Appeal to Welsh stars to make sustainable fashion choices

Are you a Welsh star who is up for the #GreenCarpetsWales challenge? Contact us now

Nominees of the forthcoming 2019 Bafta Cymru on Sunday 13 October, the 2020 Welsh Music Prize and other events are being encouraged to make the red carpet of Wales green by wearing sustainable fashion.

Michael Sheen and Matthew Rhys are the first stars to accept the #GreenCarpetWales challenge.

Helen from Sustainable Fashion Wales, said

“Celebrities and influencers often don’t realise the incredible power they have to change the world. We hope our creative and talented Welsh celebrities can help us shine a spotlight on the social and environmental exploitation of the fashion industry and empower others to make more responsible choices.

“We’ve taken inspiration from other campaigns around the globe to challenge any attendees of any red carpet event here in Wales through our own campaign #GreenCarpetWales. We want to encourage red carpet nominees and their guests to wear gowns, suits or even just accessories, which are responsibly sourced. This can be wearing something vintage, something second hand or wearing something made by one of the incredible sustainable fashion designers from within Wales. We have tips on our website and a list of designer/makers that would be more than happy to help with the challenge.

“Having campaigned for a sustainable fashion industry for around 15 years, it’s great to see that people are becoming more aware of the hidden costs and devastating impact of wearing the clothes on our backs. By becoming more informed about where our clothes and accessories come from, and using this knowledge to make more responsible choices, we have the power to change the fashion industry. “

Friends of the Earth Cymru spokesperson, Eleni Morus, said:

“The fashion industry is vast and decentralised, so affecting change is a huge challenge! By taking the initiative, we hope that red-carpet stars will set a positive example to others, inspiring people to make more responsible choices. Because until consumer demand changes, the industry is unlikely to change.”

“The goal of the #GreenCarpetWales campaign is to draw attention to the need for more sustainable practices within the fashion industry, and to highlight the importance of making ethical choices when it comes to our clothes.”

Emissions created by the fashion industry currently contribute 10% of the worlds’ total emissions due to its energy intensive production and long supply chains. Clothing poses a diverse range of threats to our environment, which increase as clothes prices fall and speed of delivery to consumer increases.

One washload of polyester fabrics can release up to 700,000 microplastic fibres into water systems. Research by Bangor University in 2019 found evidence of microplastics in all 10 lakes, rivers and reservoirs tested throughout the UK. These plastics enter the food chain, releasing toxic elements as they go.

Clothes production is also very water intensive. Reports suggest that to produce a kilo of cotton (a shirt or a pair of jeans), somewhere between 10,000 and 20,000 litres of water is needed. This is the amount that would take one person ten years to drink. This disproportionately affects developing countries, such as India and Pakistan where cotton is produced as they also suffer from water scarcity.

Sustainable options include using more sustainable materials such as bamboo, hemp or recycled materials, or go vintage and beat the ‘only wear once’ label.