Marcel Wanders Quotes

In the future, fast-fashion retailers might change their philosophy toward real efforts to create a world of their own. One can only hope.

I know quite a few eco designers who build dresses out of old couture gowns. They disassemble, 'upcycle,' and reuse them in extraordinary ways. To me, that's a sustainable way of doing things.

I am a fashion designer. I'm not an environmentalist. When I get up in the morning, number one I'm a mother and a wife, and number two I design clothes. So the main thing I need to do is create, hopefully, exquisitely beautiful, desirable objects for my customer.

Aficionados of Slow design and Slow fashion use ethical and green materials to make objects - furniture, clothes, jewellery - that lift the spirit and last a lifetime rather than one catwalk season.

It's my goal to make a building as immaterial as possible. Architecture is a very material thing. It takes a lot of resources, so why not eliminate what you don't need as long as you're able to achieve the same result?

Recycling, packaging, businesses are changing all of those things because that's what consumers want.

Design shouldn't have to take a backseat to sustainability and making things responsibly.

I don't subscribe to the view some people have in the industry that you should purposefully design products that do not last that long. I don't think it is good for anyone.

My job at the end of the day is to design timeless, desirable, beautiful products. It's not about just designing a bunch of organic jumpers. I have a balance within the brand. If you try to create something people enjoy, and it happens to be made in a responsible way, then that's when you can really strike an incredible balance.

Depending on the season, between 20 and 30 percent of my collections contain some sort of eco or sustainable element, whether it's a beautiful organic fabric or a natural dye. And obviously I don't use animal skins or fur of any kind.

Of course there are many ways we can reuse something. We can dye it. We can cut it. We can change the buttons. Those are other ways to make it alive. But this is a new step to use anything - hats, socks, shirts. It's the first step in the process.

There's this very vulnerable planet of ours with finite resources. Architects and designers have, I think, a fair responsibility for conserving energy and materials, and making things durable.

I'm a strong proponent of green tech for anyone who can afford it, having spent the last 40 years working toward achieving a smaller and smaller eco-impact for myself.

I want to try and wear as many Australian designers as I can because I'd like to support my Australian colleagues in the industry as well as find things that are eco-friendly. I love the green concept of wearing more sustainable garments at events.

If we have any hope of finding ways for seven billion people to live well on planet with finite resources, we have to learn to use our resources efficiently. Plastic bags are neither efficient nor environmentally friendly.

The principal and only way to make an heirloom product is to design something that people will need not just this year, but for the next 50 or 100 years.

Fashion is a logical place to start to raise awareness for sustainable causes.

I would love to persuade Christopher Bailey to get even just a section of Burberry that's, like, organic or free trade. I love him, he's a very good person and an amazing designer, and I have a lot of respect and time for him.

I'm adamant about recycling in my house, and I'm always making sure to turn off the lights.

My job is to make desirable, luxurious, beautiful clothing and accessories women want to buy. My first decision is always based on, 'Can I do this in a more sustainable way without sacrificing design?' If I can, then there is no reason not to.

Conscious luxury is the wave of the future because everyone should be aware of what they put on their bodies just like they are aware of what they consume.

The economy of the future has been aligned with the climate agenda. Even the competitiveness of companies will depend on how resource efficient they are.

I avoid using plastic bags.

We're all aware of the huge plastic crisis and the effect it's having on our planet. Fashion has a key role in that, but also there are ways we can deal with it. Stella McCartney is someone to look up to in that sense, she makes the bigger point in her collection that you can be sustainable and stylish.

I have refused to buy a car for the reasons of sustainability.