The British Fashion Council (BFC) is delighted to announce its first Institute of Positive Fashion Forum (IPF Forum), a thought leadership event designed to galvanise the British fashion industry alongside international businesses into global collaboration and local action, ahead of COP26, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, hosted in Glasgow in November. The day-long event which will take place digitally on Thursday 10th June 2021, will focus on catalysts for Positive Change, hosting inspirational talks and practical action-led discussions to address the day’s agenda.
The IPF Forum will act as an opportunity to debate the important issues facing the fashion industry through the lens of the IPF Pillars, Environment, People, Community & Craftsmanship and the COP26 themes Adaptation & Resilience, Energy, Finance, Nature and Transport. Key topics that will be discussed and presented through Speaker Programme and Private Roundtables include the Race to Net Zero, Green Economy, Biodiversity, Circularity, Social Justice, Diversity and Inclusion and Community.
Speakers include Business Leaders, Government representatives, environment experts, diversity advocates, Creative Directors, Activists, Editors and Educators.
The first confirmed speakers include Chief Executive Officers Emmanuel Gintzburger, Alexander McQueen and Marco Gobbetti, Burberry as well as June Sarpong, Director of Creative Diversity BBC who will be in conversation with Virgil Abloh, Founder and Creative Director, Off-White and Artistic Director, Louis Vuitton Mens. Other confirmed participants include Ayesha Barenblat, Founder & CEO Remake; Bandana Tewari, Lifestyle Journalist and Sustainability Activist; Cyrill Gutsch, Founder Parley for the Oceans; Dilys Williams, Director Centre for Sustainable Fashion; Laura Balmond, Make Fashion Circular Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation; Nicolaj Reffstrup, Founder Ganni; Kinjil Mathur, Chief Marketing Officer, Squarespace.
Additional speakers, sessions and keynotes will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event.
The IPF Forum will also launch the IPF Future of Fashion Innovation Showcase in partnership with Accenture. The Showcase will focus on UK Innovation across each step of the fashion value chain presenting the most exciting and cutting-edge innovation to support businesses to become more responsible and circular and drive to the goals of COP26. The project is curated by the BFC, Accenture and Fashion For Good.
Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive commented: “The last year presented the fashion industry with an opportunity to reset its priorities, however there is still urgent work to be done to ensure we reach the COP26 goals. With the IPF Forum, we aim to bring the fashion industry together to make sustainable changes by providing practical steps from an incredible roster of speakers, each providing unique perspective on issues facing the industry.”
The IPF Forum will be accessible to ticketholders through the IPF website where tickets for the day are now available to purchase. All tickets are priced at £150 with corporate packages available on request (see contacts below). BFC Patrons and Designer Members will be offered one complimentary ticket each as well as the opportunity to buy additional tickets at a special rate.
Ticket holders will gain access to the live day of seminars and talks via a private log in, have the opportunity to network online with other attendees, build a personalised schedule and access resources in the IPF Future of Fashion Innovation Showcase.
The BFC continues its collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) to further engage the fashion industry in the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The IPF Forum aligns with SDGs 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action).
The BFC has held previous thought-leadership Forums, known as BFC Fashion Forum, from 2014 to 2019 with C-Level executives in attendance such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Jo Malone, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tom Ford.
The generosity and commitment of our partners is more vital than ever. Please help us by acknowledging their support for the IPF Forum. Official Partners: Accenture, Clearpay, Ebay, Nuvei and Squarespace.