European schools team up on sustainable fashion design project ‘Eco Dressing’

Italian art institute Liceo Artistico Chierici Reggio Emilia has launched a sustainable design project, partnering with ESSDM in Seville, Lycée Polyvalent Paul Poiret and Lycée Professionnel Octave Feuillet, both in Paris, and the Sagitter Training Spain in Barcelona. More than 100 students and educators are expected to participate.

The initiative is part of the Erasmus+ exchange programme funded by the European Commission and it will be simultaneously rolled out over the course of two years in three European countries, namely Spain, France and Italy.

The aim of the project is to promote raw materials that have a minimal impact on the planet, facilitate the creation of ecological fashion by employing technology and at the same time improve working conditions by “dignifying the profession of design,” the schools said in a joint release.

A two year European sustainability project

From October 2022 to October 2024, the participating educational institutions will host networking events in order to make ecological and fair fashion more visible.

As part of the project, students will design fashion collections under the supervision of companies in the sector which will then be showcased “to other corporate partners and public institutions”.

In addition, the participating schools will hold an online congress where participating companies, educational centres and students will be present.

Francisco Valderrama, head of ESSDM Seville and vice president of the European Council for Ethical Fashion, highlighted the importance of good business practices in a statement, saying that if schools don’t make use of them it will be “impossible to teach [students about] the need for balance and moderation in things."

"In schools, we have an obligation to use innovation and imagination so that our pupils can create in a sensible way," Mr. Valderrama concluded.