NGO's working towards more sustainable fashion industry that you must know about and follow:
- Fashion Revolution – is a not-for-profit global movement represented by The Fashion Revolution Foundation and Fashion Revolution CIC with teams in over 100 countries around the world. Fashion Revolution campaigns for reform of the fashion industry with a focus on the need for greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. Starting in 2013, Fashion Revolution has designated the anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh as Fashion Revolution Day and holds events each year.
- Clean Clothes Campaign – is the garment industry’s largest alliance of labour unions and NGO’s. It focuses on the improvement of working conditions in the garment and sportswear industries. Formed in the Netherlands in 1989, the CCC has campaigns in 15 European countries It works with a partner network of more than 250 organizations around the world.
- Labour Behind the Label – is a UK based campaign group that works to improve conditions and empower workers in the global garment industry. Since 2001 they raise awareness, do research and lobbying in support of workers demands for improved pay and conditions. The group represents the Clean Clothes Campaign in the UK and works with over 250 partner organisations worldwide.
- Global Fashion Agenda – is the foremost leadership forum for industry collaboration on fashion sustainability. As a thought leadership and advocacy organisation focusing on industry collaboration and public-private cooperation, the non-profit organisation is on a mission to mobilise and guide the fashion industry to take bold and urgent action on sustainability.
- Textile Exchange -is a global non-profit that works closely with their members to drive industry transformation in preferred fibers, integrity and standards and responsible supply networks. It identifies and share best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability and product end-of-life in order to reduce the textile industry’s impact on the world’s water, soil and air, and the human population.
- The Sustainable Apparel Coalition – is the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. They developed a standardized value chain measurement suite of tools called the Higg Index. These tools measure environmental and social labor impacts across the value chain and helps fashion industry identify hotspots, improve sustainability performance, and achieve the environmental and social transparency consumers are demanding.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation – is a UK registered charity which aims to inspire a generation to re-think, re-design & build a positive future through the framework of a circular economy. In 2017 the Foundation launched Make Fashion Circular initaitive at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. The initiative brings together leaders from across the fashion industry, including brands, cities, philanthropists, NGOs, and innovators. Its aim is to stimulate the level of collaboration and innovation necessary to create a new textiles economy, aligned with the principles of the circular economy.
- United Nations Alliance for Sustainable Fashion – is an initiative of United Nations agencies and allied organizations designed to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals through coordinated action in the fashion sector. Specifically, the Alliance works to support coordination between UN bodies working in fashion and promoting projects and policies that ensure that the fashion value chain contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals’ targets.
- Ethical Fashion Initiative – is a joint agency of the United Nations and the WTO. It connects marginalised artisans from the developing world – the majority of them women – to international fashion houses for mutual benefit. In doing so, the Ethical Fashion Initiative harnesses fashion as a vehicle for development. The Ethical Fashion Initiative also works with the rising generation of fashion talent from Africa, providing them with mentorship to grow their brands and encouraging the forging of fulfilling collaborations with artisans on the continent
- Canopy Planet – is an award winning environmental nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world’s forests, species and climate. Their CanopyStyle initiative was launched in 2013 to address then relatively unknown issue that 150 million trees disappear to make rayon and viscose clothing every year. Today, it is one of the fastest moving environmental initiatives in the fashion industry. More than 160 global fashion companies and viscose producers have joined this initiative. Together they represent 75 percent of global viscose production, working toward ridding their
supply chain of Ancient and Endangered Forest fiber.
Online platforms offering various sustainable fashion resources
- Fashion for Good – is a global platform for sustainable fashion innovation. Fashion for Good connects brands, producers, retailers, suppliers, non-profit organisations, innovators and funders to work together in their shared ambition to make the fashion industry a force for good.
- New Standard Institute – the information platform and a global resource for the industry and its stakeholder which includes: credible facts, research and reports, innovative companies advancing environmental and labor solutions, organizations in the space and industry conferences and events advancing sustainability.
- Condé Nast The Sustainable Fashion Glossary – the fashion media powerhouse just launched this fantastic project in May 2020. The glossary is an easy-to-use guide open to everybody and covers all aspects and terms used when discussing sustainability in fashion and beyond.
- Positive Luxury – the company behind the Butterfly Mark, a unique mark awarded to luxury lifestyle brands in recognition of their commitment to creating a positive impact on our world.
- Good On You – online directory of fashion brands based on their sustainability ratings, also available via phone app! Find more than 2000 brands rated on basis of their their impact on the planet, people and animals, and see if the ones you love measure up.
- Eco-Age – is a brand consultancy that helps businesses to create, implement and communicate bespoke sustainability solutions. In addition to consultancy, Eco-Age is also a great information source via their News section. It was co-founded by Livia Firth – one of the most influential figures in sustainable fashion movement and founder of the Green Carpet Challenge. I recommend to follow Livia on social mediate platforms for quick sustainability updates.
Fashion industry events and professional trade shows focusing on sustainability:
- Copenhagen Fashion Summit – world’s largest sustainable fashion event organized by Global Fashion Agenda, Copenhagen
- NEONYT – world’s leading sustainable and ethical brands trade show, Berlin
- Future Fabrics Expo – sustainable textiles sourcing trade show organized by The Sustainable Angle – a NGO that initiates and supports projects with a focus on sustainability in Fashion and Textiles and related industries such as food and agriculture, London