Protestors stage ‘naked’ demonstration ahead of London Fashion Week

A group of demonstrators staged a ‘naked’ protest ahead of London Fashion Week to highlight the role it has in promoting overconsumption and needless waste. Men and women gathered outside Somerset House wearing only placards and skin-coloured undies. The group wanted to raise awareness of the negative environmental impact of cyclical and seasonal fashion trends and is now calling on the industry to give second-hand items a bigger space on the catwalk at this year’s event. The protest was staged by Gumtree , which hoped to encourage fashion houses to stop perpetuating a ‘wear it once’ culture and to feature more sustainable styles. Hannah Rouch, from the preloved e-commerce brand, said they want leading fashion houses to take charge and ‘ensure what is trending is sustainable.’ Ms Rouch added: ‘We simply can’t turn a blind eye to billions of pounds worth of fashion waste ending up in landfill each year. “We have a collective responsibility to put an end to ‘wear it once’ culture once and for all. ‘Millions are waking up to the benefits of discovering beautiful pre-loved pieces, but we need ‘second hand first’ to be the new norm. ‘For this to happen we need the world’s leading fashion brands – those that are showcasing at London Fashion Week – to fire imaginations and showcase the style credentials of pre-loved pieces. ‘Together designers and all those who love fashion can start a consumption rebellion and demonstrate that style doesn’t have to cost the earth.’ London Fashion Week is set to kick off on Friday 15th September till Tuesday 19th.