Sustainability is fashionable

Large scale distribution meets high fashion thanks to a new spring collection launched by the largest Italian retail chain, Coop. The collection is designed by Katharine Hamnett, the famous British designer who has dedicated her career to the promotion of ethical fashion. Her protest t-shirts have been adopted by bands, top-models as well as regular people. Since 2003 Hamnett has been designing and producing ethical and sustainable clothing. VitaEurope.org meets her to talk about her new collection. 

What inspired this new collection?

We are interested in the social and in the environmental impact of our products. My objective is to make beautiful clothes beautifully, in every sense. Coop has the highest CSR rating in Europe, so we obviously share the same values.  Besides, working with Coop allows us to be retailed through a cooperative system which is equitable and I believe it is the system that will help us get out of this terrible crisis. For this collection I created a T-shirt with the slogan “Together is possible” for the International Year of Cooperatives. As a matter of fact I hope that this new collection will help promote the cooperative system as well.

What made you decide to start a sustainable and ethical company?

In 1989 I was on the crest of the wave and…I was bored. Something was missing. I was interested in Buddhism and in the principle according to which you should live without harming any human being. I was sure that I wasn’t doing anything wron, after all I was just making clothes. However I started to do some research and I was shocked to find out about the social and environmental impact of the fashion industry. Conventional cotton represents 10% of world agriculture and uses 25% of pesticides which cause ground water contamination,  desertification , and have lethal impact on local populations in developing countries. In 2003 I went to Mali and I saw firsthand the awful conditions in which cotton farmers lived and I decided to take action. That is why I  started a new line, KATHaRINE E. HAMNETT, where E stands for being manufactured Ethically and as Environmentally.  

How difficult is it to run a sustainable company?

Increasingly less so. The industry doesn’t help but consumers are making their mark. Since the end of the Eighties there is an increasing number of consumers who are concerned about their purchasing patterns. Large scale retailers have to consider this. Look at what is happening to Apple. It’s incredible because consumers are in control of the supply chain.

Is it possible to get rid of sweatshops?

It’s up to consumers. If they don’t want their clothing being made by children or slaves, things can change. This is what we are proving with Coop. You can have an immaculate supply chain and beautiful , affordable clothes. I believe that how we consume will decide the future of the planet. It’s not just about wearing a t-shirt instead of another, it’s about wearing something that has massive impact on climate change and on people’s life.