Copenhagen Fashion Week (CFW) and seven participating Danish fashion brands have been reported to the Danish Consumer Ombudsman for alleged greenwashing. The complaint, filed by consulting firm Continual and consumer group Forbrugerrådet Tænk, claims that CFW’s sustainability rules are weak and not properly enforced.
CFW has 19 sustainability requirements for brands that want to participate. These include having a Code of Conduct in place according to international guidelines and standards and using at least 60% recycled or certified materials in collections. A major issue raised in the complaint is that CFW does not properly check if brands are complying with the rules. Although CFW claims to ban greenwashing, Tanja Gotthardsen (from Continual) found that many participating brands still make vague or misleading claims about sustainability on their websites. CFW itself also promotes brands as sustainable without having enough proof.
Winni Grosbøll (director of Forbrugerrådet Tænk) warns that CFW’s reputation as a “sustainable” fashion week is influencing the entire industry. This means that other fashion weeks are copying its framework, and major fashion media called it “the world’s most sustainable fashion week.” Grosbøll fears that if CFW is not actually enforcing real change, it could mislead consumers and brands across the industry.
CFW’s CEO, Cecilie Thorsmark, has not yet seen the complaint but denies the accusations of greenwashing. She also argues that CFW cannot control how the media describes its efforts.
Regarding the seven Danish brands named in the complaint (Baum und Pferdgarten, Berner Kühl, Forza Collective, Herskind, OpéraSport, Stine Goya, and Won Hundred), they are accused of using misleading words like “sustainable,” “responsible,” and “eco-friendly” without clear proof. The complaint gives examples of incorrect claims, such as saying organic cotton significantly cuts CO2 emissions or calling some synthetic fabrics “green.”
Some brands have responded. Baum und Pferdgarten admitted they are behind on their promise to stop using virgin polyester. Berner Kühl agreed that some of their marketing could be confusing and said they would remove unclear language. Other brands, like Stine Goya and OpéraSport, did not respond.
Source: Føljeton
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