May 2, 2023

May 2, 2023 London – As the UK prepares to welcome King Charles III to the throne, FashionUnited looks back at the times His Royal Highness (HRH) has championed the fashion industry, both in the world of sustainability and through education initiatives. His interest in the sector was already apparent from the New Year’s Honors List of 2023, which includes the now deceased Mary Quant, founder of Boden John Peter Boden and Gymshark founder Ben Francis were awarded for their contributions to fashion and beyond. Ahead of his coronation on May 6, we take a look at the past efforts of the new king and what this could mean for fashion under his reign. Sustainable development in fashion On one of the most recent occasions, King Charles participated in a fashion roundtable with British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful and Yoox Net-a-Porter Group CEO Frederico Marchetti. At the event, which took place at Dumfries House, HRH’s 2,000-acre estate that was being converted into a craft and agricultural learning center in January 2022, the panelists outlined a number of initiatives and solutions designed to support the acceleration of sustainability across the fashion world. Among the discussions were topics such as grassroots initiatives and regenerative farming practices, all of which would be led by the Fashion Task Force, a group of industry leaders created by HRH. One of the collective’s main missions for the past year has been to set up a Digital ID system, created as an informative platform that provides customers with sustainability data for their garments. Plans for the technology were initially revealed at G20 2021, where it was noted that the group was looking to collaborate with partner brands to implement the solution for transparency and traceability, as well as new circular services, such as repair and recycling. Task Force members, including Burberry, Chloé, Mulberry and Stella McCartney, have already committed to begin rolling out the Digital ID system, in addition to adopting a circular data protocol. King Charles’ sustainability efforts have not only become apparent in recent years, however. In 2016, the former Prince of Wales launched The Dumfries House of Wool Declarationwhich joined his previously founded organization Campaign forWool, urging key players in the wool industry to commit to protecting the environment and enforcing sheep welfare practices, expanding his focus to animal rights. The statement, signed by nearly 800 signatories to date, agrees that major wool-producing countries adhere to the highest animal welfare standards set by the International Wool Textile Organization. HRH at the board meeting of the International Sustainability Unit. Image: Lindex The following year, King Charles was also behind the launch of itSustainable Cotton Communiqué, which was created in collaboration with Marks & Spencer as part of HRH’s International Sustainability Unit. Signatories included Nike, H&M, Asos and Kering, each meeting in London to explore a commitment to sustainable cotton. Members also pledged that by 2025, 100 percent of the cotton they used would come from sustainable sources. Participating brands began targeting Fairtrade cotton, BCI cotton and organic cotton in an effort to act as a catalyst for wider adoption. Later, in the year 2021, HRH launched the ‘Terra Carta’ (Charter of the Earth) as part of its Sustainable Markets initiative, which provides companies with a roadmap to move towards a sustainable future by 2030. With the John Lewis Partnership as the first signatory to the charter, the retailer has committed to become carbon neutral across all of its operations, including its logistics operations and subsidiary Waitrose, by 2035. Educational initiatives and support programs In addition to sustainability, education is another focus for the new British king. Many of his efforts were made in the context ofThe Prince’s Foundation, an educational charity he founded in 1986 to support local communities and traditional arts. One of the programs set up under the organization is The Prince’s Foundation of Traditional Arts, a school that offers MA and PhD courses to strengthen the arts sector. Another long-running program is the Future Textiles group, which has been operating for several years and is largely backed by luxury conglomerate LVMH. In 2018 it was announced that Savile Row tailor Patrick Grant and Scottish textile manufacturer John Sugden were co-chairs of the initiative, which tasked the duo with providing traditional skills training to schoolchildren in Scotland and adults seeking employment in the sector . In the same month it was also announced that LVMH would sponsor the conversion of a disused sawmill on the Dumfries House estate into a fashion and textile school. It LVMH TextileTraining Centre would be used as a space for intensive courses in sewing, cutting and fabric finishing. Image: Yoox Net-a-Porter One of Future Textile’s more notable initiatives was the Modern Artisan training program, which was introduced in 2019 by HRH and Yoox’s Marchetti. The project tasked students in Italy and the UK with designing sustainable collections for Net-A-Porter, Mr Porter, Yoox and The Outnet, a mission supported by industry experts from Yoox, as well as several mentors from designer brands, like Gabriela Hearst and Nanushka. Eventually, a number of project participants were acquired by major brands or even launched their own businesses thanks to the success of the collections. To take the effort abroad, the King’s foundation continued to work with the Fashion Council Germany and the Swarovski Foundation on ‘Fashion X Craft’, an education program for young fashion designers from German universities. The project, whose application process started in 2021, aimed to promote new processes among young talent, such as handicraft techniques that should stimulate more sustainable production methods. Program participants took part in circular economy workshops and were able to stay at Highgrove, at the Prince’s Foundation training facility in Gloucestershire. Much of the course was about using materials rarely used in fashion, such as glass and wood. While it is currently unclear whether King Charles will continue to support fashion during his time as king, he has certainly shown in the past that he intends to build the industry with a more thoughtful approach. Whether supporting the British Fashion Council (BFC) by attending some of its events, or funding the work of young students hoping to make a positive impact, HRH has an eye for pushing the boundaries of fashion and urging her to change her ways. It is only to be hoped that the battle continues once he is firmly enthroned. This article was previously published on FashionUnited UK. Translation and editing into Dutch by Caitlyn Terra.