#TheCollective: 2020

The Collective NEW FACES.DECISION MAKERS.TRAILBLAZERS

Last year 103,000 young people approached their local authority to help dealing with homelessness or the serious risk of it.

16th October 2019, saw the launch of a national billboard campaign to raise awareness for it’s new employability fund: an initiative introduced to help homeless young people access the education and training they need to secure and sustain a job.

Until the establishment of End Youth Homelessness (EYH), there was no UK-wide initiative addressing the problem. EYH is a national movement of local youth homelessness charities that have joined forces to tackle the crisis. Together, they support more than 30,000 young people every year, helping them find housing, education and essential support.

On Wednesday 16 October, EYH is launching a national billboard campaign to raise awareness for its new Employability Fund–an initiative introduced in September to help homeless young people access the education and training they need to secure and sustain a job. The fund enables a nationwide network of specialist practitioners who provide tailored, one-to-one Education, Employment & Training (EET) support, helping them build the skills, and confidence they need to go back into education or secure their first job.

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Timberland x Raeburn

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Timberland x Raeburn

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Hanna Fielder, London

#WorkSmart 6

Hanna Fielder, London

#LiveWell 7

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CONTENTS EDITOR’S LETTER Pp. 10-11

FOREWORD

Functionality vs The Aesthetic: The Trilogy Pp. 14-23

#WorkinFashionPresents HEAD Geneve Pp.26-29 Veronica Chou: Everybody & Everyone Pp.30-33 Cameron Design House Pp.34-35 Akojo Market Pp.36-37 James M. Levelle: Race For Future Pp.38-39 Slow Fashion With Laura Ironside Pp.40-41

#W The Sustainable Luxury Report Pp.43-59

The #WorkinFashion50 New Faces, Decision Makers, Trtailblazers Pp.62-129

Events Pp.130-148

The #WorkinFashion Lookbook & Lifestyle Supplement Pp.149-183

©2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED URBAN FLOW DESIGNS LTD

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FASHION: FACERE: (Latin inf.) TO DO, TO MAKE What are you doing? What are you creating in order to improve the world around you and the society within which you live?

I am proud to say, that three years to the day after @workinfashion.me was created I can confirm, we’re still asking those two questions. Our mission is simple, we have not deviated from this narrative (which is easily done). I didn’t build @workinfashion.me to talk about clothes. Fashion was never about the clothes. Somewhere along the road it lost it’s way, but in the beginning it was about the people. The artisans, the craftsmen and women, the lives of the person wearing the garment, secured it’s place in history’s hall of fame.

But fashion was never about the clothes because the word itself, is derivative of the essence of creativity itself. So when I talk about ‘fashion’ I’m actually talking about the sum of creative output. This opens up the word and all its connotations. It makes it more accessible, but also restores it to its rightful place in the English vocabulary, not as an exercise of consumerism, but like all art, it is a performance of humanity, and an expression of freedom.

Citizens of Hope: Design > Solutions > Create > Hope This correlation between design and hope is the theme for this year’s #TheCollective edition and it also reflects my own personal philosophy regarding the current environmental and humanitarian crisis caused by rampant consumerism and corruption. My Father always taught me that every problem has a solution, and every challenge is an opportunity. An opportunity to demonstrate creativity and resilience. I believe that designers are solution providers.

While activists are declaring human extinction, I choose to celebrate humanity’s ability to adapt, evolve, and innovate. My ancestors were slaves. Transported in the belly of a slave ship from Ghana, to Jamaica. A voyage that many would not survive. When they landed, they were put to work on sugar plantations where they were abused, raped, beaten and tortured.

They endured for over 400 years, and they didn't’ merely survive: They thrived. The rich Jamaican culture everybody loves to celebrate was borne out of the most sorrowful conditions.

But why let circumstance stand in the way of self-determination? Jamaican’s have this saying: ‘We likkle but we tallawah’ which translates as ‘Although we’re a small island, our collective power and our influence is a towering force.’ It would be a disservice to them, for me to simply capitulate to the current narrative of pending Armageddon.

