Kering and the London College of Fashion – University of Arts London (LCF – UAL) are enabling industry members, designers and students to make the switch to more sustainable luxury fashion with a new educational development.
On Tuesday, Kering and LCF – UAL announced that they are launching a new open access digital course in luxury fashion and sustainability. Dubbed “Fashion & Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World,” the online course aims to elevate environmental education in the fashion and luxury sectors, and promote more sustainable practices in supply chains.
“Over a year in the making and based on the research, teaching and practice of Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion – UAL, as well as the expertise and leadership of Kering’s sustainability team, we are delighted to present the world’s first luxury fashion online course developed between higher education and industry,” said Frances Corner, professor and head of LCF – UAL. “Often we can feel overwhelmed or unsure what sustainability means for our industry. We feel dis-empowered because there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, but this course aims to empower aspiring and existing fashion professionals alike and help them develop their own manifesto for change.”
The course, co-developed by LCF academics and Kering sustainability experts, features six key modules: why sustainability matters in fashion, contextualizing sustainability for a changing world, sustainable sourcing for luxury fashion, informed decision making, creative possibilities and creative realization. A mix of activities, discussions, films and podcasts will enable the course to cover the theoretical components of sustainability and real-life business cases that luxury fashion labels face when they incorporate sustainability across all points of their supply chains.
Over a six-week period, students can complete the course on their own time via desktops, laptops, tablets or smartphones. Registration for the course on Future Learn, a website that offers digital courses, opened on Tuesday and the first six-week class will begin on April 9. The class is open to those who would like to learn more about sustainable luxury fashion, with an overarching goal of educating emerging designers, luxury fashion professionals and members of the public who are interested in reducing apparel’s negative environmental footprint.
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Kering has worked with other educational hubs to elevate sustainable fashion design, too. In 2016, the luxury conglomerate and The New School’s Parsons School of Design collaborated to teach fashion students about how their apparel creations affect the environment. Dubbed Kering x Parsons, the partnership debuted an Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) program pilot, which involved Kering adding new modules to Parsons’ fashion program. Students who participated in the program had the opportunity to study Kering’s EP&L methodology, which monetizes the environmental impacts of Kering’s operations across its entire supply chain. Additionally, the My EP&L app was available to students participating in the program and enabled them to assess materials, like cashmere and organic cotton, and comprehend how their material choices influence carbon emissions and pollution.