Fashion Sustainability: Shaping Fashion’s Future
Discover why sustainability in fashion matters and how to create a strategy to build sustainability in the industry.
Duration
10 weeksCost
$649

Learn why sustainable fashion is the future and how you can shape it
On this 10-week course, you’ll learn about the history and values of sustainable development – and why it matters in the fashion industry.
Sustainability has become a central concern in modern business – and society at large. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals call for business and government to create a more sustainable future by 2030.
With increased awareness of the damage caused by ‘fast fashion’ – and of the climate crisis in general – fashion and luxury goods brands need to fully embrace sustainability.
Implement a successful corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy in a fashion brand
Alongside fashion thought-leaders at the Institut Français de la Mode and Kering, you’ll identify how to build a practical CSR and sustainability strategy, and how to communicate it to your company’s audience.
You’ll explore the contemporary environmental situation, learning about the climate crisis to better inform your own approach to sustainable fashion.
You’ll look at key areas such as animal welfare and biodiversity, examining how they intersect with broader social issues such as human rights and inclusiveness, coming away able to practically identify how fashion can be more socially responsible
Understand the importance of eco-design and sustainable materials in fashion
The course will encourage you to think about the value chain, leaving you able to recognise how sustainability can be applied to every step of the fashion product lifecycle.
You’ll study the principles of eco-design, which materials most lend themselves to sustainability, and what responsible and sustainable retailing looks like.
Deliver sustainable innovation for your brand
The fashion industry thrives on innovation and creativity, and there’s no reason this has to be sacrificed with sustainability.
Learn more about the future of sustainable fashion, exploring the social innovation of tomorrow, and discover how cutting-edge technologies can drive sustainable change in your business.
Study fashion with the Head of Sustainability IFM-Kering Chair at world-renowned Institut Français de la Mode
Based in the heart of Paris, the fashion capital of the world, Institut Français de la Mode has been a leading school of fashion management and design for over 30 years.
The course is led by Andrée-Anne Lemieux, Sustainability Professor and change leader at the heart of the industry’s transformation. Andrée-Anne Lemieux has over fifteen years of experience in the fashion industry, and specialises in sustainability transformation for new businesses, high street designers, and global corporations.
As the Sustainability IFM-Kering chair, she also manages scientific research in the field of sustainability in the fashion and luxury industry. You’ll also gain insights on sustainability from fashion industry stakeholders at NGOs, and startups, as well as hear from manufacturers and designers on their experiences of sustainability implementation.
You will be ready to become a change leader of the current industry’s transformation.
When are the assessment deadlines?
The next assessment deadlines are as follows:
26th September 2022
5th January 2023
3rd April 2023
31st August 2023
You will be able to submit your assessments directly to IFM up to two weeks prior to the deadline.
Will I receive feedback on my assessments?
Educators will be on hand around the assessment deadline dates to answer any questions you may have in the comments. You will then receive feedback on your assessments one month after the submission deadline.
What skills will you learn?
- Sustainable business management
- Sustainability communication strategy
- Business process improvement
- Eco-design, principles and tools
- Critical thinking
- Sustainability history and theory
- Change management
What you will achieve
By the end of the microcredential, you’ll be able to...
- Explore the history and current issues of the concept of sustainability
- Analyze the new economic concepts related to sustainable development and more specifically the circular economy model
- Develop an environmental and social strategy applied to the fashion industry
- Identify the main contemporary innovation areas
- Discuss the different models of sustainability implemented by fashion brands through a lifecycle product approach
Are you eligible for this microcredential?
No previous skills or experience are required to complete the course. You simply need to justify an interest in the question of sustainable development in fashion. The course will be delivered in English.
Is this microcredential right for you?
This course is intended for students or young professionals interested in fashion sustainability, or experienced fashion professionals who want to update their knowledge of the concept of sustainability.
The course will appeal to anyone in the fashion industry with an interest in the subject, across all functions, including product development and management, design, collection management, business development, communications and public relations, buying and merchandising, human resources, operations, retail, marketing, senior management, corporate social responsibility management.
Syllabus
What happens before, during, and after your microcredential
Before learning
Before the start of the course, the participant is encouraged to become familiar with the issues of fashion sustainable development. To do so, they will find a bibliography indicating relevant resources.
Course 1
From 25 Apr 2022
Building a CSR and Sustainability Strategy
Familiarise yourself with the history and values of sustainable development before defining and implementing a CSR strategy.
3 weeks
10 hours per week
Week 1
Sustainability Values
- Getting started
- What are the sustainability values?
- Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility
- Test Yourself
Week 2
Circularity and Sustainable Business Models
- Fashion & the Circular Economy
- Emerging initiatives
- Test Yourself
Week 3
Sustainability Communication
- Challenge of measurements of impacts & communication claims?
- Sustainable branding
- Test Yourself
Course 2
From 25 Apr 2022
Environment and Social
This course will help you to identify the major implications of sustainability on the fashion industry.
2 weeks
10 hours per week
Week 1
Biodiversity, Animal Welfare, Climate and Oceans
- Biodiversity & Animal Welfare
- Climate
- Oceans
- Test Yourself
Week 2
Philanthropy & Human Rights, Diversity & inclusivity
- Human rights
- Diversity and inclusion
- Test yourself
Course 3
From 25 Apr 2022
Sustainability in the Value Chain
Explore the principles of eco-design, sustainable materials and responsible retailing.
3 weeks
10 hours per week
Week 1
Eco-Design & Preferred Materials
- Eco-Design
- Preferred materials
- Initiatives
- Test yourself
Week 2
Sustainable Packaging & Supply Chain Management
- Sustainable packaging
- Sustainable supply chain
- Defining durability
- Test yourself
Week 3
Sustainable branding & Fashion Events
- Rethinking the fashion show
- Retail
- Test yourself
Course 4
From 25 Apr 2022
Sustainable Innovation
Discover what sustainability might look like in the future including how reconcile sustainability and innovation.
2 weeks
10 hours per week
Week 1
What is next for tomorrow's sustainable fashion
- Traceability innovation
- Innovator figures
- Test yourself
Week 2
Sustainable fashion perspective
- Sustainability as creation
- New business models
- General conclusion
After learning
Upon successful completion of this microcredential, you’ll receive a certificate from Institut Français de la Mode.
What you will receive
4 ECTS at Undergraduate level from Institut Français de la Mode
Find out how credits work and where you can use them in our FAQs.
What is a microcredential?
Microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Your microcredential can stand alone as an independent credential, and some also offer academic credit to use towards a degree.
Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.
Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.
Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.
Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.
Delivered by experts
Sustainability IFM-Kering Research Chair Director
Phd Polytechnique Montréal & ENSAM France
Research areas: Transformation, Sustainability, Fashion & Luxury, Agility, Environmental and social impacts
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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FAQ
We can accept payments made by card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) or PayPal via our online system.
You will have 14 days from the day the course starts to apply for a refund. If this Microcredential has any non-refundable costs they will be stated in the ‘Overview’ section above. You can find more information in our cancellation and refund policy.
Microcredentials are designed to fit around your life and timezone.
There may be live events as part of your studies, but these will be recorded and can be watched afterwards if you aren’t online for the live broadcast.
No, microcredentials are designed to be taken anywhere in the world. You won’t need the right to study in the country where the university offering the microcredential is based.
Want to know more? Read the microcredential FAQs, or contact us.