The One-Earth Fashion discussion series
The webinar series has ended, but the key takeaways are available in this document :
The series consists of four online panel discussions with the authors of the report, David Hachfeld and Elisabeth Schenk, experts on the topics and moderator Dr. Katia Dayan Vladimirova.
A final document about of the series is available here. You will find in it:
- Project's background
- Webinars series and feedback collection process
- Conversation highlights
- Engagement and feedback analysis – lessons learned
The key takeaways of each webinar are also available directly in the accordeon below.
More infos
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Degrowth as red thread
The webinars generated four rich and engaging conversations that reinforced the premises and assumptions of the One Earth Fashion report and strengthened its position. While each webinar focused on a different theme, arguments presented by speakers transcended these divides and multiple times, the same topics were discussed in several webinars. Below is a selection of several arguments and exchanges that helped advance the One Earth Fashion logic.
Degrowth as a red thread
A paradigm shift away from the growth-oriented capitalist model was central to the One-Earth Fashion report. While degrowth was not in the official titles of the webinars and was only briefly mentioned in the descriptions, the idea of downsizing the fashion system in a just and sustainable manner was the red thread of all found events.
Exchanges addressed the form that degrowth could take when applied to the fashion system – notably, reduction of the volumes of production and of material throughput altogether; its impacts on the price of fashion and consumption patterns; its impacts on workers upstream and on the populations and economies in countries on the receiving end of waste colonialism; changes in material flows, including virgin resources and waste streams; new economic tools and business models to bypass the growth imperative; and policies at various levels to achieve the transition.
There was an implicit contradiction in the discussion on value and degrowth that is worth mentioning. On the one hand, there was a clear agreement on degrowth of the material throughput, especially in the value shift part, and to some extent also in the labor part. On the other hand, there were also arguments to increase the value (at least per item), through higher prices, living wages, use and re-use services etc. At an abstract level, this all would lead to more added value and, as such, to economic growth, at least per item (unclear at the overall level). The discussion did not address this logical contradiction explicitly; however, elaborating on this tension between the material and the value shift may lead to a better understanding of what “degrowth” for the fashion system may entail.
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Part 1. Material shift : from overproduction to circularity, on Monday 20th January 2025, 3 pm CET
In times of acute overproduction, a material shift for the fashion system must go beyond replacing “unsustainable” feedstocks with more sustainable options. It includes changes in fashion design, consumption patterns and moving away from fast-fashion business models. The report calls for reducing the volumes of virgin materials and extending the use-phase of garments, which will be the two cornerstones in the expert discussion. More informations in David Hachfeld's presentation about the Material shift.
Speakers
Dr. Irene Maldini, Senior Researcher, PROLONG project, Design School Kolding in Denmark
Yayra Agbofah, Founder of Revival (Ghana)
Urska Trunk, Senior Campaign Manager at Changing Markets
Reduction of production volumes and changes in material flows
The first webinar on material shift addressed heads-on the critical topic of production volumes. Dr. Irene Maldini, who was among the first fashion researchers to openly discuss these questions, argued in favour of gradual reduction of material throughput of the fashion system. While she did not name a specific reduction target, “the less, the better” sums up her approach. In agreement with Irene, Urska Trunk, who works on fossil fuels in fashion materials mix at the Changing Markets Foundation, argued in favour of reducing the volumes of virgin materials derived from fossil fuels. These perspectives are aligned with the target of One Earth Fashion, notably: “The total quantity of virgin material input shrinks by 40% by 2030 (a reduction of 60% in fossil-fuel based materials, and a reduction of 10% in virgin natural resources).”
Despite the general agreement on the objective of reducing production volumes, the “next steps” suggestions varied and remained rather high-level during the webinar. Urska suggested to tax virgin materials derived from fossil fuels, while Irene proposed to focus on better redistribution of existing clothes to reduce the need for new. Katia Dayan Vladimirova, as facilitator, referred to a policy brief on Mainstreaming Sufficiency in the EU Textile Policy, published by ECOS in 2024 – as a document with more specific policy proposals for reducing production volumes. She also mentioned one measure that did not make it to the final policy brief – import tariffs for clothing as a way to level the playing fields for fashion brands and block opportunities for exploitation in vulnerable countries.
It is worth noting that the conversation on reducing overproduction (as opposed to overconsumption) is a relatively novel policy discourse, and a highly sensitive as it challenges the growth focus of the fashion industry. Even five years ago, this topic has not been discussed in multi-stakeholder gatherings.
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Part 2. Labour and knowledge shift : from exploitation to decent work and creation with purpose, on Monday 17th February 2025, 10 am CET
This discussion will focus on the future of work in fashion. Transforming labour in the fashion system means shifting from exploitative and monotonous work to decent, purposeful work that prioritizes skills and knowledge. This transformation requires worker empowerment, redesigned education and training, and labour practices that align with principles of circularity, quality, and sustainability.
David Hachfeld's presentation about the Material shift.
Speakers
Kalpona Akter, Founder and Executive Director of Bangladesh Center for Workers Solidarity (BCWS)
Saoirse Walsh, Researcher, Circle Economy
Impacts on workers upstream and downstream
During the second webinar on Labour and Knowledge Shift, Saoirse Walsh called attention to impacts of transforming the fashion system on workers in circular economy, including formal and informal labour downstream. Meanwhile, Kalpona Akter offered a perspective of garment workers in Bangladesh when asked about reducing volumes of production. Reducing volumes of orders is often presented by some parties as a threat to garment workers: fewer garments ordered, fewer employees required, leading to job loss, more vulnerability and distress in countries like Bangladesh.
