The Helsinki Fashion week held in Helsinki, Finland is not an ordinary fashion exhibition. This exhibition provides a new breakthrough because of its serious commitment to sustainability.
Last July, Helsinki Fashion Week has become the first continuous exhibition with 100 percent of its participants focus on sustainability. The exhibition was attended by 30 brands from designers who came not only from Finland but also from outside Finland.
The founder was Evelyn Mora, a young businessman who is still 26 years old. She said that there was no way to be truly 100% sustainable for now, but HFW still proves to be the most sustainable fashion exhibition up to now.
The reason why she took this approach to HFW this year, Mora said, ‘I have just made the right fashion week with the values that the fashion industry should have. I refuse to call it a “sustainable” fashion week because this is no longer an alternative, but the only way to move forward in the fashion and textile industries.
Helsinki Fashion Week and an Eco Village
All participants have taken economic principles about social impacts in the community and exhibited that in zero waste and renewable energy in eco-villages.
Ecovillage is a concept based on a circular economy and cares for sustainable values that aim to create a world that encourages each other to connect and create together among various industries.
Tesla and SolarVoima who is an elite guest sit the front at the exhibition. Besides that, a vegan food bar that serves delicious food from ‘leftovers’ or ‘from waste to taste’ therefore HFW has proven successful in creating new ways to see a sustainable life.
There are 30 international brands coming together and taking part in events to celebrate designers with zero waste production approaches in an ethical way. Besides that, it also produces a series of ideas that are sustainable for the trend of our next season wardrobe.
Helsinki Fashion Week and Vegan Materials
The Helsinki fashion exhibition has just issued a new regulation banning animal skin-based designs in 2019. The decision was to take an active stance towards animal cruelty and damaging environmental impacts using animal skins, according to its founder, Evelyn Mora. They will prioritize vegan ingredients such as synthetic suede and B-mesh made from recycled bottles.
A sustainable shoe brand based in Paris, Veja said that consumers are willing to do the same. The vegan collection, introduced in December 2016, features ingredients such as B-mesh made from recycled bottles, synthetic suede, rubber, and recycled straw got a positive response from their loyal buyers.
Mora managed to gather and invite various designers from all over the world who all shared the same principles in creating fashion in a more sustainable and ethical way. She hopes that the participants for this year’s fashion week will remain loyal to these values. Mora also hopes that all can be honest and transparent with their actions and decisions in terms of consuming fashion items.
Helsinki Fashion Week may also inspire us to think twice before shopping. Buying goods is not only for the sake of being fashionable, but there are our beloved earth and social value that is taken into our consideration.
