Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) and seven Danish fashion brands have recently come under the scrutiny of the Danish Consumer Ombudsman for alleged greenwashing practices. The accusations, brought forward in February by the advisory firm Continual and Forbrugerrådet Tænk, claim that these entities misled consumers by overstating their sustainability efforts.

The allegations

Continual and Forbrugerrådet Tænk argue that CPHFW and the Danish brands, among other things, use claims that: 

1. are inaccurate or irrelevant, 
2. refer to initiatives or products that do not significantly promote sustainability, and
3. may mislead consumers into believing that these companies and/or products are less environmentally impactful than they actually are.

The complaint focuses on the 19 so-called “sustainability requirements” that companies must meet to be considered for the fashion week’s calendar. Some argue that these requirements (i) are not genuine since it was discovered that some brands, in practice, do not comply with them, and (ii) do not significantly promote sustainability and thus, are not relevant for the consumer. Additionally, CPHFW often refers to participating companies with terms such as “ecologically conscious production” and “sustainable fashion brand”.

The seven Danish brands are also accused of using terms such as “sustainable”, “responsible” and “eco-friendly” to advertise their products. These terms could be misleading without substantial evidence to support them.

This case may also end up going abroad. In the complaint, Continual and Forbrugerrådet Tænk observe that, due to the introduction of the 19 sustainability requirements, CPHFW has been named “the world’s most sustainable fashion week”, by British Vogue. Organisations like Oslo Runway, the Norwegian Fashion Hub, Berlin Fashion Week, the German Fashion Council and the British Fashion Council have also adopted these standards. Because of this, the complainants request the Consumer Ombudsman consider whether this issue should be assessed also at the European Union level.

Copenhagen Fashion Week responds

Copenhagen Fashion Week’s director, Cecilie Thorsmark, responded to the allegations by stating that the organisation does not recognise the accusations of greenwashing. 

She also argued that the sustainability requirements are only one of several entry requirements to be able to participate in the show calendar, and do not equal any approval by CPHFW of the individual brands and their products as being sustainable. These requirements are only a tool developed to guide brands in their efforts to become more environmentally responsible.

Status and implications

The Danish Consumer Ombudsman is reviewing the complaint and will decide whether to pursue further action against Copenhagen Fashion Week and the seven Danish brands. 

The greenwashing allegations against Copenhagen Fashion Week and the Danish fashion brands emphasise the need for transparency and accountability in sustainability claims. As the fashion industry continues to grapple with its environmental impact, consumers and watchdog organisations play a crucial role in ensuring that brands live up to their green promises.

And, given the increasing importance of sustainability to the fashion industry, similar issues and challenges could arise in other fashion weeks around the world. The whole fashion world is increasingly focusing on the sustainability of brands and products. What happened in Denmark could easily happen during other fashion weeks in the future.

Based in Bird & Bird’s Milan office, Rita Tardiolo is a partner and co-head of the firm's international sub-sector Luxury, Fashion & Retail within its retail and consumer group. She can be reached at [email protected]. 

Francesca Signorini is a Bird & Bird associate and can be reached at [email protected].