May 2022
Earth-first fashion
Fashion weeks around the globe are returning as catwalk-and-party in-person events, but in many ways the world is a very different place than it was in 2019. Although glitz and glamour might be a welcome distraction from news of war and Covid, the depressing fact is that the fashion industry accounts for about 8-10% of global carbon emissions, and nearly 20% of wastewater.
Camden is always keen to showcase challenger brands, so with fast fashion increasingly under the climate catastrophe spotlight, this month’s newsletter features apparel alternatives, from virtual outfits to conscious clothing.
MUST-READS
Metaverse à la mode
Gucci, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren are just a few of the high-profile brands to venture into the metaverse. McKinsey digs into what could be a goldmine for marketers who get it right, while also reminding us that blockchain-based tech can have significant environmental costs.
Future-friendly creepy characters
Vestiaire Collective was launched in Paris in 2009 and promotes conscious consumption through an online pre-loved apparel marketplace. All cool. But the B-corp’s latest campaign features human-scale puppets made from cast-off fabric that we find... weird at best and Coraline-nightmarish at worst. What do you think? Let us know!
Ready-to-WearWeAre
WearWeAre is a new virtual world by OTB-owned fashion brand Marni that launched mid-April, featuring pieces worn by digital avatars of the Spring/Summer 2022 show’s models and performers. “We’re not interested in going onto a platform just to sell clothes. At the end of the day, we make clothes for people to enjoy, and WearWeAre is a way to do that from a different perspective.” - Marni creative director Francesco Risso.
SNAPSHOT
First Nations fashion
Camden recently flew to British Columbia to create content that showcases apparel by indigenous design duo Ay Lelum for Transitions social media. First Nations fashion meets the first name in photochromatic lenses.
BY THE NUMBERS
2024
The year that LVMH projects a proof of concept for the lab-grown fur initiative that it has launched for its Fendi brand with Imperial College London and Central Saint Martins University of the Arts.
Source
EARWORTHY
Conscious clothing
Indian designer Karishma Shahani Khan is the founder of Ka-Sha, a conscious clothing label that features items crafted in hand-dyed natural fabrics, and Heart to Haat, which offers upcycled products and textile waste management solutions for brands, manufacturers and designers who are looking to deal with their waste responsibly.
The hosts of the Dressed podcast talk to Karishma about her vision for a more eco-friendly fashion future.
