Dr. Natascha van der Velden: ‘Fashion and sustainability have to go hand in hand’

Amsterdam - "A lot of people say fashion and sustainability do not go together. Whereas animals are content with wearing the same attire throughout their lifetimes, people feel the need, much like Barbie, to dress differently every day. So fashion and sustainability will have to go hand in hand," says doctoral student Natascha van der Velden to her audience from the auditorium in the Technical University of Delft. She is defending her thesis, 'Making Sustainable Fashion - The Role of Designers and FashionUnited has a front row seat to her talk. Afterwards, we speak to the Doctor to learn more about the potential, future positions designers can take and the responsibilities they would have to bear during the transition to a more sustainable fashion industry.