The future of fashion? Our forests!

23 June 2017 Forests for Fashion

Cotton, silk, leather... it is time to move on from these old-fashioned materials, to something better! This evening in Perugia, in the heart of Italy, young designers revealed their ideas of our clothing future, and their inspiration? Forests!

Our forests have so much to offer us. Yarns from cypress, beech and eucalyptus trees, not to mention cork, are all softer and more breathable than cotton or silk. Fabrics similar to animal skins can instead come from our hardwoods and conifers.

Forests take to the catwalk

As part of PEFC Italy’s project exploring the potential of forests in fashion, sponsored by the 2016 PEFC Collaboration Fund, fashion students for the Italian Institute of Design in Perugia have been focusing on bringing the sustainable ethos of PEFC into the fashion world.

Together with their teachers, the students have been creating a collection of clothing and accessories made entirely from wood and wood-based products from PEFC-certified forests.

The culmination of this work was on display this evening at the first ‘3F Fashion for Forest’ fashion show, taking place in the National Gallery of Umbria in Perugia. 

From clothing made from beech, eucalyptus and cork oak, to the wooden accessories, all the raw materials are PEFC certified. This ensures that they have come from sustainably managed forests that will be around for generations to come.

Making sustainability more fashionable than ever

The initiative “Forest for Fashion” was first launched in 2014 by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). Since then it inspired other initiatives and partners to join forces and continue growing the idea.

The “Forests for Fashion – Fashion for Forests” publication, released in June 2017, provides deeper insights on what happens when sustainable forest management meets sustainable fashion trends.

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) has now taken over the lead and works with young designers to bring the trend to a wider audience, while ensuring that forest-based materials originate from sustainably managed forests.

Check out the full UNECE press release...