Plastic Free July

With 99.75% of plastic coffee cups not being recycled, reusable cups are clearly not the solution. At the University of Winchester, they have recently replaced the 25p reduction on reusable cups with a 25p penalty if you buy coffee with their cups. The prices haven't changed, but perception has: with penalty instead of reward reducing waste by 34,000 across the campus in one year.

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Tamara Cincik
Press Release for The Power of Influence Fashion Roundtable Event at The Shop At Bluebird Covent Garden

“I am thrilled to be bringing a Fashion Roundtable event to the magical new The Shop at Bluebird in Floral Street. It’s a beautiful store, celebrating great fashion and style with a witty approach. Like many fashionistas, I worked hard to get a seat on the Front Row at catwalk shows; but what is also relevant is what we can do with that voice once we have achieved that influence. It’s one thing getting there, it’s another using it. That’s why I am so pleased to have these incredible speakers on board, all of whom have used their platforms to promote positive change. Am excited to share this event with you!”

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Gender Inequality in the Media & Fashion Roundtable’s Inclusion Rider By Lucy Siers

The European Journalism Observatory (EJO) recently analysed the gender diversity in bylines across 11 different European countries. The result echoed the gender imbalances across all creative industries, with women continually falling second behind men. This issue filters through to all creative industries, and needs addressing at the source of the problem.

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Bihor Not Dior by Lucy Siers

The authentic Romanian fashion brand, Bihor Couture, is taking a stand against cultural appropriation. They are looking to preserve the beauty and importance of their traditional clothes which are so important to their culture, and call-out fashion powerhouses like Dior for taking inspiration without giving credit.

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Brexit Preparedness Notice on Professional Qualifications

Yesterday the Commission published a new Brexit preparedness notice for those with professional qualifications. This is the latest in a serious of guidance notes preparing stakeholders for a no-deal scenario. It impacts skilled professionals who have obtained a official qualification and use this qualification when accessing jobs in the EU. Our EU expert, Eszter Kantor, comments on this development.

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Endemic Abuse of Fashion Assistants Across The Industry by Amy Odell For The Cut .

Tamara Cincik, CEO and Founder of Fashion Roundtable said: “I have worked in the fashion industry for most of my adult life. It can be amazing, creative and you can be around the more brilliant and lovely people. However reading this article, by Amy Odell for The Cut: books being thrown at assistants, interns being made to stand outside in the cold with no coat for hours, staff degraded and belittled, it’s just not and never should be acceptable. We have to join the dots and appreciate that however glam, exciting and well-paid the industry can be that doesn’t excuse in work abuse. And never should. That’s why I was happy to Chair the first ever Panel discussion for @fashionassistants and that’s why I am speaking to the film union Bectu; to work on a way to bring workers protections and support into fashion. Watch this space.”

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Kate Spade, Fashion, Mental Health and Wellbeing Op-Ed By Rebecca Weef Smith

“The truth of emotions is that they are all fleeting, the good and the bad come and go. Of course, trapped in that moment we may be unable to see that for ourselves. Generating a discussion about mental health is the most effective way to help sufferers manage their problems. We need education and support systems in place, talking openly about mental health is the best way to ensure that we know how to help ourselves, and our friends and family, when we are up against the tide of emotions that feel so overwhelming we don’t want to continue living.”

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The Threat of Continuous Duping of Chinese Clothes And Footwear Is Very Real. By Eszter Kantor.

“This information highlights the problems with the UK government`s customs options. It shows that currently the UK is struggling to maintain an effective border control with this fairly simple border arrangement that we have today. The UK border ideas include a highly technological alternative which does not exist today and an option for Northern Ireland border control to distinguish and apply different procedures for goods arriving to the UK from those that arrive and go through to the EU.  As we can see there are problems today with a high amount of fraudulent clothing and footwear entering through the UK border, these undervalued goods are not stopped and checked, meaning we don`t know if they are genuine Chinese brands that are dumped on the market below market value or counterfeits. More people and a more effective procedure is needed today on the borders to screen containers.  The threat of continuous duping of Chinese goods particularly textile and footwear is very real.”

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Gender Based Abuse In The Garment Industry Revelations. By Lottie Jackson

Jennifer Rosenbaum, US director of Global Labour Justice, said: "We must understand gender-based violence as an outcome of the global supply chain structure. H&M and Gap's fast fashion supply chain model creates unreasonable production targets and underbid contracts, resulting in women working unpaid overtime and working very fast under extreme pressure."

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