothes from previous collections and to be completely fur free.
The new requirements have been specifically adapted to align with BFW’s core values of freedom, inclusion and creativity, with the aim of empowering all participants in BFW from underrepresented backgrounds, ranging from models and designers to photographers and make up artists. More details about these adaptations will be announced at a later date.
Fashion Council Germany has been working on the project in close partnership with Copenhagen Fashion Week since the beginning of 2023. At government level, Berlin’s Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises has pledged €180,000 between now and 2025 towards implementing the new standards and easing the transition. A pilot scheme involving 35 brands will be introduced in the Autumn of 2024 ahead of the new criteria being fully adopted in February 2026. Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany, the organizers of Berlin Fashion Week, said: “There is no place for competitiveness when it comes to sustainability. We need to work together to make a difference.”
“There is no place for competitiveness when it comes to sustainability. We need to work together to make a difference.”
— Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany
For the announcement of this partnership between Copenhagen Fashion Week and Berlin Fashion Week, an intimate dinner was held at Irma La Douce Berlin. The dinner was attended by guests such as Michael Biel (State Secretary for Economic Affairs of Berlin), Scott Lipinski (CEO of Fashion Council Germany), Christiane Arp (Editor-in-chief Vogue Germany) and Cecilie Thorsmark (CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week).
With this initiative it’s not about who’s the best but working together to create a better and more positive future for fashion. We can’t wait to see how this shapes brands’ business models and the upcoming fashion shows in Berlin!
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