Legacy Responsible Fashion Summit

Faced with the knowledge the fashion industry is one of the top 5 polluting industries with some of the lowest wages in the world, brands and designers risk losing relevance if they are not at the forefront of addressing these issues, reducing their impact and communicating their efforts. Regulators, consumers and the media are holding the sector accountable. In order to create positive change and forge a new future of fashion, stakeholders require innovative solutions, practical tools and best practice knowledge to press ahead in a collaborative effort.

A highly curated two-day programme, Legacy featured over 50 international and local subject matter experts presenting solutions across a broad range of prevailing issues. The event successfully delivered groundbreaking and forward thinking content to over 300 attendees from across Australasia through practical breakout sessions and frank panel discussions. A shared learning environment inspired immediate action and engagement whilst an innovation hub featuring sustainable fabrics and products showcased tangible examples for brands to incorporate into their sourcing strategies.

Legacy shared many insights with the Australian market for the first time. Insights which will lead to positive change included forensic science to validate country of origin claims, circular design principles to design out waste and use low impact materials, programmes to reduce water use and move to a lower carbon industry. Leading subject matter experts from the UK introduced initiatives to assist brands to uphold worker rights and the government shared how to comply with the new Modern Slavery Act. Groundbreaking new business models were showcased demonstrating that access over ownership is fast becoming the future of the industry.

In an effort to ensure the event was designed to be as low impact, plastic free and zero waste as possible, delegates were asked not to bring single use coffee cups or water bottles into the venue. No tote bags were provided and only a single double-sided programme card was printed. Lanyards were made from a fabric made from re-purposed agricultural waste and recycled card. All food was served using biodegradable plates and cutlery and leftovers were collected and composted offsite. Delegates were given notebooks made from elephant dung and post-consumer recycled paper with pens made from recycled paper designed to be disassembled after use. Speaker gifts were Huskee Cups made from re-cycled coffee bean husks. Legacy serves as an example to the conference industry that system re-design can be applied to all facets of event management in order to create a zero waste event.