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Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network Launches, Supports SDGs

A newly minted platform, the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, has officially launched — and its virtual, collaborative community is driven by the fashion and lifestyle industries, as both sectors sit in positions of power and are poised to help facilitate positive change at a global scale.

Together, the industries’ extensive reach creates an opportunity to engage on the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, particularly at the present moment as they navigate the climate crisis and post-pandemic recovery.

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The Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network was created for industry stakeholders, governments and NGOs to share sustainable solutions and report progress to help accelerate and contribute to delivering the SDGs. Addressing global issues such as eliminating poverty, hunger, inequalities and climate change reversal, the SDGs “serve as the blueprint for a shared global vision” to help move the needle on these challenges.

The launch is an evolution of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, an initiative in partnership with the United Nations Office for Partnerships that blends advocacy, education and partnership development to support and champion solutions for sustainable innovation in the industry. Collectively, both actors have hosted more than 800 annual events in 40 countries, have welcomed 12.2 million industry attendees, and 136,000 fashion, textile and lifestyle businesses.

Its virtual community takes aim at driving innovation, connecting industry leaders, facilitating new partnerships and enacting social change whilst providing incentives for brands to join and engage. Network partners are offered insights from think tanks, access to speaking opportunities, and invitations to future events; and registered initiatives on the platform will be published and showcase how the fashion and lifestyle sectors are driving change towards the delivery of the SDGs. Interested parties can join the network by registering here.

The network is managed by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the United Nations Office for Partnerships. Current network partnerships include Fashion4Development; Lenzing; Mara Hoffman Renewed; Messe Frankfurt Texpertise Network; Queen of Raw; Red Carpet Green Dress; Redress, and Swarovski Waterschool.

Kerry Bannigan, founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, said, “To accelerate industry change through advocacy and education, the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network offers an action-oriented platform that fuels stakeholders’ innovative solutions for more equitable and resilient societies.”

Annemarie Hou, acting executive director, UN Office for Partnerships, added, “The Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network offers an opportunity to cultivate an innovative and essential community of practice to help deliver sustainable change in the Decade of Action.”

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