The Norwegian fashion industry is taking a significant step towards sustainability by adopting Copenhagen Fashion Week’s (CPHFW) sustainability requirements for 2023. This collaboration comes as a result of a partnership between the Norwegian Fashion Hub and Oslo Fushion Festival with the aim of promoting alignment and connectivity between the fashion sectors of the two Nordic countries.
Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, announced this exciting collaboration during a press event before the opening show. The partnership will involve implementing CPHFW’s 2023 Sustainability Requirements for 60 Norwegian companies that are members of the Norwegian Fashion Hub, as well as approximately 30 brands participating in Oslo Fushion Festival. By utilizing this framework, companies will be able to evaluate their existing sustainability practices across six interconnected focus areas.
Elin Carlsen, CEO of Oslo Fushion Festival, stressed the importance of collaborative partnerships in driving positive change in the fashion industry. She expressed admiration for Copenhagen Fashion Week’s sustainability efforts and the decision to establish new sustainability standards for the festival and its participating brands. The CEO of the Norwegian Fashion Hub, Elin Kathrine Saunes, added that it is crucial for the Norwegian industry to contribute to a more sustainable future for fashion. The partnership with Copenhagen Fashion Week and Oslo Fushion Festival will aid brands of all sizes in becoming more traceable and transparent in their sustainability efforts.
In early 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week introduced the 2023 Sustainability Requirements in collaboration with its Knowledge Partner, In Futurum. These requirements play a vital role in CPHFW’s Sustainability Strategy, which aims to drive comprehensive change in the fashion industry. They have been carefully reviewed by CPHFW’s Advisory Board and an international panel of experts. Since their introduction, the requirements have gained recognition and partnerships. The first partner to implement the framework was the largest trade fair in Denmark, Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF). Additionally, the government-funded program ‘Fremtidens Tekstiler’ selected the requirements as the guiding framework for training 50 SMEs to take further action.
Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration with the Norwegian fashion industry. She emphasized the organization’s goal of pursuing partnerships with other organizations and fashion weeks to facilitate the broader implementation of the 2023 Sustainability Requirements. Thorsmark considers this partnership to be a significant milestone and is eager to engage in future collaborations to drive industry alignment and sustainability.
Useful links:
1. Copenhagen Fashion Week Sustainability
2. Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF)