Make no mistake, the challenges to the survival of the human race are real, but they are not insurmountable, not by a long shot. When I first put together #TheCollective, I must confess, I did it for personal reasons, for the sake of my own mental health. I needed to know that away from the political vortex, there were individuals working to make positive changes in their own communities and respective industries. Suddenly, I discovered investors, designers, writers, publishers and social entrepreneurs were doing just that. I then thought about how powerful it would be if I could put them all together. Thus The Collective was born and the slogan: “It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a Collective to usher in a revolution” with it.

The change that we all seek will not come from those above us in the seats of power, but from those on the ground. The village has been under siege for sometime now, but its citizens have woken up. My job, is merely to introduce you to the people I’ve identified as key players in their respective fields. Welcome to my village. The #WorkinFashion50 provides you with a shortlist and profiles of the brands and individuals who are changing the way we think, eat, dress and live. #WeDress, #WeWork, #WeWin.

Yasmin Jones-Henry Editor-in-Chief 10

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ALICE EARLY 12

Functionality vs The Aesthetic The Trilogy

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By Yasmin Jones-Henry

I. What

is Fashion

?

(November 2016)

On a crisp Spring afternoon, I made the executive decision to walk from Green Park Station to Oxford Street. For anyone who knows me – walking any distance that doesn’t involve getting in and out of a taxi is an achievement in an of itself. Nonetheless, I felt a sense of adventure as I pounded the pavements in the sunshine. ‘Finally!’ I thought to myself, after a complete lack of a work life balance, and an adolescence of living with my head inside the pages of the glossy fashion magazines – now was the moment I was both mature enough and fiscally endowed to appreciate what both Old and New Bond Street had to offer me.

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As I drew closer to the parade of shops I had been salivating over since childhood, memories of shopping trips with mother began to flood my imagination. As I started to come across familiar brand names, I remembered the frustration, the fussing, ‘my feet hurt’ ‘I’m hot’… ‘How much longer?’ that would accompany these Saturday expeditions. Shopping – or rather retail therapy was never my forte. However what I did enjoy, was the excitement of walking past the enticing window displays of Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada – even the famed Russell and Bromley on the corner – would beckon me to waddle over and look at the ‘One-DayWhen-I-Grow-Up’ Big Girl Boots.

This, one could argue, was the purpose of visual display: Aesthetic and Functionality working in beautiful symbiotic harmony. With an institution such as the Royal Academy literally round the corner, Old and New Bond Street offered a rival type of exhibition to the aesthetic savvy eye. The colours, the fabrics, the composition – heck the juxtaposition of accessories in the shop windows taught me, even then, that what we consider to be art – transcends a canvas hanging on a crusty wall. For all my fidgeting at that age, I am grateful to my Mum for persevering in bringing me along to her shopping trips. In a sort of subliminal – drip feed manner she was educating me on a much broader world view. .LessonsMamaTaughtMeNo1: #YouAreWhatYouWear Don’t get it twisted, by bringing me shopping with her, Mater wasn’t trying to breed another shallow materialistic mongrel. There were/ are plenty enough in modern society as it is.

No. By bringing me with her, she was subtly instilling within me the rites of a hardworking, pioneer: To be the best – in life, it is not enough to be the best at what you do – you must look your best – at all times.

Presentation, Presentation, Presentation The significance of the statement ‘You Are What You Wear’ lies not in the value of the garment – or the notoriety of the brand, but in the acceptance that whatever items you chose to put on – are an extension – a reflection of your character, innermost thoughts, tastes and aspirations. Right or wrong, we live in a society where people still make life changing decisions based on how another person appears.

Jobs have been offered and withdrawn based upon how the candidate has chosen to present themselves at the interview. A year spent working in recruitment taught me that: to the prospective employer, a person that takes no care in their appearance is not ‘liberated’ as some might have you believe. They simply look careless. Would you want a careless person representing your hard earned merchandise/ services or brand?

