New Vogue magazine features no photos to improve carbon footprint

Italian Vogue, the most prestigious fashion magazine in the world, has announced that to reduce its carbon footprint, the January issue will contain no photos.

The Italian Vogue magazine is published every month and contains hundreds of photo campaigns that are often taken in different locations across the world.

This month, the magazine has taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing the energy spent taking photographs, the magazines will instead be illustrated by several different Italian artists.

When describing what goes into producing each monthly issue of Vogue, Emanuele Farneti, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia, said: ‘One hundred and fifty people involved. About twenty flights and a dozen or so train journeys.

‘Lights switched on for at least ten hours non-stop, partly powered by gasoline-fueled generators.

‘Food waste from catering services. Plastic to wrap the garments. Electricity to recharge phones and cameras.’

By illustrating the campaigns in January’s magazine, Italian Vogue has said they are trying to highlight that art and fashion imagery can be created without major environmental costs.

Vogue has also announced that they will be changing their packaging to a 100% compostable plastic wrapping in the upcoming year.

Mr Farneti said: ‘Intelectual honesty is so important, this means admitting that there is a significant environmental impact associated with publishing our magazines.’

The fashion industry has come under scrutiny in recent years for the impact that it has on the environment.

In November 2019, Environment Journal got in touch with Nicholas Robin, curator of Green Friday, a grass-route organisation that is protesting against fast fashion.

In the interview, Mr Robin said: ‘Fast fashion has accelerated our consumerist behaviour with multiple collections per year, often at extremely cheap prices.

‘But these cheap clothes come with a huge social and environmental price tag.

‘Over the last few decades, we’ve seen many of our biggest brands outsourcing production to countries with low pay, poor trade union rights and poor working conditions.

‘Growing cotton uses a lot of land and a lot of water and synthetic materials contribute to water pollution.

‘Then at the end of their life, a lot of these clothes end up in the bin.’

Photo Credit – Pixabay