Condé Nast launches a sustainable fashion glossary

Condé Nast has partnered with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London (UAL) to launch a sustainable fashion glossary, which will be an authoritative global resource for understanding sustainable fashion and the fashion industry’s role in the climate emergency.

The glossary forms part of the company’s commitment to becoming a voice for change and is designed to strengthen and develop sustainability literacy by providing guidance on key sustainability terms and emerging topics.

The easy-to-use guide, which has had input from Vogue editors and reviewed by a network of academics and sustainability researchers from around the world, aims to offer “world-leading research and educational practices” and will be updated on an annual basis to reflect innovations and the evolving environmental, social, cultural and economic debate and new discoveries and practices within it.

The digital resource, described as a “living document” is open to all and available at Condenast.com, and has been divided into categories which relate to sustainability in fashion: its cultures, materials, production, buying habits and care practices, and features more than 250 terms, which have been fully referenced for further reading.

There are four key themes: climate emergency; environmental impacts of fashion; social, cultural and economic impacts of fashion; and key elements of fashion and sustainability, plus 10 sub-themes that cover aspects of fashion and sustainability. The glossary also allows the user to search by A-Z.

Sustainability fashion glossary featuring more than 250 terms launched by Condé Nast

Wolfgang Blau, global chief operating officer and president, international, Condé Nast, said in a statement: “To raise awareness for the global climate crisis is crucial, but it is now equally important to move the global climate debate forward and to focus on possible solutions.

“For that debate about how to make fashion more sustainable, our industry needs a shared language and a set of scientifically curated definitions we can all refer to. We will keep updating the Glossary with the help of our academic partners.”

The glossary was developed as Vogue editors-in-chief identified the need for stronger editorial guidelines and educational resources for coverage on sustainable fashion, so they can report on issues of climate change and educating readers on how to live more sustainable lives.

This comes as a recent survey found that 3 in 4 Vogue readers reported that the environmental impact of fashion was important to them, while 2 in 3 people believe that sustainability has become even more important in the past year.

Dilys Williams, professor of fashion design for sustainability and director of Centre for Sustainable Fashion, added: “What we stand up in, should reflect what we stand up for. It’s time to question whether we are being well represented, as well as whether we are well presented. We can create a new era of beauty and style borne out of an understanding and intimate connection with our most precious asset; the earth, the greatest designer the world has ever known.

“By working with the world’s leading fashion editors-in-chief at Vogue, we have been able to develop a vital glossary of terms, a trusted reference point, regarding fashion as a means to exemplify our interdependence with nature and each other.”

Image: courtesy of Condé Nast