By the same token, as a well educated and eloquent black woman – I know full well that I must look like a ‘well-educated-andeloquent-woman’ at all times, to avoid the odour of racial prejudice that still lingers the moment people realise – that the voice on the other end of the telephone – does in fact belong to a woman of my complexion. I owe my mother a lot, but this pearl of wisdom she gave to me at the tender age of 7 is one that I arm myself with everyday. The simple reality is… the only way to overcome such prejudice is to “Control Your Own Narrative”.

By saying ‘you are what you wear’, what that statement is actually signalling is that – clothes – fashion if you must – is an extended form of self-advertisement.

A lot of fuss is made over designer brands.

They are expensive.

The presumption amongst the unwashed and uneducated, is that to be seen in designer gear – must translate as: ‘I am successful. I am wealthy. I have taste’. #Newsflash… hang on to your receipts – because in the real world this is not the case.

Standing in Bond Street Station – waiting for a friend a few weeks ago I felt my blood boiling with rage as I watched a young woman as she stood next to me decked from head to toe in designer labels.

I would refer to such a display as ostentatious, but this was a level above… Von Dutch Cap (so 2005!) Dior belt and matching handbag (could be a fake but these days who knows). Jimmy Choo knee high patent boots… and an i-pad mini and i-phone to boot – oh and let’s not forget the trademark Chanel sunglasses.

Needless to say I was witnessing a walking disaster. Yet this young lady summed up perfectly how the ‘You Are What You Wear’ mantra has been misinterpreted by so many in today’s Insta-Aren’t-I-Perfect-World.

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My fury was not simply at her appalling dress sense. It was at the futility that now pervades fashion in the 21st Century. I see it all the time on the train on my way in to work; in Selfridges when I pop in to buy some make up or to browse the rails or worst of all… in the once revered glossy reference libraries that I admired in my childhood. You always see the same breed of parasite. Celebrating everything that glitters and has a brand name. Wearing everything that glitters and has a brand name with no notion of the legacy, artistry, enterprise and ingenuity that founded the fashion house they now claim to endorse.

This brings me right back to the opening question: What is fashion for?

My reason for establishing Work In Fashion as an initiative is based entirely upon this question. It is time to re-educate the masses on the meaning of ‘fashion’.

Taken from the latin ‘Facere’ – the word literally means “to do or to make”. The wonderful thing about the human race is our power to create. We all have it and we express our creativity in different ways.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I believe that everyone has a unique narrative. One that they control entirely with its different flavours, rhythms, textures and origins. As a curator of all things aesthetic and functional I wanted to create a platform that enabled others to share their narratives – independently of the censored – heavily edited and photoshopped storyline that is force-fed to the masses via the newsstands every month.

You don’t have to be a size zero glamazon to subscribe to the Work In Fashion ethos. Come as you are but just remember this one thing: Jobs, businesses- commerce will come and go. Make sure you are a brand that lasts forever.

Take care of your composition – and the message you are about to convey. You never know who is watching!

II. Ethics & Aesthetics April 2019

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“L’architecture est le grand livre de l’humanité, l’expression principale de l’hommé à ses divers états de dévelopment, soit comme force, soit comme intelligence.”

Victor Hugo Part One: An Introduction For those of you who were not present in the beginning, @WorkinFashion.me began with this question. My message is simple: I believe that fashion is art. All art is a form of human expression. If fashion is therefore a form of self-expression, I challenged my readers to be accountable for the message they were emitting through their own compositions.

‘Functionality vs The Aesthetic’ was my initial observation that when it comes to fashion, there is often both a correlation and a tension between the pragmatic and the beautiful. By posing the question ‘What is fashion for?’ I was able to open up the discussion away from the tired tropes.

But ‘Functionality vs the Aesthetic’ was never just about fashion, it was all about exploring the logic behind “purpose” and “form”.

Manufacturing, design, art and craftsmanship are all the by-products of the imagination.

Without humanity itself, flexing its muscles, making its presence known, we would have none of the art, literature and architecture we enjoy. So to celebrate the monuments, the products, “the aesthetic” – without pausing to consider the human cost – is a miscalculation of the value of the aesthetic in its relationship to the sanctity of human life.

