Milou Moelard Nord 

Senior Designer and Sustainability Advisor at byMilou

For a while I have been searching for an education in sustainability that covers all aspects of fashion and textile production: from design to end of use. Working as a freelance Fashion Designer for commercial companies, I saw the need for knowledge in this field and I wanted to bring something extra to the table.

How have you experienced the training?

Since it is very convenient to work on the course from wherever you are, you can easily fit studying into your day. The video training makes learning fun and gets you through the material fast, so you can focus on the assignments. Contact with mentors and other students was always available when I needed it.

How important is leadership when integrating sustainability into businesses, and for transforming the industry? What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership is so important! Without an open minded and inspiring leaders the rest of the company will just be on hold. Leaders should also be able to notice and value engaged and forward driven staff and give them the chance to get the ball rolling.

What advice do you have for other companies planning to engage, educate or train their staff on sustainability topics?

Pick a few engaged and creative people and take this opportunity! It is such a valuable education and so well worth the money! A tip: Add an inspiring article or video regarding sustainability in your weekly newsletter to your staff. That way everyone will start to get engaged and support the changes that are coming.

What advice do you have for other companies now planning to get the most of the SFA sustainability fundamentals course and SFA’s services overall?

Really make sure you give the SFA students within your company the opportunity to come up with ideas, make an action plan and get the change started!

Is there anything else that stands out about your SFA training experience that was helpful and you would like to share?

Before I started the course I thought that it must be hard and expensive to get companies to shift to a more sustainable way of producing clothes. Now I see that this is not true – in fact it is mostly about creative ideas, and brands will gain so much in return. I was already interested in sustainability but now I am totally hooked! I have started to work as a Sustainability Advisor and hope to help many brands to get on the right path.