The Sustainable Fashion Glossary

The Sustainable Fashion Glossary is a crystallisation of world leading research and educational practices, bringing together academic rigour and accuracy from CSF and Conde Nast’s unique understanding of the fashion industry. Developed through collaboration between industry and academia, contributors include lead partners Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Condé Nast, with input from Vogue’s global editors-in-chief, students providing a next-gen point of view, and a network of academic researchers to bring subject specialist and local perspectives on sustainability. 

 

Condé Nast had identified a gap in the debate they could help to fill: fostering a shared understanding of the problems facing the fashion industry by clarifying and socialising core terms and concepts. It is their belief that educating global teams and audiences on the definitions of key sustainability concepts, supported by fact-based explanations and references, is a pivotal first step towards a more sustainable future. 

 

The development of the Sustainable Fashion Glossary was based on a series of guiding principles and frameworks – a crystallization of the Centre’s research, educational and knowledge exchange practices. The Glossary draws from three core CSF systems: the CSF Framework for Sustainability, the Design Life Cycle, and the Pedagogic Principles(1-3). 

 

The Glossary methodology followed a process that included an extensive landscape review, stakeholder focus groups; the creation of an information hierarchy, term and concept drafting; and prototype testing by editors, students and researchers. 

 

The Sustainable Fashion Glossary would not have been possible without the contributions of:  

 

• Alice Pilia, Chair of Global Sustainability Steering Committee, Condé Nast 

• Michelle Lai, Sustainability Manager, Global Policy, Condé Nast 

• Vogue editors-in-chief and their editorial teams 

• Dr. Banhi Jha, Senior Professor, Fashion Design, National Institute of Fashion Technology 

• Dr Timo Rissanen, Associate Professor of Fashion Design and Sustainability, Parsons School of Design, The New School

• Dr. Laura Santamaria, Deputy Associate Dean for Enterprise, Loughborough University London

• Qinwen Wei, Lecturer & Researcher, Centre for Traditional Crafts, School of Fashion Accessory Art & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology

• Students of the MA Fashion Media, MA Fashion Communications and MA Entrepreneurship, Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design, and students of the BA Fashion Journalism students, London College of Fashion 
   

References: 

1. Williams, D. (2019). Fashion Design for Sustainability: A Framework for Participatory Practice. In: LeNS World Distributed Conference, 3 April 2019. 

1. Williams, D. (2013). Fashion Education in Sustainability: Change Through Experiential Crossings. In: TEESNET Global Citizenship Sixth Annual Conference, 11 July 2013, London South Bank University. 

1. Williams, D. (2013). Fashion Education in Sustainability: Change Through Experiential Crossings. In: TEESNET Global Citizenship Sixth Annual Conference, 11 July 2013, London South Bank University.