I found this definition on p. 19 of the September 2010 booklet to London Fashion Week’s EstEthica. The definition appears in the context of an interview with Burak Cakmak, Director CSR of the Gucci Group.
There is also a short definition to be found on the same page.
Sustainability for Fashion (long definition):
“Creating desirable products guided by principles that consider sustainability as a core component of the process. This starts from the design phase where a designer can develop a new product concepts that consider improving functionality or integrating new functions to encourage increased used of the same product in more occasions.
A key step for the designer is to consider the impact of materials selected for realizing their designs. Today, there are new options becoming available from non-hazardous to renewable, recycled or recyclable materials that can help manage the material impact better.
Designers can also consider the reduction of materials to minimize environmental impact through reduction of weight, reducing transport volumes and emissions. During the productions process there can be opportunities for optimization of production techniques that use sensitive methods or fewer production processes to both reduce waste as well as energy consumption.
In addition, it is critical in design to optimize lifetime of a product by focusing on quality and durability and providing repair services to the customer. Emotional connection can be a key driver in prolonging the use of products, which is also a reason why luxury products then to be part of the customer’s wardrobe for a long period of time. Once a person perceives the product as a classic that embodies high quality and desirability, they will not want to part with it for a long time.
Finally, a luxury designer has to consider longevity and aim to create a design that can be continually used in new ways through out its life.”
