When it comes to fashion, sustainability isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind.
But these days, a quick look at the pinnacle fashion event of the year in Australia might tell you otherwise.
As Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia (MBFWA) kicks off in Sydney for 2019, there’s a lot more to it than a spectacle of clothes.
This year, a renewed focus on sustainability has seen a dramatic shift in the landscape of Fashion Week as we know it – right down to the coffee being sipped from the perfectly manicured hands of fashion’s elite.
In a milestone moment, IMG announced 2019 as the first in the three-year plan to embed sustainable practices throughout the event and its venue operations.
Working closely with the designers themselves, this year’s event has seen a reduction in waste, including plastic and cardboard.
Indeed, even the coffee cups are sustainable, with Vittoria Coffee partnering with several Australian brands to create designs on ceramic reusable coffee cups.
MBFWA is making a strong case for sustainability this year. (Image: Getty)
Water bottles have also been replaced by the rather classy addition of San Pellegrino glass canisters – avoiding a whopping 11,000 plastic bottles which are estimated to have otherwise been used.
The shift in this year’s focus is key not only in today’s eco-conscious landscape, but also in setting an example for years to come – and more fashion brands are getting on board.
One brand showing at this year’s Fashion Week is a stand out in sustainability – and it’s not from a sector you’d expect.
Pip Edwards, who founded activewear brand P.E. Nation along with Claire Tregoning, has made a point to bring sustainability front and centre in their space of the market.
“Its the one category that should be sustainability focused,” Pip told Now To Love as she prepared models backstage for her show.
Pip explained that activewear clothing generally includes nylons and polyesters – materials that can easily replace plastic bottles.
Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning showcase their athletic wear and swimwear at MBFWA. (Image: Getty)
On Monday May 13, the brand showcased a collection featuring recycled fabrics for the first time.
Using a spray fabrication that is made from 100% recycled fabrics sourced from Italy, the pieces look and feel the same – if not better – than their not-so-sustainable counterparts.
The brand also plans to use bio degradable packaging moving forward.
See some of the stunning show in the player below. Story continues after video…
Meanwhile, another well-known Aussie brand making waves in the sustainable fashion circuit is Tigerlily, who also showcased a collection of sustainable pieces at MBFWA this year.
Being one of the first Australian brands to introduce recycled fabrics to swimwear, the company has since eliminated a whopping 18,000kg of waste due to using an Italian yarn known as ECONYL.
Tigerlily is also renowned for its sustainable focus in Australia. (Image: Getty)
With that being said, there’s still a long way to go in the fashion industry in terms of sustainability – with the rise in fast fashion almost doubling the amount of clothing production over the past 15 years.
And in 2017, it was recorded that almost 6000 kg of clothing is dumped in landfill every 10 minutes in Australia alone, according to the ABC’s War On Waste.
So with this in mind, it’s certainly encouraging to see the fashion industry’s key events and players take heed and do their bit – because all of it counts.
