Marks & Spencer is rolling out the green carpet for Livia Firth, staunch promoter of sustainable fashion. Together with her Eco-Age, her ethical-brand consultancy, Firth has pieced together a capsule wardrobe, derived from the British department store’s autumn collection, to “meet the working woman’s needs,” according to Marks & Spencer. The Livia Firth Edit, the retailer says, features items that represent one or more examples of Marks & Spencer’s efforts to green its supply chain, whether by employing specifically accredited factories or sourcing fabrics that are better for the environment.
Firth mined Marks & Spencer’s in-house labels, such as Per Una and Autograph, for her selections, which include lambswool sweaters, pinstripe culottes, skinny jeans, office-friendly sheaths, and cocktail dresses.
“I am so excited to finally be partnering with a high street retailer and it was very clear to us why it had to be M&S. I have very much admired the astonishing work that M&S has done over the years—seriously, transparently and with huge commitment throughout the whole company—in both environmental and social justice,” Firth, who founded the Green Carpet Challenge in 2010, said in a statement. “On top of this, the M&S eye to quality in its garments and production cycles means this is not ‘fast fashion.’ I have been an M&S customer for many years and I look forward to now telling the wonderful stories behind their clothes.”
WWD reports that the Edit will be a biannual event, taking place in fall and spring. Firth told the publication that she’d like to eventually include men’s and children’s wear, along with housewares and beauty.
Firth also said, in a separate interview, that she’s out to “crush fast fashion.”
“Today, there has been this complete paradigm shift and fast fashion has destroyed everything that we knew,” she told WWD. “In the name of democratizing, fashion has made a mess, with an impact both on slavery and on environmental dysfunction beyond our imagination. Unfortunately because fast fashion is a very clever machine, today the consumer thinks it’s their right to buy it.”
Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, the retailer’s executive director of marketing, praised Firth’s “incredible knowledge” of the challenges of making fashion sustainable.
“It has been a mutually beneficial experience working with her to select this edit of her favorite pieces from our autumn ranges,” he said. “This is a great partnership to bring to life the lengths we go to on all our products and the importance of integrity at the heart of our business.”
The Livia Firth Edit will be available from October 8 in 13 Marks & Spencer stores, as well as online at www.marksandspencer.com.
Via Ecouterre
