Can runway fashion ever truly be sustainable? Looking into Brisbane Fashion Week

In 2022, we as a society are shifting towards more sustainably informed decisions like shopping second-hand, mending and upcycling and simply valuing our clothing more. However, many have started to question how runway fashion shows feed into a broader unsustainable system, especially as pressure grows for the fashion industry to respond more urgently to the climate emergency.

This video essay style documentary, looks into Brisbane Fashion Week 2022, to unpack whether runway fashion can ever truly be sustainable. I interviewed Caytlan Kolindrekaj – one  the directors of BFW, to learn more about how the team integrated sustainability into the events of the week, as well as the challenges of such a task.

Written and produced by: Yasmin Sequeira

References:

ABC Australia. (2020). ‘Nothing new on the catwalk’ — minimal waste fashion design | Sustainable Fashion #3 | ABC Australia. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwojaOC_kts

Bauck, W. (2020, February 26). Can fashion shows ever be environmentally justifiable? Fashionista. https://fashionista.com/2020/02/fashion-shows-runway-environmental-impact-sustainability

Boykoff, M., Chandler, P., Church, P., & Osnes, B. (2021).  Examining climate change and sustainable/fast fashion in the 21st century: ‘Trash the Runway’. Oxford Open Climate Change, 1(1), 2-12. doi: 10.1093/oxfclm/kgab003

Peppermint. (2022, September 22). A Seat for Everyone: How Brisbane Fashion Week is Flipping the Narrative. https://peppermintmag.com/brisbane-fashion-week-australia-2022/

Rae, C. (2020). Fashion Week is not sustainable. Can fashion still be used for good? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/c/ChristinaRae/videos

Webb, B. (2022, March 4). Can fashion shows ever be sustainable? Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/can-fashion-shows-ever-be-sustainable-kering-lvmh-richemont