The European Fashion Alliance has four goals to reach by 2027

Initiated on June 22 and bringing together twenty-nine European fashion and luxury trade federations*, the European Fashion Alliance held its first summit last October. The organisation is now unveiling the four areas it has chosen to support in order to help the industry transition towards sustainability.

Born in the framework of the "Green Deal" promoted by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the EFA has brought together, among others, the British Fashion Council, the Fédération de la Haute-Couture de la Mode, Camera de la Mode, Italiana, the Spanish designers' association, the German and Austrian fashion associations and the Global Fashion Agenda. The organisation's mission is to "promote a thriving, sustainable and inclusive European fashion ecosystem", but it still needed to specify its approach, which has now been done.

The EFA members have set themselves the task of defining by 2027 an ethical, social and sustainable code of conduct for its members, "and by extension for the fashion industry" as a whole. The organisation also wants to create a "green deal for fashion" at European level, based in particular on a circular and social approach to fashion, notably through the exchange of data between European players in the field.

Another objective is the creation and implementation of technological and sustainable training for key members of the EFA, as well as social and environmental responsibility practices for stakeholders. A final point aims to make these approaches sustainable by focusing on generation Z and beyond, raising awareness through the digital, circular and social transition of the fashion industry.

"With common values and a common language, as well as a common understanding of measurement tools, it is important that when our designers go to France, Italy, Germany, Denmark or elsewhere, they have a good common understanding of the framework that is expected of them in terms of sustainability," explains the CEO of the British Fashion Council, Caroline Rush.

Pascal Morand president of the Fédération de la Haute-Couture et de la Mode, emphasises that fashion is not just a market: "It is also a question of culture", according to the industry representative. "We are in a market economy: those who do not evolve in this market must therefore understand that creative fashion can play a role as a sustainable driver on a more global level."

A Europe-wide survey will be launched in 2023 to identify the needs and challenges of companies in the sector, from micro-enterprises to large groups. The organisation also plans to get in contact with the industry's training and research bodies. The EFA has given itself two to three years to establish a concrete action plan, particularly aimed at creative and design actors.

*Asociación Creadores De Moda de España (Spain), Austrian Fashion Association (Austria), Baltic Fashion Federation (Latvia), Bulgarian Fashion Association (Bulgaria), Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana (Italy), Copenhagen Fashion Week (Denmark), Council for Irish Fashion Designers (Ireland), Estonian Academy of Arts (Estonia), Fashion Council Germany (Germany), Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (France), Fédération Française du Prêt-à-Porter Féminin (France) Flanders District of Creativity (Belgium) Icelandic Fashion Council (Iceland), Global Fashion Agenda, Gran Canaria Moda Cálida (Spain), MODA-FAD (Spain), Modesuisse (Switzerland), ModaLisboa (Portugal), Norwegian Fashion Hub (Norway), Slovak Fashion Council, (Slovakia), Swedish Fashion Council (Sweden), Finnish Textile & Fashion (Finland), Taskforce Fashion (The Netherlands), The Prince's Foundation (United Kingdom), Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode (Belgium)

The European Fashion Alliance has four goals to reach by 2027

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