Successful sixth edition of Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week with a view to the future of sustainable fashion

Amsterdam, 15-10-2019 – Last week, from 4 to 13 October 2019, the sixth edition of the largest national Sustainable Fashion Event Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week (DSFW) took place. The week of action was all about sustainability and innovation in fashion with recurring themes such as circular fashion, waste prevention and (new textile) innovation. Together with cooperation partners, the organisation was able to successfully influence the industry and engage with the public in sustainable fashion.

The DSFW organization has had a successful week, thanks in part to several partners supporting DSFW in its mission this year. strategic partners such as Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Master Coachier Foundation, INretail, Modint, SER, CIRCL, Haarlem Municipality, HEMA, AVEDA; Media partners such as House of Movements, &C, OneWorld, FashionUnited, SublimeNL and various ambassadors/influencers and more. The DSFW, which expired on Sunday 13 October, focused on consumer awareness. Networking of interested parties and the presentation of positive developments and innovations in the fashion industry were also an important focus.

During this edition of DSFW, the public will be involved in the future of sustainable fashion through a nationally expanded programme, starting with two major fashion shows in Amsterdam. On Thursday, October 3, Tommy Driessen opened DSFW with his high-profile “FASHTAINABLE” debut collection, consisting of 40 red carpet looks ranging from black tie dresses to sexy sequin looks and casual men’s suits. For these collection pieces he has reused vintage fabrics from his archive. The fair was organized in cooperation with partners and sponsors NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky, AVEDA, Chopard, DS Automobiles, Mezza di MezzaCorona, Omoda, Salon Heleen Hulsmann and Arch & Hook. At the Hallen Studios on Friday, October 4, designers Tim Dekkers, Sharita Karsten and Weiyu Hung each presented their 14-piece collection of different looks, consisting of disposable materials and alternatives to animal materials that can replace today’s fast-fashion materials. This Future Fashion Show is organized in collaboration with the Master Coachier Foundation and partners AVEDA, HEMA, Signify, Springbay Bartender Batched Drinks and Arch & Hook.

On Monday, 7 October, a Business Day was held in cooperation with Ecochain, ABN AMRO and CIRCL, an interactive day with informative lectures and workshops. Leading (fashion) companies such as BESTSELLER, WE Fashion, Signify, HEMA, Zeeman, G-Star, Modint, INretail, Dyecoo, Studio Anneloes, Kings of Indigo, Creamoda were present that day to share their vision of the sustainability of the industry. State Secretary for Water Management and Infrastructure Stientje van Veldhoven opened the afternoon with a keynote speech and welcomed the industry plan for sustainability of the textile associations Modint, VGT and INretail. The conclusion of the Business Day of all the companies involved is that cooperation is essential to make the sector more sustainable, that companies should not be afraid of change and that the sector continues to look for opportunities for innovation.

In addition, various DSFW program components have been organised throughout the country: fashion shows, Lectures and lectures on ThingsCon (focused on technology in fashion), various exhibitions at the Resistance Museum (“Fashion on the Bon”) and at Fashion For Good, various styling events such as spinning closet, LENA library with Indians in the closet and in the &C store, various workshops on repair, upcycling and recycling, various clothing exchanges, cabinet/vintage sales, open workshops and workshops. There was also the festival “Sustain our World” in Enschede and the CLOTHES ZOOI Festival in Zwolle. Chanel Trapman’s documentary “A Positive Chain of Change” has been shown in several cities (e.g. at the MUGfest in Haarlem) as well as in the documentary “The True Cost”.

During DSFW, sustainable shopping routes were also mapped with participating retailers such as HEMA, Anna van Toor, Filippa K, Reshare, Omoda, Bellamy Gallery, Het Goed, Sari Fair Fashion and much more to make sustainable fashion visible and accessible to consumers together with DSFW. With in-store communication materials and in-store events, the participating fashion stores gave consumers an insight into what, why and how durable the clothing is. This year the participating cities are Amersfoort, Arnhem, Amsterdam, Breda, Den Bosch, The Hague, Deventer, Eindhoven, Enschede, ‘t Gooi, Groningen, Haarlem, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht, Zwolle, Friesland and other small towns in these regions. Regional coordinators have been appointed in the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Deventer, Enschede and Zwolle to continue the programme. Also this year, online retailers such as the Beehive, BESTSELLER, Kings of Indigo and Ikigai labels and more were involved in DSFW.

DSFW initiator Cecile Scheele looks back on a fruitful edition: “During DSFW, it has also become clear how sustainability begins to live in this industry. This was reflected in the growing interest (especially from influencers) during the fashion shows and the many leading retailers that started talking to each other during Business Day. The fact that the I&W Ministry has been represented by the government and indicates that it also has sustainability at the top of the agenda in this sector is also an important signal. And the number of visitors to all regional activities was particularly important. This year, for the first time, we worked with regional coordinators who were able to make the celebrations prominent across the country. Something that we want to be worth more and more in the coming years. It is a week for everyone in which we want to give everyone the opportunity to gain a better understanding of how they can make sustainable decisions. Our goal for the coming year is to get all the fashion companies with us. Only then can we achieve the effect that we have in mind. All shopping streets that colour green and, above all, show many positive signals and developments for the consumer.

Another important adjustment is the organization. Cooperation will be the focus of attention next year. Due to the enormous growth, it is no longer feasible for the DSFW Foundation to do this as an organization alone. This is therefore an immediate call for cooperation. Companies wishing to accept or organize an event, region or show can contact us. We are also proud of the collaboration with House of Movements by Kim Feenstra and Giovanni Laisina. They have big plans for 2020 that we want to achieve together. Cooperation with the trade associations is also approaching. In short, despite the growing attention, much is still needed to promote sustainable transition in this sector. As DSFW, we hope to play an important role together with all stakeholders.”

For more information and new updates to DSFW, see Website, Newsletter and social media channels Facebook And Instagram in the holes.

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