Online Microcredential in Creative Arts & Media

Fashion Sustainability: Shaping Fashion’s Future

Discover why sustainability in fashion matters and how to create a strategy to build sustainability in the industry.

Created by

Institut Français de la Mode (IFM)Institut Français de la Mode (IFM)

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Co-created by

KeringKering

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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.

Learn online with expert instructors

Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.

Complete project-based assessments

Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.

Earn a professional credential

Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.

Advance further in your career

Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.

Career-focused learning by Institut Français de la Mode (IFM)

IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) is a higher education institution specialising in the textile, fashion, luxury and design industries, based in Paris, France.

Career-focused learning by Kering

Kering sees sustainability as a necessity, for sustainability and luxury are one and the same.

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

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  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

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  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
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  • 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.