Monthly Podcast: Katherine Hamnett - The First Lady of Fashion
In our final episode of 2020, Fashion Roundtable's Tamara Cincik is in conversation with the iconic Katharine E. Hamnett CBE - the First Lady of fashion activism and a loyal supporter of Fashion Roundtable.
A British-born designer, Hamnett has been leading the charge for activism in fashion since 1989, and is best known for her eye-catching political T-shirts that have printed bold slogans such as 'CANCEL BREXIT', 'STOP CLIMATE CHANGE' and 'WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR BAN NOW.'
As one BBC article in 2010, Hamnett's "statement slogans became a staple of 1980s fashion, catching the imagination of a disillusioned generation." This episode is a unique opportunity to hear more about Hamnett's thoughts on policy, politics and activism in fashion. Hamnett previously studied at Central Saint Martins School of Art and began her journey of political protest in fashion once she learned of the atrocities occurring in garment factories around the globe and the devastating environmental impact of chemical use in textile production.
Since then, Hamnett has continued to use her activism to encourage greater ethics and sustainability in the sector and, at one point, even met with then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In this podcast Katherine E. Hamnett CBE and our founder and CEO Tamara Cincik chat about:
The impact of Brexit on the fashion industry; What leaving the EU means for fashion businesses;
What 'good political leadership' looks like in the UK;
Why the sector needs to make its voice heard by Government;
When Hamnett met Prime Minister Thatcher and;
Labour exploitation in the fashion industry.