Yesterday, the second session of the Youth Climate LAB on sustainable fashion took place! We had the incredible opportunity to engage with officials of the European Commission working on sustainable fashion and citizen engagement.
What was on?
In this meeting, we focused on exploring which influence methods and channels we can use to raise awareness on the impacts of sustainable fashion. During this session, we used the same Miro board to keep track of our ideas and opinions.
Two representatives of "Reset the Trend" provide insights in the EU Textile Strategy and the campaign. It targeted young people, including young parents, in six European countries (Belgium, Italy, Greece, Lithuania, Romania and Spain). Its goal was to raise awareness about the impacts of this industry and, in particular, of fast fashion. The campaign was run considering that everyone can take small actions to make "fast fashion out of fashion"!
If you are interested in getting to know the campaign, please find below their presentation and other information.
What emerged?
We had a very fruitful discussion on identifying awareness-rasing tools to be employed according to targeted countries and social groups. New solutions to unsustainable fashion trends are still to be created; and it is key to give voice to everyone and include their knowledge.
Starting from young people across Europe, social media and influencers are probably the most suitable tool to engage with young people. Although the campaign focused on six EU countries, we believed that this social media campaign can (and should) be replicated in other countries. We also believed that national campaign are efficient to raise awareness on the population, targeting misconceptions or promoting sustainable and positive behaviours.
Considering the big role of older generations, education and awareness-raising efforts across this group are key. Enjoying such a big market power, they can positively influence the fashion industry. However, we considered traditional media more efficient tools to engage with them. Although many have social media profiles, it is well-known that they are more used to such tools, such as TV and newspaper. Furthermore, it is necessary to identify ambassadors (a sort of influencer for older generations) who can set an example and inspire more sustainable behaviors.
We also considered other characteristics of the fashion industry, such as the differences in gender roles in this sector, economic imbalances and differences in local availability of sustainable alternatives to unsustainable fashion trends.
What was the outcome?
We concluded this fruitful session exploring individual and collective actions and corresponding channels are a priority considering the goal of this first series of the Youth Climate LAB. For instance, we mentioned:
- Changing perspective and promoting second-hand shops and swapping practices;
- Using social media and influencers for the younger population (and traditional media for older generations);
- Promoting tips on how to repair and reuse clothes;
- Being mindful of our clothes (the ones already in our wardrobes);
- Prioritizing quality over quantity; and
- Organizing educational sessions for young and older generations.
Next steps?
Next meeting will be on July 6th at 16.00 CET.
Have you participated in the previous two meetings?or Are you a young community members interested in sustainable fashion? Don't miss our last session before summer break! Register here to receive the connection details.
María de la Yedra Martínez Expósito I agree with you. Social media are used to trigger overconsumption. However, I also see that choosing a trustworthy influencer, it is also possible to trigger alternatives models, such as swapping or other actions like repairing and reusing your clothes.