Extinction Rebellion calls for London Fashion Week to be scrapped

Extinction Rebellion is yet again on a mission to shut down London Fashion Week, urging the British Fashion Council (BFC) to cancel the biannual event once and for all.

London Fashion Week begins today and will run until next Tuesday (18 February), with thousands of fashionistas set to descend upon the capital to see the latest trends on the catwalk, as well as attend after-parties with the crème de la crème of the industry.

Last year, climate change campaigners staged a ‘funeral’ protest which saw people take to the streets to ‘mourn’ the fact the event was taking place, with makeshift caskets carried down the streets.

XR is now pushing for urgent action with a letter asking BFC ‘to stop the fashion industry’s exploitation of planet, people and animals’ – it has also been signed by fellow environmental organisations including Livia First of Eco-Age, Safia Minney MBE and Simone Cipriani of Ethical Fashion Initiative.

The various groups want BFC to ‘cancel September 2020 fashion week’ and ‘immediately start work on an emergency action plan that aids stakeholders through change’.

What kind of tricks the environmentalist group has up its sleeves remains to be seen, but the letter says that XR intends to ‘build pressure’ until BFC gives in, with a protest taking place tomorrow.

‘The day will start with a swarm, followed by creative actions, music, speeches and family activities,’ the description for the protest reads on their Facebook page.

‘Let’s use the power of creativity to vision a better world.’

Additionally, XR has shared stats and figures of how the fashion industry impacts the globe, claiming it alone ‘accounts for 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions’ and that this impact is ‘predicted to increase by 49% by 2030’.

Much of the issues are due to production processes and waste.

As an example, only 15% of clothes are recycled or donated, 190,000 tons of microplastic fibers make their way into the oceans every year and 20% of industrial water pollution is the result of textile treatment and dyeing fabrics, according to findings by Sustain Your Style.

The XR protest will take place outside The Strand, which has long been used as the main space for London Fashion Week, from 9am tomorrow (15 February).

Metro.co.uk has contacted the British Fashion Council and this article will be updated once a reply is received.