Swedish Embassy in Beirut partners up with FabricAID for biggest sustainable fashion event in Lebanon
3/31/2022 4:41:55 PM
The Embassy of Sweden issued the following statement on Thursday:
The fashion industry is currently dominated by a linear structure sometimes described with the words ‘take, make, dispose’. The global clothes production has more than doubled since the year 2000. We consume about 62 million tons of clothing globally per year, and only 20 percent is reused or recycled. In short, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world.
The Embassy of Sweden in Beirut, together with FabricAID and the Fashion Revolution, held an event on 26 March 2022, at the FabricAID headquarters in Mkalles, Beirut. The event included an exhibition that showed new initiatives arising from the Swedish fashion scene; an array of research projects and sustainable collections were showcased; from established businesses to start-ups, between different industries and otherwise competing operations - joining hands to pave the way for a fashion revolution. Moreover, the Fashion Revolution exhibition, produced by the Swedish Institute, included a manifesto that had been signed by participants and guests during the event.
Furthermore, the event consisted of two panel sessions, the first on how to Make Fashion More Sustainable: Committing to ending textile waste, featuring: Rein Neiland (EU Delegation to Lebanon), Jennie Rosén (Swedish Fashion Council), Maya Karkour (Environmental specialist), Evelina Danielson (Fashion Revolution Sweden), and Dr. Najat Saliba (Environmental activist). The second panel was about Reusing Textiles: Material Cultural Wear and Tear, featuring Susanne Sweet (Stockholm School of Economics), Ann-Katherine Zotz (White Label Project), Krystel Khalil (Berytech), Saleem Azzam (Fashion designer), and Sarah Hermez (Creative Space Beirut). Both panels were moderated by Nadine Wilson Njeim.
Attended by over 200 visitors who participated in a clothes swap activity, where invitees were encouraged to swap items of clothing they brought along with them with garments from one of FabricAID’s brands that were on display throughout the day. This brought light to FabricAID's mission of securing a future where everyone can afford decent clothing by increasing the efficiency of second-hand clothes collection, sorting, and distribution while reducing fabric waste. The event also raised awareness on the environmental effects of the fashion industry and challenged the status quo - sustainability being one of Sweden’s top priorities in Lebanon.
As no event is complete without entertainment, attendees got to enjoy the musical stylings of lead singer Serena El Choufi while discovering showcases by upcoming designers alongside the launch of SALAD, a new upcycling brand by FabricAID. The event was concluded by a networking and cocktail reception that will hopefully pave the way to new partnerships and ideas.
The fashion industry is currently dominated by a linear structure sometimes described with the words ‘take, make, dispose’. The global clothes production has more than doubled since the year 2000. We consume about 62 million tons of clothing globally per year, and only 20 percent is reused or recycled. In short, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world.
The Embassy of Sweden in Beirut, together with FabricAID and the Fashion Revolution, held an event on 26 March 2022, at the FabricAID headquarters in Mkalles, Beirut. The event included an exhibition that showed new initiatives arising from the Swedish fashion scene; an array of research projects and sustainable collections were showcased; from established businesses to start-ups, between different industries and otherwise competing operations - joining hands to pave the way for a fashion revolution. Moreover, the Fashion Revolution exhibition, produced by the Swedish Institute, included a manifesto that had been signed by participants and guests during the event.
Furthermore, the event consisted of two panel sessions, the first on how to Make Fashion More Sustainable: Committing to ending textile waste, featuring: Rein Neiland (EU Delegation to Lebanon), Jennie Rosén (Swedish Fashion Council), Maya Karkour (Environmental specialist), Evelina Danielson (Fashion Revolution Sweden), and Dr. Najat Saliba (Environmental activist). The second panel was about Reusing Textiles: Material Cultural Wear and Tear, featuring Susanne Sweet (Stockholm School of Economics), Ann-Katherine Zotz (White Label Project), Krystel Khalil (Berytech), Saleem Azzam (Fashion designer), and Sarah Hermez (Creative Space Beirut). Both panels were moderated by Nadine Wilson Njeim.
Attended by over 200 visitors who participated in a clothes swap activity, where invitees were encouraged to swap items of clothing they brought along with them with garments from one of FabricAID’s brands that were on display throughout the day. This brought light to FabricAID's mission of securing a future where everyone can afford decent clothing by increasing the efficiency of second-hand clothes collection, sorting, and distribution while reducing fabric waste. The event also raised awareness on the environmental effects of the fashion industry and challenged the status quo - sustainability being one of Sweden’s top priorities in Lebanon.
As no event is complete without entertainment, attendees got to enjoy the musical stylings of lead singer Serena El Choufi while discovering showcases by upcoming designers alongside the launch of SALAD, a new upcycling brand by FabricAID. The event was concluded by a networking and cocktail reception that will hopefully pave the way to new partnerships and ideas.