Students shine spotlight on sustainable fashion

To coincide with Sustainable Fashion Week (11-19 September), sixth form textiles students at Oxford High School hosted a Sustainable Fashion conference for their peers at GDST sister schools and partner state schools.  

Lead by Year 13 student Raffie, the Oxford High girls wanted to inspire their generation to be the voice of change, for they know too well the devastating environmental consequences of the fashion industry; according to the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, the industry consumes 215 trillion litres of water per year and is responsible for an estimated 2-8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. 

Their conference was a huge success. Some 700 students from 36 schools, including 24 state schools, attended the virtual event where high-profile fashion and sustainability experts including Sandy Black, Professor of Fashion & Textile Design and Technology at London College of Fashion, shared their expertise and valuable insights on this important issue.  

A variety of topics were covered, from ‘sustainable fashion as a gateway to fun, passion and future success’ to ‘the economics of fast fashion’, with each talk followed by a question and answer session and meaningful discussion.  

A teacher at Sheringham High School & Sixth Form Centre in Norfolk shared their feedback: 

‘I just wanted to pass on a big thank you for today’s conference, our textiles students have been totally absorbed and the talks have promoted some lively discussion!’ 

And schools and speakers tweeted about the event on the day:

The Sustainable Fashion conference was the first of a series of student-led conferences organised by Oxford High School taking place this year. Upcoming conferences focus on topics including US Foreign Policy, Law, Classics and Medicine.