Luxury fashion brand Burberry said this week that more than 12,000 metres of leftover fabrics have now been donated to UK educational institutions through its ReBurberry campaign.
Circa 30 fashion schools and universities in the UK, including the Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Brighton, have received leftover fabrics from the London Stock Exchange-listed company over the last two years.
Burberry said the ReBurberry programme, which launched in 2020, supports creative communities and promotes a circular economy. It is run in partnership with the British Fashion Council (BFC), which helps get the material into the education sector via its Institute of Positive Fashion and BFC Colleges Council.
By upcycling leftover fabrics from Burberry operations, the schools and universities stop the material from going to waste.
Nicole Lovett, responsibility programme director at Burberry, said: “We are committed to supporting the next generation of exciting creatives while ensuring we all do what we can to protect the environment.”
Caroline Rush, CEO of the BFC, said that one of the council’s priorities is to encourage fashion players to move towards a circular economy while supporting excellence in fashion design.
She added that the ReBurberry programme is “helping ensure students across the country have access to the best quality fabrics”.
Burberry said that the programme encourages the next generation of the fashion industry to consider new ways of thinking about their creative methods and material sourcing – adding that it gives them an “opportunity to develop tomorrow’s approach to fashion design and production”.
Last month, Burberry poached B&Q owner Kingfisher’s sustainability director, Caroline Laurie, to take on the role of vice-president for corporate responsibility, as it looks to further develop its greener business strategy.
[Image credit: Green Retail World]
