CALL FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE
It has been some time since the chaotic turn of events this 2020. With the disruption of all non-essential businesses, the fashion industry has been greatly impacted, with focus being placed on undeniable problems of exploitation, overproduction and an unsustainable consumerist culture.
COVID-19 has upended Paris, Milan and London fashion weeks, with the cancellation of the Resort 2021 schedule (Fernandez 2020) by CFDA*. Luxury brand Saint Laurent has also decided to skip September’s fashion week whilst Gucci has opted to go seasonless, only showing full collections twice a year (TFL 2020).
More and more industry leaders have been calling for fundamental change and a ‘rewiring’ of the fashion calendar. At this moment, it is easy to get caught up worrying about public perception and rebrand superficially just to ‘stay ahead of the curve’. At Graye, the team has been using this time to have tough honest conversations on how we can do more. What can we change? How can we be better and actually stick to it? We are thankful to have this opportunity to reflect and change the way our business operates, and we strive to be radically transparent throughout this process.
OUR COMMITMENT
As this new wave of sustainable practices shift to the forefront of this industry, Graye is committed towards designing more responsibly. For a start, Graye will commit to only work with suppliers with ethical credibility, broaden our research into sustainable materials and trim alternatives, phase out usage of non-biodegradable materials (with the exception of recycled materials) and shift from manual prototyping to digital design techniques to reduce waste. We can no longer feign ignorance about the impact of our production choices or make excuses about outsourced supply chains to avoid dealing with textile waste and unethical practices. We will unveil more initiatives over the next few months that will bring Graye closer to a more progressive and sustainable framework.
This recalibration may take time and will not be easy, but the least we can do is try. We ask for your patience and support. Send us your feedback and suggestions at: studiograye@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting you again when social distancing measures are lifted.
*CFDA: The Council of Fashion Designers of America
Fernandez, C (2020). https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-analysis/paris-fashion-week-mens-and-couture-cancelled (Accessed 3rd June 2020)
TFL 2020. https://www.thefashionlaw.com/gucci-will-go-season-less-according-to-creative-director-alessandro-michele/ (Accessed 3rd June 2020)