The Vogue Business 100 Innovators List comprises one hundred leading voices and minds across technology, sustainability, business, beauty and industry. Compiled by a leading fashion and sustainability publication, the annual list recognises global trailblazers who are set to shape the future of their field.
In its 2024 list of sustainability thought leaders, Vogue Business recognises the innovation of Hot or Cool as a key voice in taking often nebulous concepts applied to the sustainability problem in the fashion industry and converting them into tangible policy solutions for decision-makers. While concepts such as circularity, just transition, overconsumption and sustainability are often used by researchers and practitioners alike, few attempt to define these ideas, or transform them into actionable policy. Hot or Cool has thrived in this sphere, providing direction to communities and policy-makers alike.
This practical approach to the theoretical was reflected in the broad impact of the 2022 Hot or Cool publication, Unfair, Unfit, Unfashionable. Operating at both the policy and personal level, the report looks at how systemic change must be affected through individual action. This action can then become a collective movement, as evidenced by the ‘#Rule of Five’ clothing challenge. This campaign, created by Tiffanie Darke, makes use of the report and asks readers to commit to purchasing five items or fewer of clothing for the year. The success of this multi-layered approach is evidenced through its influence at various levels. For instance, it was cited by the European Parliament in its EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.
Further, this focus on translating the theoretical to the practical at both a policy and personal level extends beyond fashion and into other areas of Hot or Cool’s work.
In 1.5-degree lifestyles – Towards a fair consumption space for all, Hot or Cool utilises science-based approaches to link concrete changes in lifestyles to measurable impacts on climate change. While many policy approaches focus on the hope for new technologies, the 1.5-degree lifestyles report calls for equity and a clear-eyed approach to systemic change that fully addresses the issue of consumption-based emissions. This report has had wide media coverage.
The conceptualisation of 1.5 lifestyles that led to the development of this flagship report also played a key role in inspiring the development of two influential multi-year consortium research projects supported by the European Commission. The EU 1.5° Lifestyles project, led by the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) – Helmholtz Center Potsdam and the PSLifestyle project, led by SITRA both provide critical contributions to the work of mainstreaming the lifestyles approach in tackling the climate challenge.
With eyes set firmly on the future, Hot or Cool looks forward to bringing this approach to our work with policymakers, businesses and scientific leaders in the pursuit of a better world for us all.
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The full list of Vogue Business 2024 100 Innovators is available on the Vogue Business website.
