CFW to score on responsibility
Ajai Vir Singh, Founder & Director of Colombo Fashion Week
Responsibility and sustainability has never mattered more, in every industry in every corner of the world. In association with The Responsible Fashion Movement, Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) will launch the ‘Responsibility in Fashion concept, in a groundbreaking direct push for accountability and driving sustainable change in the fashion industry of Sri Lanka.
The 17th edition of CFW will take place from March 19 to 21 and will introduce phase one of the movement, — the Responsibility Meter, monitored by an expert panel. According to research conducted by the CFW team, this concept is the first of its kind by a Fashion Week.
The ten point audit system will focus on environmental, social and organisational wellbeing, while being mindful of the needs of both the customer and the designer. This takes into account everything from the use of recycled materials and reduction of chemicals, to working together with local artisans and crafts, as well as encouraging self-assessment and creating a positive working atmosphere to boost creativity.
The point system will also include the three main pillars or initiatives of Responsible Fashion. The Garment Enhancement Guarantee encourages customers to take their garments with a certain amount of wear, and give it back to the designer who will then upgrade it for them to prolong its wearability. The Disposal Plan gives new life to old garments by providing labels with each piece that inform the wearer of ways to creatively upcycle the materials, in a bid to reduce wastage. Finally, the Return After Use Policy promotes taking back discarded items for discounts or value on your next purchase.
Every single piece presented on the runway will have its own Responsible Score, and the 14 designers presenting their collections in this edition of CFW hope to be pioneers of positive change through this unique direction. “We celebrate one out of ten, as much as we celebrate ten out of ten,” CFW Founder Ajai Vir Singh explains, “It’s not a question of competing with each other, it’s a question of celebrating and moving forward together.”
On that note, this year’s creative theme celebrates the idea of ‘re’, which is the prefix that signifies ‘a return to its original state’. As Ajai points out, ‘re’ is what gives meaning to actions that drive the sustainability movement, such as recycle, restore, and renew. “It strives to rethink the fashion industry,” he adds.
Through this initiative, CFW hopes to make sustainable fashion easy and accessible, for the designers creating it and the consumers wearing it. In accordance with this, CFW will also introduce the ‘Renew and Repeat’ show, where designers will ‘renew’ or revamp a few pieces from previous collections and guests will wear ‘repeat’ outfits they have already worn before.
“The most important thing is that this is endorsed by CFW. I think it’s going to be a fashionable thing to do, which will matter in terms of selling,” says designer Charini Suriyage.
Overall, the Responsibility Meter aims to foster a culture of collaboration between designers and stakeholders, while simultaneously reducing negative environmental impact. The future of CFW starts now, with creativity and sustainability going hand in hand to showcase a whole new world of responsible fashion.