Dr Frances Corner

"I consider building sustainable development and quality of life into all aspects of the education system to be essential if we are to tackle climate change and ensure an ethical approach to the production and consumption of goods."

Why is sustainable development important to you?
London College of Fashion (LCF) approaches the issue of sustainability from a unique position. We believe that the problems that exist represent a great opportunity for designers. Embedding creativity in practice across the supply chain is key. As a leading provider of fashion education LCF is perfectly placed to provide the green collar workers of tomorrow who will pioneer sustainable design and practice and drive up industry standards from within.

Sustainable design should be at the heart of everything we do - a more sustainable industry is beneficial both financially and socially.

Fashion is a catalyst for change - by offering new models of consumption and gaining a better understanding of consumer behaviour we will encourage social and economic change.

What does being a London Leader mean to you?
Being a London Leader gives me the opportunity to work with a group of diverse and pioneering individuals working towards the same goal of achieving sustainability within their sector. 

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the challenges that we face but if we work collectively small changes will translate into big shifts in attitude and behaviour. By working collaboratively we can achieve great things. We cannot begin to solve problems over night but we must all start somewhere and take responsibility for the communities which we are apart of.

London College of Fashion trains the fashion industry of tomorrow - one third of our students choose to study here from countries as far away as Korea, Australia, India and China. By leading the way in this area we can demonstrate that London is a centre of creativity and innovation and that issues of sustainability can no longer be overlooked or seen as a superficial bolt on. Our global student community will carry this message with them.

Past experience
As Head of London College of Fashion I have pioneered the adoption of sustainable and ethical practice into the fashion education arena and have developed the Centre for Sustainable Fashion in order to support, inspire and promote innovative approaches to the fashion industry and achieve a sustainable future for all stakeholders across the supply chain.

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion aims to spearhead debate, research and practice in this field. In the twelve months since it was established it has collaborated with Oxfam, Tabeisa, Unilever, Arup, Defra and the Indian government. The Centre also runs initiatives aimed directly at our student body. For example the "Is Green the New Black?" campaign highlights the social and environmental impact of the fashion industry to our students and the Shared Talent project has seen 11 students collaborating with crafters from an outreach project in Johannesburg.