But ‘Functionality vs the Aesthetic’ was never just about fashion, it was all about exploring the logic behind “purpose” and “form”.

Manufacturing, design, art and craftsmanship are all the by-products of the imagination.

Without humanity itself, flexing its muscles, making its presence known, we would have none of the art, literature and architecture we enjoy. So to celebrate the monuments, the products, “the aesthetic” – without pausing to consider the human cost – is a miscalculation of the value of the aesthetic in its relationship to the sanctity of human life.

I defer to my father’s instruction when I was a teenager to elaborate. While he educated me on the folly of fast fashion as a feckless investment, he also implored me to ‘consider the hands and the hearts of the people who made the clothes.’ That statement was effective because it immediately puts a face, a heart and an unknown name to

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the garments that were hanging in my wardrobe. Reconnecting consumption with humanity might sound like a grandiose task, but now I’ve had two years to think about it – that is precisely what I strive to do with @workinfashion.me .

When you delve into the aesthetic, self expression and personal accountability, you stray into a territory marked under ‘ethics’.

How were these garments made? Who made them? Were they paid a fair wage? Have these designs been stolen? Is this the intellectual property belonging to someone else? Ignoring the back-story behind the elements people use to construct their self image is a disturbing thought. It reminds me of 18th century England, populated with coffee shops and chocolate houses and genteel clientele sipping sweetened beverages from their china teacups, oblivious to the pain, the suffering and slavery that had produced the sugar they were all enjoying as a new found status symbol. The symmetries of indifference chills to the bone, because it demonstrates how easily and quickly, self interest (in whatever form it manifests) can usurp a basic sense of humanity.

Over the last two and a half years, I have pursued the belief that not only is fashion an art form, I strongly believe it should be treated as such. But that statement is not without its own challenges. Part of the problems we face within the fashion world (with regards to exploitation, modern slavery and corruption) is in fact part of a wider cultural attitude towards art (in whatever medium it appears). We live in a world that has always worked under the premise that it reserves the right to worship, consume and indulge in the aesthetic and creative output without ever needing to acknowledge the creator itself.

My father’s instruction for me to keep humanity in mind when thinking about fashion can also be applied to architecture, music, fine art, literature, drama. Walking around some of my favourite spots in London, I often wondered who actually built these great houses, galleries and public spaces – and no - I’m not referring to the Wren’s and the Nash’s of their generations, I mean the stone masons who carved those stucco front pillars.

[Cont]

The artisans who made those stain glass windows. The carpenters who crafted the beautiful woodwork and furniture that still adorns many of these buildings. There’s a reason we don’t know their names. And it’s the same reason why whenever a consumer asks the question #WhoMadeMyClothes – the shop assistant can only shrug. Society just doesn’t care.

As a child, Impressionism was my favourite movement, but I was shocked to learn that many of the Impressionist painters died penniless. Claude Monet was something of an anomaly for his generation, to be an artist and a wealthy entrepreneur – profiting from his own art in his lifetime. His contemporaries who’s works still tour the world in some of the most revered galleries will never know just how cherished their works are now...

Often they would have sold their spectacular pieces of art – just for food or shelter. Works that now capture world news whenever they are auctioned at Christie’s or Sotheby’s for millions £’s. It’s a perverse world we live in...

22nd April 2013 - 16th April 2019 I stayed up all night on Monday evening, to watch the news, hoping that the firemen in Paris would be able to put the fire out, saving what was left of the Notre Dame. I woke to the welcomed news that donations to rebuild the much loved heritage site were pouring in.

The Notre Dame means different things to different people. For many, it has been a constant over a tumultuous 850 years. It has witnessed everything from the 100 Years War between England and France, to the French Revolution to surviving two World Wars.

It truly would have been a tragedy to lose touch with a cultural conduit that has survived so much, and had been a muse for countless painters, photographers and film makers. I felt relief that even as the embers glowed, a sense of community and patriotism had compelled some of the wealthiest fashion conglomerates to dig deep into their pockets in donating €300 million in less than 12 hours.

