02: Learn from the experts

Make your own luck and get up-to-date with the latest sustainable fashion courses.

The Citizen Storyteller

Jan 10, 2025

Photo by Simeon Asenov on Unsplash

2025 is here, and I’m taking action for the climate crisis. With all the negativity out there, who needs more? So, I’m keeping it positive and solutions-based.

Introduction

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you make your own luck. There — I said it. It’s no good coasting along expecting great things to happen; you have to go after what you want (and always have your eyes open for potential opportunities!).

Given my interest in sustainability, for me, this has meant volunteering for Selfridges’ internal sustainability community, the Green Warriors, as well as collaborating on projects with Sustainability stakeholders (a special shoutout).

Now that I’m on this mission to accelerate the global movement for sustainable change, I’ve done some digging around the best ways into the sustainable fashion industry, according to the experts. Continue reading to find out more.

School’s Out

First things first, should you study for a master’s? I’ve done the research and I found a few great options — in sustainability and sustainable development — but I’m afraid there’s more. After sharpening my networking skills, I’m told a master’s doesn’t guarantee a job in the sector, more on that later.

Plot twist: what brands, retailers and organisations really want is professional experience. Yes, learning on the job. So, whether or not you plan to study, you may be left wondering what’s needed to get a firm footing in sustainability without prior experience.

For research purposes, I called on my network and sought advice from sustainability professionals everywhere — the Head of Sustainability at a luxury fashion retailer, a circularity expert at a luxury fashion brand, and a graduate intern at a globally recognised NGO (to name a few).

What did I learn? The consensus was unanimous: online short courses, certificates, and industry networking are your way in. That and a real passion for change-making in a notoriously challenging industry.

Back to Basics

So, with university out of the equation, I continued my research on short courses — but, where to begin? Of course, it’s important to establish what you want to focus on and what skill set your dream job requires, but first: a lesson on climate change.

Climate change. Net zero. These are more than just media buzzwords. One thing you must do is get familiar with the science — a solid understanding of the basics will prove a great foundation on which to develop your knowledge.

Definitions:

Climate change is the long-term shift in the Earth's average temperatures and weather conditions.
Net zero is the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that's produced and the amount that's removed from the atmosphere.

Courses:

Without further ado, here are my top two study recommendations on the topics mentioned. If you decide to enrol on any courses, make these two the first:

Climate Change: The Science and Global Impact. SDGAcademyX. 8 weeks, 2-4 hours per week. Free/Pay for certificate.
Net Zero 101: What, Why and How. UN CC:Learn. 1.5 hours. Free.

Let’s Get Political

Next up, politics. Like it or not, when it comes to climate change and sustainability, politics is a big part of the agenda — I’m talking about governmental laws and regulations.

I ran the numbers and it’s official: the SDGs are where it’s at, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are the two essentials to get the ball rolling:

Definitions:

The Sustainable Development Goals — aka the SDGs — are a collection of 17 global objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The European Green Deal is a set of policy initiatives established by the European Commission in 2020 that aim to make the European Union (EU) climate-neutral by 2050.

Courses:

If you’d like to delve deeper, the following two courses are recommended. I found them to be extremely illuminating, and I’m sure you will, too:

Transforming Our World: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. SDGAcademyX. 1 week, 2-4 hours. Free/Pay for certificate.
Understanding the European Green Deal. GreenDeal-NET. Free.

Passion Project

One thing I was quite surprised to learn was that sustainability, even just within fashion, is a huge sector; there are so many pathways you can choose to go down. While this is exciting, I would first figure out where you most want to make an impact.

Just to give you a little idea, in corporate, sustainability is often split into a few interconnected themes — social, circular and material — which are usually underpinned by the organisation’s environmental commitments.

Social — this encompasses ethical trade and fair working conditions, ensuring equity, justice and the protection of human rights.
Circular — this encompasses alternative models and systems where products, materials and resources are reused, refurbished and recycled, minimising waste.
Material — this encompasses responsible sourcing with a focus on reducing environmental impacts.
Environmental — this encompasses reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.

Courses:

Social:

Fashion Values: Society. London College of Fashion. 4 weeks, 3 hours per week. Free/Pay for certificate.
Advanced Certificate in Fashion Human Rights Law. London School of Business & Administration. 8 weeks. £90.
Business Sustainability Management. University of Cambridge. 8 weeks, 7-12 hours per week. £2,350.

Circular:

Circular Economy: The Big Idea. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 3 weeks, 4 hours a week. £39.
Circular Economy: An Introduction. DelftX. 7 weeks, 3-6 hours per week. Free/Pay for certificate.
Circular Fashion: Design, Science and Value in a Sustainable Clothing Industry. WageningenX. 5 weeks, 8-12 hours per week. Free/Pay for certificate.

Material:

INSIDE LVMH Certificate (Operations & Supply Chain). LVMH. Availability online. Free.
Sustainable Sourcing for Fashion Online Short Course. Central Saint Martins. Availability online. £420.
Fashion and Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World. London College of Fashion x Kering. 6 weeks, 3 hours per week. Free/Pay for certificate.

Environmental:

Fashion Values: Nature. London College of Fashion. 4 weeks, 3 hours per week. Free/Pay for certificate.
Foundations of Sustainable Development. SDGAcademyX. 6 months, 3-5 hours per week. £84.
Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management. IEMA. 5 days, 8 hours per day. £675.

Talk the Talk

You’ve made it to the end — thanks for sticking with me! Now, time for the best bit: networking. So, I know messaging people you don’t know and asking to chat can be intimidating, but I’m pleased to report that sustainability professionals are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.

I’ve made reaching out to people on LinkedIn a bit of a habit over the past few years and I’ve never received so many helpful responses from a community until now. Sustainability professionals are so incredibly generous — with their time and their advice — because they care!

So, I’m finishing this week’s blog post with a call to action: update your LinkedIn profile (keep it professional, but allow your personality to shine through) and drop a few people a message asking to chat. You’ll be surprised how much you learn.