Kering & London College of Fashion to offer first digital course in sustainable luxury fashion

London - Luxury conglomerate Kering and London College of Fashion, UAL (LCF) have teamed up to create the world’s first open-access digital course in sustainable luxury fashion. Named ‘Fashion & Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World’, the new course was announced during an event hosted by the British Fashion Council during London Fashion Week.

The new course was developed to strengthen sustainability in education within the luxury and fashion industry in order to drive the wider adoption of more sustainable practices. Co-developed by LCF academics and Kering sustainability experts, the course is built on six key modules including: Why Sustainability Matters in Fashion, Contextualising Sustainability for a Changing World, Sustainable Sourcing for Luxury Fashion, and Informed Decision-Making.

Kering and LCF launch world's first online course in luxury sustainable fashion

“At Kering we believe that the shift towards sustainability and innovation in luxury fashion is not only an imperative, in our world of finite resources, but also a goldmine of opportunity,” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering speaking at the course launch on Tuesday. “We actively work with our Houses to craft tomorrow’s luxury via our 2025 sustainability strategy, but also wish to contribute to the evolution of luxury fashion as a whole, by sharing our expertise with industry counterparts and educating future generations. Today I am proud that Kering’s partnership with London College of Fashion takes a new step, making education accessible outside of the classroom with this the world’s first open-access digital course on sustainable luxury fashion.”

Building on from Kering’s and LCF current partnership, the course will cover both theoretical and real-life business cases luxury fashion brands may face when integrating sustainability into their business through a blend of films, podcasts, activities, and discussions. During a six-week period, spanning a total of 18 teaching hours, learners will have the chance to complete the course at their own pace, as the new platform is mobile, tablet and desktop friendly. “Over a year in the making and based on the research, teaching, and practice of Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion, UAL as well as the expertise and leadership of Kering’s Sustainability team, we are delighted to present the world’s first luxury fashion online course developed between higher education and industry,” said Professor Frances Corner, Head of London College of Fashion, UAL.

“This is significant because it signals a real desire and commitment from the industry to the ‘open sourcing’ of knowledge. Only through collaboration and the sharing of experience can we face the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead together. Often we can feel overwhelmed or unsure what sustainability means for our industry – we feel disempowered because there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution - but this course aims to empower aspiring and existing fashion professionals alike and help them develop their own manifesto for change.” Registration for the course opens on Tuesday at www.FutureLearn.com/courses/Fashion-And-Sustainability. The first 6-week edition of the new course is set to start on April 9 and will be openly available to everyone is interested in the course, with the aim of educating future talents, designers, luxury fashion professionals and members of the public with an interest in fashion. The course will run multiple times a year, and during each edition, students will have one week to complete each of the following 3-hour modules in their own time.

As part of the new platform’s rollout, LCF and Kering will be working together with the British Fashion Council (BFC) to reinforce a broader adoption of sustainable practices. Young British designers are previewing the platform through the BFC to ensure it is relevant to creative designers as well as luxury fashion professionals seeking to expand their sustainability knowledge. "In 2018 London Fashion Week focuses on Positive Fashion, an initiative designed to promote and celebrate diversity, sustainability, and openness; encouraging fashion to be used as a platform to promote global positive change, so we are thrilled that Kering and LCF have chosen to launch their new open-access digital course dedicated to sustainability with us today,” added Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council.

“Every season we see an increase in designer brands at LFW adhering to sustainable principles within their businesses and in turn promoting and contributing to positive change within our industry."

Photos: Courtesy of Kering x LCF