Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Protestors stage ‘naked’ demonstration ahead of London Fashion Week

A group of men and women gathered outside Somerset House wearing only placards and skin-coloured undies

Lucy Brimble
Wednesday 13 September 2023 15:01 BST
Comments
(Images (Credit to PinPep))

A group of demonstrators staged a “naked” protest ahead of London Fashion Week to highlight the role it has in promoting overconsumption and needless waste.

Men and women gathered outside Somerset House wearing only placards and skin-coloured undies.

The group wanted to raise awareness of the negative environmental impact of cyclical and seasonal fashion trends and is now calling on the industry to give second-hand items a bigger space on the catwalk at this year's event.

The protest was staged by Gumtree, which hoped to encourage fashion houses to stop perpetuating a “wear it once” culture and to feature more sustainable styles.

(Images (Credit to PinPep))

Hannah Rouch, from the preloved e-commerce brand, said they want leading fashion houses to take charge and “ensure what is trending is sustainable.”

(Images (Credit to PinPep))

Ms Rouch added: “We simply can’t turn a blind eye to billions of pounds worth of fashion waste ending up in landfill each year.

"We have a collective responsibility to put an end to ‘wear it once’ culture once and for all.

“Millions are waking up to the benefits of discovering beautiful pre-loved pieces, but we need ‘second hand first’ to be the new norm.

“For this to happen we need the world’s leading fashion brands - those that are showcasing at London Fashion Week - to fire imaginations and showcase the style credentials of pre-loved pieces.

“Together designers and all those who love fashion can start a consumption rebellion and demonstrate that style doesn’t have to cost the earth.”

London Fashion Week is set to kick off on Friday 15th September till Tuesday 19th.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in