Kalpona, however, made is very clear that, as far as workers in your union are concerned, they would not oppose the fact of reducing the volumes of orders – as long as decent, living wages are implemented and respected in the Bangladeshi garment industry. Today, Kalpona argued, to feed a family of five people on garment sector’s salaries, four people have to work long hours, including children. If living wages are implemented, two salaries would be enough to support the same size family, allowing children, for example, pursue educational opportunities.
Reduction of production volumes, aligned with raising wages in production countries, could help create vibrant economies in producing countries, where workers can enhance their knowledge and apply new creative ideas to solving the environmental and social problems in their industry; where monotonous labour is the thing of the past and a more open exchange of ideas and knowledge is encouraged. Sounds utopian? Within the existing fashion system eventually. But transformation requires a fundamental questioning of practices and norms – and to imagine a fashion system where labour and knowledge is mainly guided by purpose rather than by profit maximation.
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Part 3. Value shift : from extreme inequality to equitable business models and cooperation, on Monday 17th March 2025, 3 pm CET
Redistribution is needed along the fashion value chain to support and empower sustainable businesses with decent work from raw material production through manufacturing to post-consumer activities. Transformation also requires a redistribution of value between capital, labor, and the state, as well as wage justice within the workforce. This webinar discussion will address the question of how to achieve this redistribution in a realistic and time-sensitive manner.
David Hachfeld's presentation about the Material shift.
Speakers
Marian von Rappard, Co-Founder of Evolution (Vietnam) and DAWN Denim
Marie-Jeanne Gaertner, Environmental Policy Lead at RREUSE
Prof. Simone D'Alessandro, University of Pisa
New economic tools and business models to bypass the growth imperative
A vibrant discussion around new economic models and existing initiatives took place during webinar three on Value Shift. The role of businesses in driving the transition can be positive but it is important to consider which kinds of businesses could bring change forward.
Marion von Rappard, who founded a denim factory in Vietnam that adheres to strict social standards and pays a living wage to its garment workers, discussed the difficulties from the point of view of suppliers. The way relationships between fashion brands in the Global North and their suppliers in the Global South are structured leaves small and medium factories at a serious disadvantage due to back paid orders (which also leaves room for order cancellations). Today, brands that engage into unfair supply chain practices are not only not punished, they cut their costs and win the market as opposed to brands that respect social and environmental standards. The field is uneven.
While discussing the re-use scene, Marie-Jeanne shared that the majority of European re-use efforts are driven by social enterprises, SMEs, and associations. Similarly, in a previous webinar, Yayra Agbofah underlined that on the receiving end of unwanted textiles from the Global North there are mostly individual entrepreneurs, resellers, SMEs involved in local second hand trade in Ghana. It appears from the different conversations that the benefits of the current uneven global trade and exchanges disproportionately accrue to large corporations (fashion brands), while the “clean-up” falls on the shoulders of SMEs and social initiatives.
As alternative post-growth businesses models, cooperatives and community-led local initiatives were discussed. In webinar four, Delphine Williot mentioned cotton growing cooperatives in Brazil but underlined that these examples are rare and have much less power than brands or large industrial for-profit counterparts. Involving more stakeholders into profit sharing was discussed. Ineke stressed the importance of differentiating between rights holders (workers, communities) and other stakeholders.
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Part 4. Power Shift : from regulation to revolution, how to install a new operation system for fashion, on Monday 7th April 2025, 10 am CET
Shifting power in fashion requires stronger regulatory frameworks to address systemic shortcomings, enforce labour laws, and promote sustainable practices. Fostering collective bargaining and participatory decision-making, rebalancing ownership structures, and empowering individuals to act consciously are crucial steps toward creating a democratized and equitable fashion system. This webinar will explore the regulatory evolution around and the industry, discuss fashion as the poster child of capitalism and its systemic lock-ins in terms of power relations.
Speakers
Lars Fogh Mortensen, Senior Expert, European Environment Agency
Ineke Zeldenrust, Co-Founder of Clean Clothes Campaign
Delphine Williot, Policy and Campaigns manager, Fashion Revolution
Policies at various levels to achieve the transition
Finally, all webinars had discussions pertaining to regulations and policies required for the transition. At the international level, the need for a binding agreement to regulate the fashion system was voiced by Lars Mortensen. Akin to the Global Plastics Treaty, such an agreement could lead to the consolidation of efforts and to cooperation among countries to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry and to better distribute the benefits the system generates.
Taxes and tariffs came up multiple times, from taxing fossil-fuel-based materials to import tariffs and minimum price agreements, it appears that economic “sticks” to reduce and transform the material throughput of the fashion system are available to national governments and regional organizations (like the EU) alike. In terms of economic “carrots”, a discussion of possibilities available to local governments cantered on supporting local communities and creating local fashion ecosystems, especially in wealthy cities which are the hubs for overconsumption. By investing in local communities of interest – around textiles, craft, upcycling, reuse – could help increase the resilience of cities in the face of climate change and beyond.
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Our report : One-Earth Fashion
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Our moderator : Dr. Katia Dayan Vladimirova
Dr. Katia Dayan Vladimirova is the founder of Post Growth Agency, a consulting firm working with clients who are driving meaningful transformative projects related to textiles and fashion in their cities, communities, companies. She has over fifteen years of research experience and her expertise in sustainable fashion consumption and social change has been featured in VOGUE, Harper’s Bazaar, Femina.