“We are over producing and over wasting at the same time. We really need to readdress this and almost have to go back to basics to understand the new vision because if you just can do a bit of this and that but the whole industry needs to change.”
Read MoreOn Saturday 25th May, Fashion Roundtable hosted Democratising Fashion Sustainability, a morning at Mortimer House. The event looked to join the dots between what we wear and how we can be truly ethical. It intended to deconstruct why fashion is a global conversation, the threads of colonialism and workshop solutions and commitments to be more empowered in democratising our choices as consumers. Attendees enjoyed an intimate Q&A session with Clare followed by a series of workshops.
Read MoreThis is what we at Fashion Roundtable will be advocating for post-Brexit: a UK fashion industry which continues to lead in the exciting space where craft, artisan and ethical FashionTech coalesce into a transparent and truly sustainable fashion industry. We have to ensure that leaving the EU does not mean deregulation. We need a future vision where the UK is not an isolated island drowning in a pool of plastic and instead showcase one where any plastic we do create is reused to make something relevant and long-lasting, be that a shoe, a sock, or even a red carpet dress.
Read MoreBrexit is the defining issue for this generation within the UK. Whether you voted Remain or Leave in the EU Referendum in 2016, for the fashion industry (which voted 96% Remain; is worth more than £29.7 billion to the UK economy; and depends upon a globally-interconnected international supply chain), it raises significant questions - from deregulation of labour markets, to trading and employment rights. Tamara Cincik, CEO and Founder of Fashion Roundtable, which launched last November to create a much-needed conversation between fashion, business, consumers and policy leaders, points out the main risk factors to consider - Deal or No Deal.
Read MoreFashion’s Dirty Secret: Stacey Dooley Investigates (BBC One) reveals the extent of damage caused by the ever-growing consumer demand for fast fashion. There have been recent claims that the fashion industry is one of the top five most-polluting industries in the world, alongside the oil industry. Investigative journalist, Stacey Dooley first set out to explore how the cotton industry has turned the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan into an arid desert. Up until 1960, the Aral Sea was filled with wildlife but the rivers sustaining this life were then diverted to provide water for cotton farms. ‘An area of water nearly the size of Ireland has disappeared in four decades,’ explained Stacey. ‘I had no idea that cotton was capable of this. It’s also a really unsustainable crop, and uses more water than any other fibre – just one pair of jeans requires 15,523 litres of water!
Read MoreHow can AI influence the fashion industry? Rafaella de Freitas explores how AI is expected to streamline supply chains, improve sales forecasting and provide a more personalised shopping experience to customers.
Read MoreFashion Roundtable took to the Sunday Papers Live stage at Citadel Festival on Sunday with a panel discussion #areyourepresented on ethnic representation in the fashion industry (currently at 9%). Karen Binns our Fashion Expert was joined by Frederica Boateng a fashion academic, Rahemur Rahman and menswear designer and celebrity stylist Karen Williams. Chaired by Tamara Cincik, the panel explored the concrete ceiling facing talent from diverse backgrounds across the fashion industry. With London now at 30% BAME residents and the rest of the UK at 13%, it is clearly a timely conversation. #areyourepresented will be at Wilderness Festival on 5th August for Sunday Papers Live with Dr Royce Mahawatte from Central Saint Martins, our Retail Expert Bev Malik, Rahemur Rahman and Isabella Silvers from Hearst Publishing.
Read MoreMary Creagh MP’s announcement on ‘fast fashion’ holds a crucial message for everyone. The #SlowSummerFashion movement highlights the need to buy less this summer.
Read MoreAnna Fitzpatrick is the Sustainability Expert at Fashion Roundtable, has created this survey: click here on Sustainability and Geopolitics, in advance of our event on the same topic on 23/05. Anna was the secretariat for for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sustainable Fashion and works at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion.
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