The fashion industry has been taking a few hits recently thanks to its poor energy conservation and management processes. Disposable clothes, throw away designs and massive transport costs have all been mentioned. One fashion magazine in Italy has decided that it has to stop talking and walk the sustainable catwalk with a photo-free publication – saving considerable resources in the process. By Jeremy Torr.

Rome, Italy. January 2020. “For over a century, Vogue has empowered and embraced creativity and craftsmanship; celebrated fashion, and shined a light on the critical issues of the time.” So say the group editors of fashion icon Vogue magazine. Nonetheless, the magazines – some 26 editions in countries around the world from Arabia to the Ukraine – have been spending up big for decades in pursuit of the ultimate photo shoot location, glamour and fashion statement.

And it is very expensive. A typical photoshoot can include flying scores of people including models, art directors, photographers and journalists to remote, exotic destinations; the hire of dozens of specialist delivery trucks and power generators; catering for everybody involved; and the by-product of kilos if not tonnes of waste wrapping, packaging and disposables that are deemed necessary for the project to be a success. But the financial cost is only part of it, admits Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Emanuele Farneti. The ecological cost is possibly even higher.

“One hundred and fifty people (can be) involved. About twenty airline flights and a dozen or so train journeys. Forty cars on standby. Sixty international deliveries. (Photo) lights switched on for at least 10 hours non-stop, partly powered by gasoline-fueled generators. Food waste from the catering services. Plastic to wrap the garments. Electricity (used) to recharge phones, cameras and more,” Farneti wrote in a recent editorial. All of which are using up non-renewable resources.

"We want to prove that it's possible to show clothes without taking their photo", he adds. “Intellectual honesty is the most important thing. In our case, this means admitting that there is a significant environmental impact associated with publishing a fashion magazine.” So the magazine has put its money where its images are, and produced a magazine which uses artist impressions of the latest trends in chic clothing, instead of fancy (and unsustainable) photos.

The covers and the images in the January issue were all commissioned from emerging and established artists who suited what Vogue calls it commitment to “thought-provoking imagery and intelligent storytelling.”The result is a series of cool new covers that put across the style and meaning of the fashions they depict, without engaging in (and wasting) serious amounts of natural resources. Other than a pencil and paintbrush, maybe.

Inside the January issue there are also articles about clothes made from scrap fabric and second-hand pieces. And better still, the magazine has pledged to give the photo-shoot money it has saved on travel, support and keeping egos happy to the Querini Stampalia Onlus Musem in Venice, which was damaged by climate change-driven super-high tide of November 2019.

This will be the first time ever that Vogue Italia has not had a photo-illustrated cover, and is concrete demonstration that it is possible to tell the story of a fashion line without photographing them, says Farneti. The new illustrated covers are just the first step to a more greener Vogue Italia, he adds, noting that the publication will also change its packaging to a more sustainable, 100% compostable wrapping next year.

“Vogue looks to the future with optimism, remains global in its vision, and stands committed to practices that celebrate cultures and preserve our planet for future generations,”adds the editorial group in a recent release. “We speak with a unified voice, standing for the values of diversity, responsibility and respect for individuals, communities and for our natural environment.”

It’s not just air with the flair either, according to Vogue’s figures culled from its own surveys. It seems its readers expect a socially responsible publication, one: “that represents people from all backgrounds, and (which has) a strong voice on current affairs and global issues. Sustainability is a topic that has particular resonance, as 74% of Vogue readers rate sustainable fashion as important to them.” So underlining the magazine’s sustainable approach is likely to win more, and more loyal readers too. Win win on both fronts.

“As the world's leading fashion title, Vogue has the ability to move, influence and inspire — and with that, a responsibility to lead on the issues that matter most," says publisher Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch. "For over a century, (our) titles have driven the cultural conversation and propelled meaningful change around the world. This new commitment (to sustainability) underscores what we can accomplish when we work together to leverage our global reach.”