Copenhagen , Denmark ( CNN ) -- Be prepared , the next big thing facing a green makeover might just be your closet . The glitzy world of fashion and design does n't typically conjure up images of sustainability and social consciousness , but if its up to Eva Kruse , CEO of the Danish Fashion Institute and Chairman of the Nordic Fashion Association , that 's all going to change . In the last month , she has pulled off the largest sustainable fashion summit in the world , and starting this week , she is launching a global social media campaign , aiming to forever change the way we look at our clothes . Her goal is for all companies in the industry to declare sustainability a key value . `` I have worked in the fashion industry for nearly 20 years , and it is a wonderful and exciting industry , but it is also one of the largest and most polluting in the world , '' said Kruse . From the massive consumption of water and fertilizer in cotton production , to the chemical processing at plants , the pollution of local waterways and environments , safety issues for workers , fair wages , child labor and other social concerns -- issues for the fashion industry are enormous , she says . `` That is why it is so important that we address this ... and because of the size of the industry , even a small change can make a big difference , '' says Kruse . Kruse , who founded the Danish Fashion Institute as the only employee in 2005 , is credited by industry professionals and government ministers for having put Danish design and sustainable fashion on the world map . Last month , she gathered more than 1,000 people -- including Hollywood celebrities , international designers and other industry professionals -- at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit , to explore sustainable solutions . The culmination was a suggested Code of Conduct for the Fashion and Textile industry , created in conjunction with the United Nations , and to be presented alongside the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil in June . `` It aims to drill into the supply chain , '' says Soren Mandrup Petersen , Head of Partnerships and Local Networks at U.N . Global Compact , `` and if the sector responds , it will have a tremendous impact . '' `` There is a movement underway , '' says Kruse . `` It is happening , and we can help shed light on it . '' That is also the goal of her latest venture launching this week -- an online campaign called NICE , or the Nordic Initiative , Clean and Ethical . It aims to have the industry join forces around change , and to educate consumers to make conscious choices . `` The entire field is so heavily knowledge based that it makes it difficult for companies to get started . The key is to make ... knowledge accessible and to create networks , because there are solutions . '' She says new and sustainable fashions are already being made from innovative textiles such as milk fibers , corn , and bamboo . Among those leading the charge are companies like Swedish chain store H & M with their Conscious Collection , Patagonia , Danish design house Trash-Couture , and the PPR Group with brands like Gucci , Stella McCartney , Alexander McQueen and Puma . H & M 's head of sustainability , Helena Helmersson says this is the future . `` Customers are becoming more and more aware and want transparency , which makes companies improve their sustainability performance and make more sustainable products . '' And , she says , `` as a big player we can help drive demand . '' At Trash-Couture , which boasts a massive list of celebrity clients like Penelope Cruz , Rachel Weisz , Kirsten Dunst , Celine Dion and many others -- ethical fashion and the way they reuse , redesign , respin , and recycle leftover fabric from their own collection and that of other design houses is part of the design . `` As pioneers we feel we have helped set the agenda on an issue that is about much more than just fashion , '' says managing director , Nanna Lowe . `` This way , fashion suddenly gets new meaning , becoming a statement , a value , an act . '' Kruse agrees , saying it has the potential to push other industries with it , by making it look smart to consider your choices . `` If all the big brands and strong designers care -- and show and tell that they care -- then people could also begin to think differently about how they spend their money . Her goal : `` To have people join forces to help us change the world . '' And to her , that change starts in our closets . But do n't worry , she says , `` the aim is n't for all of us to start wearing brown . Sustainable fashion can be equally sexy , desirable and fantastic in every way . The aim is to create the brilliance with less impact on people and our planet . ''
Swedish fashion chief launches the Danish Fashion Institute , a social media campaign to make fashion more sustainable . Eva Kruse , CEO of the Danish Fashion Institute : Fashion industry one of the `` most polluting in the world '' Kruse suggested Code of Conduct in conjunction with U.N. to be presented at Eva Kruse in 2005 . Sustainable fashions already being made by : chain store H & M and labels like Gucci , Stella McCartney and Stella McCartney .