Magdalena Schaffrin, winner of the berlin environmental award in 2009, and one of the "100 women of tomorrow" of 2011, for her initiative "Germany - land of ideas", is considered one of the most innovative and creative thinkers women have great influence on the economy, society and politics of Germany. She is currently part of the advisory committee for the German Federal Ecodesign Award, a member of the European jury for the Ecochic Design Award and is the creative director of Neonyt, one of the most important sustainable fashion fairs.
Magdalena points out that there is a need to tell stories in the fashion industry, because as the supply of products increases, good and real stories are needed to sell them. She has introduced the term "glocal", which means local, but with a global understanding. In a globalized world "local" should not be understood in the sense of "close to where I live", but rather as an understanding of small production and transparency about where and how goods are made (...). She also affirms that almost all brands today have their corporate social responsibility department and work on strategies to implement more sustainable practices. However, the problem is in how they approach it, since, if they take it as a trend, they will not last (PromPerú, 2020).
Her main conclusion is that sustainable fashion is NOT a luxury. If we look at the development in the last 10 years, we can recognize that inexpensive fast-fashion companies have implemented more sustainable product lines with higher prices. This is because it can sometimes be more profitable to spend a little more on a sustainable piece and wear it for longer than buying a lot of cheap clothes in the sense of buying less and better.
Regarding the Peruvian textile industry, Magdalena pointed out: “I honestly do not have the complete picture of the Peruvian fashion scene, (…) but they have some of the most luxurious fibers such as vicuña, baby alpaca, organic cotton, Pima, etc. Quality is one of the highlights of the collections made in Peru. They also have artisan work to offer. If we combine this with understanding the needs of the international market in terms of style and marketing, this is likely the reason why Peruvian companies are already successful. Many of the renowned brands produce in Peru. " (PromPerú, 2020).
In this sense, PROMPERÚ points out its position regarding fast-fashion: “Let's go back to the essential, to the natural (…). Look how the great textile manufacturers of our history, those of the Paracas culture, are recognized for their mantles made with fibers and natural dyes that retain their shapes and colors to this day. "
The COVID-19 crisis has brought a new trend: slow down, why? Because good things take time. Eva Kruse, executive director of the Global Fashion Agenda and the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, assures that "sustainability is no longer just a trend, it is an imperative for business." In this sense, it is expected that by 2050 all businesses will have an environmental sustainability department.
Author: Ksenia A. Canales Adriazola
References:
PromPeru. (09/2020). Perú Moda Deco feel and live sustainable. Available at: https://issuu.com/promperu/docs/revista_per_moda_2020 [Accessed 07/28/2021].
Magdalena Schaffrin. Official website http://www.magdalenaschaffrin.com/
Imagen:
Magdalena Schaffrin. Available at: https://wfto.com/summit-es/Programme.html