De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been named one of the country’s greenest universities. DMU’s School of Fashion and Textiles was named the Next Generation Learning and Skills Award winner in this year’s Green Gowns Awards, which rewards the most sustainable projects in higher education today.
Sustainability is a massive focus for DMU, the only UK university to be a hub for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a series of 17 targets to make the world a better place. The School of Fashion and Textiles, home to 1,200 students, recognized that the fashion industry needs seismic change to tackle challenges such as fast fashion, synthetic materials that take decades to decompose, and unethical supply chains.
On a practical level, students are asked to produce two outfits for their final collection instead of six, reducing the environmental impact. A £30,000 fund has been created to offer small grants to help students research projects focusing on sustainable fashion. So far, more than 100 students have been given money towards ideas, including zero-waste pattern cutting and leather alternatives. Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor DMU, said, “Winning this award means the world to DMU as a UN SDG hub. The reputation and global reach of our fashion school drive us to produce graduates leading on responsible design and practice in fashion, ensuring the next generation of designers make a positive impact on our world.”
