Representation & Sustainability at LFW AW23
‘What you see in fashion, or in any industry should reflect what you see in real life. It shouldn’t be removed from reality.’
This season’s London Fashion Week designers are vanguarding a new generation of creatives informing social, environmental and economic climates on and off the runway. As an event notoriously known for accelerating climate change and pollution and a lack of diversity that juxtapose with show stopping runways with effervescent celebrity front rows, London Fashion Week AW23 informed meaningful change for the fashion industry, in what has debatably been the most inclusive and sustainable week yet.
24 hours after the Saul Nash London Fashion Week after party ; the closing event of the week, Kemi Odutola, Casting Intern at Troy Casting reflects on her first fashion week experience. “It was lifechanging, the atmosphere was warm, it was positive.” After casting three fashion week shows — Alhuwalia, Saul Nash and Paolo Carzana, Kemi sees “representation on runways compared to behind the scenes interesting.” In an industry known for the tokenistic trend of diversity for positive PR, it was no surprise that “for certain brands, the runway would be POC and differently abled bodies. Bigger models. But, the people in the brand ecosystem are not reflective of their public image.” On the tokenism and ingenuity of representation, Kemi says “I don’t think we should do representation for the sake of representation. It has to be intentional and do it properly. Don’t just think you’re ticking a box.
Diversity and representation was front of mind in London this season with parenthood as a strong theme. Greek designer Di Pesta featured pregnant models and children on the runway, and Nigerian born designer Mowalola featured Olaoluslawn — the first Nigerian born designer of the Brit Award, carrying his infant child on the runway. It seems designers this season truly reflect the melting pot of identity — be it race, gender identity, body image etc … that is conspicuous in London through the casting of their runway shows.
A highlight of representation at London Fashion Week was Unhiddens fashion week debut, described as “a masterclass on inclusivity”. Designs made for wheelchair users, dresses with access to feeding tubes, tops with access for chemotherapy patients. ANON says “representation is core. It’s a given. It shouldn’t be thought about. It’s not a groundbreaking thing if you do, but it’s a groundbreaking thing if you don’t. It’s harder to not represent people.”
For London Designer, Priya Alhuwalia, sustainability has been at the core of her eponymous brand’s ethos and she leads a generation of new age designers in making change towards not only protecting the environment but the entire ecosystem from design to showcase. For this reason, she was honoured at the British Fashion Awards as an environmental leader of change.
Her London Fashion Week AW23 show ‘Symphony’ included QR codes on clothing pieces, to allow customers to find out more about what the clothes are made from, where they are made and the inspiration behind the design. She collaborated with Microsoft on ‘Circulate’, a clothing recycling initiative, offering customers store credit in exchange for their unwanted garments.
Sustainability is a fundamental element for vanguard designers, from people to product. Precious Seronga, designer of By Precious Seronga and London College of Fashion alumni showcased her native flora of Africa collection at London Fashion Week with Fashions Finest. Designed in London, Made in London by local African immigrant designers in Peckham, a large part of sustainability for Precious is within the ecosystem and empowering local artisans “I try to show underrated the skills of my garment workers, that they attract international recognition and in return better business for themselves”. We caught up post — fashion week, to discuss what sustainability means to her and the importance of protecting the environment and garment workers.
By Precious Seronga takes a unique, commonly African made to order approach to fashion, inspired by her upbringing in Tanazania and inflitrates it into the London fashion market. “We’re only making clothes that are wanted, printed and made locally. Because the world and environment doesn’t need another fashion brand.” The environment is protected through “biodegradable and recyclable cardboard for packaging and shipping” she says.
Fashion weeks are generally unsustainable in both the wasteful sense, with garment production and litter from numerous shows and events, but also due to its impact on the environment. London Fashion Week encourages flights from all across the globe to witness runway shows and engage in city wide celebrations. These flights produce enough carbon emissions to power 42,000 houses for a year. London already emits 28.1 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, but with fashion weeks large influxes of visitors create even more waste. Garment workers and runners, as well as other members of the fashion ecosystem are often exploited, with Boohoo paying garment workers as little as 29p. Fashion weeks promise to be more sustainable with virtual runways, NFTs and more. However, cutting edge designers are making statements against waste, and striving to create a more sustainable fashion future.
London Fashion Week AW23 put people at the forefront of fashion. With designers intentionally casting diverse models to represent the melting pot of identity that is London, and making a statement on sustainability through not only material, but the empowerment of the London fashion ecosystem.
“Positivity in fashion is not just about products and materials, it’s about people” — Priya Alhuwalia
For London Designer, Priya Alhuwalia, sustainability has been at the core of her eponymous brand’s ethos and she leads a generation of new age designers in making change towards not only protecting the environment but the entire ecosystem from design to showcase. For this reason, she was honoured at the British Fashion Awards as an environmental leader of change.
Her London Fashion Week AW23 show ‘Symphony’ included QR codes on clothing pieces, to allow customers to find out more about what the clothes are made from, where they are made and the inspiration behind the design. She collaborated with Microsoft on ‘Circulate’, a clothing recycling initiative, offering customers store credit in exchange for their unwanted garments.
Sustainability is a fundamental element for vanguard designers, from people to product. Precious Seronga, designer of By Precious Seronga and London College of Fashion alumni showcased her native flora of Africa collection at London Fashion Week with Fashions Finest. Designed in London, Made in London by local African immigrant designers in Peckham, a large part of sustainability for Precious is within the ecosystem and empowering local artisans “I try to show underrated the skills of my garment workers, that they attract international recognition and in return better business for themselves”. We caught up post — fashion week, to discuss what sustainability means to her and the importance of protecting the environment and garment workers.
By Precious Seronga takes a unique, commonly African made to order approach to fashion, inspired by her upbringing in Tanazania and inflitrates it into the London fashion market. “We’re only making clothes that are wanted, printed and made locally. Because the world and environment doesn’t need another fashion brand.” The environment is protected through “biodegradable and recyclable cardboard for packaging and shipping” she says.
Fashion weeks are generally unsustainable in both the wasteful sense, with garment production and litter from numerous shows and events, but also due to its impact on the environment. London Fashion Week encourages flights from all across the globe to witness runway shows and engage in city wide celebrations. These flights produce enough carbon emissions to power 42,000 houses for a year. London already emits 28.1 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, but with fashion weeks large influxes of visitors create even more waste. Garment workers and runners, as well as other members of the fashion ecosystem are often exploited, with Boohoo paying garment workers as little as 29p. Fashion weeks promise to be more sustainable with virtual runways, NFTs and more. However, cutting edge designers are making statements against waste, and striving to create a more sustainable fashion future.
London Fashion Week AW23 put people at the forefront of fashion. With designers intentionally casting diverse models to represent the melting pot of identity that is London, and making a statement on sustainability through not only material, but the empowerment of the London fashion ecosystem.
“Positivity in fashion is not just about products and materials, it’s about people” — Priya Ahluwalia
