The European Fashion Alliance has four goals to achieve by 2027

Launched on June 22 and bringing together twenty-nine European fashion and luxury trade federations*, the European Fashion Alliance held its first summit last October. The organization now reveals the four areas it has chosen to support to help the industry transition towards sustainability.

Born within the framework of the “Green Deal” promoted by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, EFA brought together, among others, the British Fashion Council, Fédération de la Haute-Couture de la Mode, Camera de la Mode, Italiana, the Spanish Association of Designers, German and Austrian fashion association and Global Fashion Agenda. The organization’s mission is to “promote a successful, sustainable and inclusive European fashion ecosystem”, but it still needed to specify its approach, which it has now done.

EFA members have set themselves the task of defining an ethical, social and sustainable code of conduct for their members, “and thus for the fashion industry” as a whole, by 2027. The organization also wants to create a “green deal for fashion” at the European level, based in particular on a circular and social approach to fashion, especially through the exchange of data between European players in the field.

Another goal is to create and implement technology and sustainability training for key EFA members, as well as social and environmental responsibility practices for stakeholders. The last point aims to make these approaches sustainable by focusing on Gen Z and beyond, raising awareness through the digital, circular and social transition of the fashion industry.

Research from 2023

“With shared values ​​and a shared language, as well as a shared understanding of measurement tools, it is important that when our designers go to France, Italy, Germany, Denmark or elsewhere, they have a good shared understanding of the framework that is expected of them in terms of sustainability,” explains the executive. director of the British Fashion Council Caroline Rush.

Pascal Morand, president of the Fédération de la Haute-Couture et de la Mode, emphasizes that fashion is not just a market: “It is also a matter of culture,” according to an industry representative. “We are in a market economy: those who do not develop in this market must therefore understand that creative fashion can play a role as a driver of sustainability on a more global level.”

A Europe-wide survey will be launched in 2023 to identify the needs and challenges of companies in the sector, from micro-enterprises to large groups. The organization also plans to liaise with training and research bodies in the industry. EFA has given itself two to three years to establish a concrete action plan, especially aimed at creative and design actors.

*Asociación Creadores De Moda de España (Spain), Austrian Fashion Association (Austria), Baltic Fashion Federation (Latvia), Bulgarian Fashion Association (Bulgaria), Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana (Italy), Copenhagen Fashion Week (Denmark), Council for Irish Fashion Designers (Ireland), Estonian Academy of Arts (Estonia), Fashion Council Germany (Germany), Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (France), Fédération Française du Prêt-à-Porter Féminin (France) Flanders District of Creativity (Belgium) Icelandic Fashion Council (Iceland), Global Fashion Agenda, Gran Canaria Moda Cálida (Spain), MODA-FAD (Spain), Modesuisse (Switzerland), ModaLisboa (Portugal), Norwegian Fashion Hub (Norway), Slovak Fashion Council , (Slovakia), Swedish Fashion Council (Sweden), Finnish Textile & Fashion (Finland), Taskforce Fashion (Netherlands), The Prince’s Foundation (United Kingdom), Wallonie-Bruxelles Design Mode (Belgium)