After UK-based Extinction Rebellion (XR) recently called for cancelling the London Fashion Week in September, campaigning group Fashion Revolution said the emphasis must not be on shutting down the fashion industry but on shifting it–far more rapidly than it already is– towards alternative, innovative models that promote creativity and craftsmanship.

The environmental movement XR announced it would stage a funeral at the event as a symbolic death to catwalks everywhere. Fashion Revolution responded that it feels XR’s way is tantamount to stopping business, while what is needed is a model that offers a meaningful form of fair and decent employment for millions.

Fashion weeks can provide a platform not just to show the new, but to challenge conventions and actively disrupt the processes and systems that are no longer acceptable in the face of environmental breakdown, the organisation said.