2019-08-01_Hong_Kong_Tatler

EDITOR’S NOTE

Asthe16-year-oldclimateactivistGreta

ThunbergtoldtheWorldEconomicForum

earlythisyear,“Thebiggeryourcarbonfootprint

is,thebiggeryourmoralduty;andthebigger

yourplatform,thebiggeryourresponsibility.”

Inthatspirit,wewerecompelledthismonthto

usetheTatlerplatformtoshinealightonthe

people,brandsandinnovationspavingtheroad

tosustainability.

Amidthepessimism,it’snotalldoomandgloom.

Infashion,forexample,companieslikeKeringand

Burberryarepursuingsustainabilitygoals,having

signeduptotheUNFashionIndustryCharterfor

ClimateAction.Thisisgreatnews.We’veallheard

someofthestatistics.A 2017 studybytheEllen

MacArthurFoundationfoundthatofthemorethan

53 milliontonnesofclothingproducedeachyear, 87

percentendsupthrownaway.Lessthan 1 percent

isrecycledintonewclothing.

Clearlythereismuchworktobedone.Oneof

thefiguresleadingthechargeisourcoverstar,

RonnaChao,whosecompanyNovetexTextiles

hascreatedawaterlessupcyclingsystemfreeof

harmfulchemicals,openingaworldofpossibilityfor

recyclingratherthandumpingtextilesintolandfills,

towhichHongKongcontributes 300 tonnesaday

(ClosingtheLoop,p.88).

OthersmakingamarkareEdwinKeh,CEOof

theHongKongResearchInstituteofTextilesand

Apparel,SarahFung,founderofpre-lovedluxury

boutiqueHula,andDeniseHo,fashiondirector

ofupcyclingbrandTheRCollective,whojoined

otherindustryexpertsforaTatlerround-table

discussion(above)abouthowwefashionloverscan

inspirechangeinboththelocal community and the

companieswesupport.

Whenitcomestoourhabits, it’s best to

buylessbutbuywell.Ourfashion shoot, The

Keepers(p.52),presentstimeless styles that will

lastalifetime.Wealsoshowcase designers with

sustainabilityattheircore,the best new “clean

beauty”products,andtimepieces from luxury

brandsthatsupportoceanconservation.

Speakingofsavingtheseas,we meet marine

biologistSylviaEarle,whoatthe age of 83 is

workingtowinprotectionfor30 per cent of the

world’soceansby 2030 (p.106). The significance of

thatyearisexplainedinTheFuture Is Now (p.30),

whichoutlines 17 sustainabledevelopment goals the

UNwantstoachieveby2030,goals championed by

suchluminariesasTrevorNoah, Richard Branson,

YokoOno,CaiGuo-QiangandMichelle Yeoh.

Theissuesofmeatproduction and urban food

wasteareexaminedinWeCanWork It Out (p.96),

withPaulMcCartney’sdaughter Mary telling of

herplant-basedjourneyandanew partnership

withDavidYeung’sGreenMonday, and Eco Heroes

(p.108)introducesfivelocalsgreening the city with

innovativesolutions.

I’mtrulyproudoftheteam’swork on our

thirdSustainabilityIssue.Ihope we’ve managed

toconveyasenseofoptimism—thatchangeis

happening,andthatwecanallbepartofit.Let’s

keeptheconversationgoing.

EMILIEYABUT-RAZON

ManagingEditor

Team Green

PHOTOGRAPHY: AFFA CHAN

16 hong kong tatler. august 2019