THE Embassy of Sweden in Manila, recently launched Fashion Revolution: The Future of Textiles expo at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, spearheaded by Ambassador Harald Fries.
Curated and produced by the Swedish Institute, with the help of researchers and sustainability-minded fashion experts, the exhibition highlighted Sweden’s active role in promoting sustainability in fashion, as well as the major environmental challenges facing it as one of the most polluting industries of the world.
Running until April 30, the exhibition is supported by major Swedish brands H&M Philippines, BabyBjorn and Houdini Sportswear. H&M Philippines features key pieces made out of sustainable textile from their Conscious Collection, while Houdini and BabyBjorn exhibit clothing and baby carriers that are all made out of recycled or up-cycled products.
According to the embassy of Sweden, the world’s population consumes about 62 million tons of clothing per year—equivalent to a small suitcase full of clothes per person—and only 20 percent is reused or recycled. Since 2000 global clothes production has more than doubled, and the average person now buys 60 percent more items of clothing every year, and keeps them for about half as long as they did 15 years ago.
It also said that it takes 10,000 to 30,000 liters of water, and 2 to 4 kilos of chemicals, to produce 1 kilo of treated cotton. Fifteen to 30 percent of the plastic pollutants in the oceans consist of microplastics, and 35 percent of those come from washing synthetic textiles.
Fries expressed hope for consumers to become more conscious and mindful of their consumption of fashion: “The better informed people are, the greater the pressure that can be exerted on companies to act sustainably.”