On Tuesday 10th September Fashion Roundtable as secretariat for The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Textiles and Fashion invite fashion industry leaders including the Burberry, Positive Fashion brands including Teatum Jones, Bethany Williams and Patrick McDowell, NFP organisations and educational representatives alongside Extinction Rebellion (XR) to discuss reform of London Fashion Week (LFW).
Read MoreIf you are looking to set up a workshop event for fashion industry leaders, here are the tips you need to keep attendees engaged.
Read MoreIt’s important to recognise brands who are placing diversity at the heart of their organisation. Here are 10 clothing brands leading the way…
Read MoreEvery day our news is reading increasingly like a soap opera script, but one thing remains certain: the next few weeks will see the most implausible become the highly likely. When Boris Johnson outlined his next steps on Downing Street last night, it was difficult to hear what he had to say, with chants of “Stop The Coup” ringing out from all along Whitehall.
Read MoreThis article explores the true definition of sustainability and greenwashing as well as the green aura and buzzwords surrounding the fashion industry. It investigates the commercialisation and appropriation of sustainability from the key retail market players. The culmination of these issues leads to my provision of solutions and tools on how we, as consumers, can learn to separate the friend from the foe and purchase with purpose.
Read MoreThe government, led by prime minister and arch-Brexiter Boris Johnson announced that he had been granted permission by the Queen to suspend – or prorogue – parliament for a crucial five week period before 31 October, when Britain is due to leave the European Union. The move, it has been argued by MPs leaves little time for parliament to stop a no-deal Brexit as initially planned. But what does Proroguing mean?
Read MoreAccording to the country’s space agency, the darkness was a combination of a cold front and smoke from forest fires happening in the Amazon, which have now been burning for almost three weeks. The fires – or ‘queimadas’ as they are known in the country – are a fast and cheap way of clearing land for cattle grazing and agriculture. The fires are a century-old method used by farmers and landowners, but this year has seen above average activity in the Brazilian Amazon. This year, between January and August, almost 73,000 fires have been recorded, which is almost double 2018's total of nearly 40,000 fires.
Read MoreThis weekend the ‘Fashion Pact’ was unveiled at the G7 summit. François-Henri Pinault, chair and CEO of Kering was tasked by French President, Emmanuel Macron to establish a set of objectives and aims to reduce fashion’s impact on the environment. It will bring together a collection of brands that would pledge to reduce their environmental impact over the coming years through a series of recommendations (yet to be decided upon). So far 32 companies, accounting for approximately 150 brands have signed up to the coalition.
Read MoreFollowing on from our statement on the proposed shutdown of LFW by Extinction Rebellion, Fashion Roundtable will be organising a meeting before LFW at the Houses of Parliament. We believe that communication and collaboration are the best way to build bridges; through discussing these important issues we can understand and adapt to different positions and voices.
Read MoreLike many mixed race people, being in a binary world often isn’t easy; navigating multiple heritages whilst society tried forces you to choose which box you really fit into can be confusing, frustrating and tricky. It’s something even your own parents can struggle to understand. But since last year, a new platform called Mixedracefaces has been giving a voice to mixed race people, including me and giving them a unique experience of exploring their identity with other people like them.
Read MoreLast month, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion organised a meeting to discuss visas and employment in the garment manufacturing sector. Fashion Roundtable, which provides the secretariat for the Group, also launched a survey to collect data and insights from the garment manufacturing sector, which closes on the 6th of September.
Read MoreRadio 4’s Fast Fashion: The Environmental Impact aired last week and featured a sample of accounts from some of the biggest authorities in the fight for fashion to become more sustainable: Dilys Williams FRSA, the Director of Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF), activist and designer Katherine Hamnett, Co-founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age, Livia Firth, Stella Klaxton of Nottingham Trent’s Clothing Sustainability Research Group, and BA Graduate Amber Kim.
Read MoreCaroline Lucas, Green Party Leader and MP for Brighton Pavilion, called on an all-female emergency cabinet to work for reconciliation. Lucas’ letter, called on Heidi Allen MP, Kirsty Blackman MP, Yvette Cooper MP, Justine Greening MP, Sylvia Hermon MP, Liz Saville Roberts MP, Anna Soubry MP, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Jo Swinson MP and Emily Thornberry MP to form the all-party cabinet group. The letter attributed the state of emergency not only to Brexit, but also the failure of dealing with the climate crisis.
Read More“LFW is not a showcase of mass produced hyper sale mega brands, these are small companies with marginal turnovers. All of whom buy into sustainable business practice and so will those who work closely in their ateliers. These are the very people who support XR and see themselves as a part of that message.”
Read MoreBy Jack Tindale, Policy Connect.
Mr Johnson’s handover of power was notable not just for speed but for its brutality. Theresa May’s purge of the supporters of George Osborne when she assumed the Premiership in 2016 was noted at the time, but now seems to be an act of supine mercy in contrast to the massacre that took place on the evening of 24th July.
Read MoreThe world is in dire need of a waste solution when it comes to clothing. The fashion industry moves so quickly, and it’s leaving a trail of quickly-discarded clothing in its wake. Businesses need to ensure they have a responsible waste management system in place, such as those provided by Reconomy, to ensure less waste hits the landfill.
Read MoreUndoubtedly #MeToo and Time’s Up have cast a spotlight on the myriad aspects of gender inequality in society. Notably, there’s a renewed interest in the injustices of gender inequality in the workplace. Though fashion companies are traditionally considered to have more female-centric workplaces, the industry isn’t immune from the equal pay debate. In fact, earlier this year fashion brands were called out as some of the worst offenders.
Read MoreOn 23 July, Fashion Roundtable were joined by creatives across the sector to celebrate the launch of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Creative Diversity. The new group, featuring cross-party Parliamentary Members, was founded by Ed Vaizey and colleague Alex Pleasants, in order to identify and tackle obstacles facing diversity in the creative sector.
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