Our Responsibility Programme Director, Jocelyn Wilkinson, spoke about Burberry’s approach to sustainability during the ‘UK-Italy: Lessons in Sustainable Fashion’ conference at Pitti Uomo 95, organised by the Department for International Trade.
Situated in the British Institute of Florence library, the panel discussion featured spokespeople from Burberry, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood, as well as designers Christopher Raeburn and Bav Tailor, promoting Britain’s work on sustainable fashion and its ties to Italian manufacturing.
Burberry has long-standing ties to Italy, with a significant proportion of its production based in the country, and recently acquired a leather goods business in Scandicci to create a centre of excellence for leather goods development and production.
Burberry also has a long track record in being socially and environmentally responsible. We established our first ethical trade, community investment and environmental programmes in 2004, and launched our latest five-year Responsibility agenda in June 2017.
For example, Burberry has a programme with Oxfam Italy to foster community cohesion and support youth employability in Tuscany, an area renowned for its garment and luxury leather goods production, but also facing challenging levels of poverty, youth unemployment and economic migration.
