In an attempt to coordinate their efforts and expedite the industry’s sustainability initiatives throughout the Nordic and British fashion industries, the British Fashion Council and Copenhagen Fashion Week today announced a new partnership.
The BFC will implement the Sustainability Requirements framework created by CPHFW as part of the partnership. Beginning in 2025, the BFC NEWGEN project will include the Minimum Standards into the current required admission requirements. By January 2026, the entire implementation will be complete after a period of onboarding and experimentation.
BFC NEWGEN is the world leading designer programme which supports the best emerging fashion design talent and The world’s top fashion design program, BFC NEWGEN, represents important voices in the British fashion industry and nurtures the greatest up-and-coming designers. Applications are now being accepted for very imaginative designer fashion companies who have been in operation for less than three years.
Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, the British Fashion Council said:
“We are excited to be in line with the Copenhagen Fashion Week Sustainability Requirements for BFC NEWGEN; this strengthens our commitment to promoting good change in the global fashion industry and expands upon our current Minimum Standards. This collaboration is a big step toward making sustainability a key component of fashion in the future. We are working together to develop a framework that will enable up-and-coming designer fashion companies to take the lead and make a real contribution to a more ethical and sustainable sector.”
Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week said:
“We are excited to work with the British Fashion Council to make our Sustainability Requirements even more widely applicable. In addition to promoting much-needed industry coherence, this collaboration highlights the special ability of fashion weeks and councils to promote constructive change in the sector. We see a lot of opportunity to further increase the effect of our shared commitment to sustainability with the British Fashion Council, a significant participant in the global fashion scene.”
An important component of the BFC’s ongoing work through the Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) is this relationship. In order to address the environmental effect of the fashion industry, the IPF was established as a think tank. Its mission is to steer the industry toward sustainable practices, encourage climate action, and provide a forum for research, cooperation, and education to hasten good change. The IPF will be five years old in 2025, and this partnership with CPHFW demonstrates the BFC’s ongoing dedication to promoting a more sustainable future.
