Designers are calling for the fashion industry to change

We already know that next season's fashion month will be very different than the last. Saint Laurent has decided to step down from the Paris Fashion Week schedule, while London Fashion Week is going to be merged with Men's Fashion Week and digital only.

Now a host of big designers and major fashion brands have written an open letter to the fashion industry, to call for a change in the calendar, and to work on ways to make the industry more sustainable, an issue that has become even more timely since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The likes of Mary Katrantzou, Tory Burch, Gabriela Hearst, Erdem, Mytheresa, Liberty and Gucci wrote, 'Recently a group of us from across the global fashion industry, from CEOs to buyers and creative directors, came together in a series of conversations with a shared vision; to discuss ways in which our business needs to transform.

'We agreed that the current environment although challenging, presents an opportunity for a fundamental and welcome change that will simplify our businesses, making them more environmentally and socially sustainable and ultimately align them more closely with customers’ needs.'

They vowed to put the seasons back in their respective slots, starting with the AW20 season, which was showed in February this year. In retail, they want to have the Autumn/Winter collections in winter (August/January) and Spring/Summer season back in summer (February/July).

They vowed to 'create a more balanced flow of deliveries through the season to provide newness but also time for products to create desire. Discount at the end of the season in order to allow for more full-price selling – January for Autumn/Winter and July for Spring/Summer.'

The designers also promised to produced their collections in a more sustainable way, not only by having less waste, but also hosting digital showcases and travelling less, and reviewing and adapting fashion shows. This could mean that in the future they are digital only, or on a much smaller scale.

'Working together, we hope these steps will allow our industry to become more responsible for our impact on our customers, on the planet and on the fashion community, and bring back the magic and creativity that has made fashion such an important part of our world,' they finished.