Fashion supports Earth Hour
MELBOURNE: Earth Hour organisers have begun wooing the fashion industry for support of their global environmental awareness campaign.
Fashion industry Earth Hour ambassador and committee chair Ann Morrison, founder of PR agency AMPR confirmed a fashion industry Earth Hour committee including Sussan Group, Covert Fashions, Fashion Forecast Services, Chadstone shopping centre, Myer, Omni footwear and Melbourne milliner Melissa Jackson had been appointed to promote the event.
"With only weeks to go until the lights go off at Earth Hour, we need to do everything we can to get the fashion industry motivated and involved," she said.
The purpose of Earth Hour – scheduled for 8pm on March 29 and supported by Fairfax' Melbourne broadsheet The Age and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – was to get individuals, households and businesses to turn off their lights as a symbolic statement on the impact of coal-fired electricity on climate change, confirmed Earth Hour communications manager Jacqueline McArthur.
"This isn't about expecting fashion companies to be completely sustainable. Many fashion companies are already striving for that and realising how hard it is. Earth Hour represents a great opportunity for industry to come together, debate the issues and exchange information."
Earth Hour project manager Fiona Poletti said a key event in the run up to Earth Hour will be the Earth Hour Corporate Breakfast on March 4 at Melbourne Town Hall.
"The breakfast will cost $1500 for four tickets and is tax deductible as it's basically a fundraiser for Earth Hour. It will certainly be advantageous to have key industry figures from the fashion world attending."
Media opportunities would be available to the fashion industry in the run up to Earth Hour, while companies should sign up to the initiative at earthhour.org, Poletti said.
With the fashion industry planning ranges and seasonal retail promotions as much as a year in advance, it was hoped this year's effort would be a prelude to even better tie-ins and promotions in 2009, Ann Morrison confirmed.
"The main thing at this stage is to plant the seed in the fashion industry, to get as many industry people involved as possible and to raise awareness so that we can continue to build on it year on year."