Within 24 hours between the families that owned LVMH, Gucci, L’Oreal and Saint Laurent, €1 billion had been donated to the rebuild. Isn’t it brilliant how effective people can be when they all work together for a cause?

But before I could get complacent in my own desire for some sense of resolution, continuity and stability, an Instagram post from @cleanclothescampaign (an ethical fashion activist) – shook me by the shoulders as they reminded their readers that this month marks the 6th anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster.

In April 2013, early one morning, the floors within a textiles factory in Bangladesh began to collapse. Within 90 seconds, 1,134 people lost their lives. There had been ongoing protests concerning the unsafe working conditions, but the factory owners ignored them, knowing their European fashion clients wouldn’t care about worker’s safety at that end of the supply chain.

It has taken years to pull together compensation for the victims, and the local government have been slow to draft and implement regulations for safer working conditions.

Photograph originally published in The New York Times, (2013)

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This January saw over 1,000 women sitting in the roads of Dhaka bringing traffic to a standstill to protest the unsafe working conditions, the abuse, and the exploitation that is still a stain on the global textiles industry.

The juxtaposition of the destruction of two very different edifices is not entirely abstract. They are connected by the stakeholders’ response.

Francoise Pinault (LVMH) and Henry Arnault (Kering/Gucci/Saint Laurent) have built/inherited organisations that profited from an industry that created the conditions for the Rana Plaza disaster.

Where were these billionaires in April 2013? Why have their own organisations been so slow in shifting corporate culture and influencing industry practices to recognise the need for transparency and a removal of exploitation from their supply chains?

It appears my own understanding of ‘functionality vs the aesthetic’ has evolved with maturity, but also a result of watching the differences in people’s responses to disasters and world events. My sincerest hope is that out of the rubble, out of the disarray, we all find a way to rebuild and redefine the tangents that hold functionality vs the aesthetic together.

I hope that, the beauty of the aesthetic won’t simply be the form itself, but in its purpose. In the future, I hope that the aesthetic will be the product of ethical production and cherished creativity. The aesthetic won’t be acquired as a status symbol – but an accessible platform that elevates, educates and embraces the community that surrounds it.

Whether it’s fashion, architecture, fine art or music - this is my dream.

Photograph originally published in The Economist, (January 2019)

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III.

#BuildYourBrand

#CreateYourLegacy November 2019 20

On the 28th November 2016 I built a blog. It had just two articles on it. The first, and arguably one of the most important articles I’ve ever written, remains the cornerstone of why @WorkinFashion.me exists. The premise of the question “What is Fashion For?” informs everything that is published, promoted and publicized on this platform. I didn’t mean to disrupt the narrative with that introspective question, but as it happens I did – and now I have zero regrets. (66,240 Views and 1,348 comments to date !!! ) As I approach the third anniversary, I find myself here again. After three years of political turmoil. Two years of public condemnation of the fashion industry, and a year of peak corporate greenwashing in both the fashion and financial sectors, here we are: staring at the horizon asking, once more: “What is ‘Fashion’ for?”

Since I have accumulated over 12k+ new subscribers this year – it would be negligent of me to assume you’re all familiar with our ethos. Rule numero uno: Fashion isn’t actually about fashion – like if you didn’t know – it’s not actually about the clothes – it was never about the clothes: It was always about the people (the people who make them, the people who wear them). Here we base all dialogue on the original etymology of the word: Facere (Latin) meaning ‘to do or to make’. Fashion – is the discourse of all things made and manufactured. It’s the intersection where design, geopolitics, economics and self expression meet.

To borrow a quote from my father to my teenage self: “consider the hearts and the hands of the people who make your clothes”.

Fast fashion? Luxury? It’s far from frivolous. If you’ve landed on this website, you’ll be introduced to the investors, designers, entrepreneurs and thought leaders who share in this belief. There isn’t a simple solution to fixing the world’s problems, but design – designers and entrepreneurs are natural born solution providers. @WorkinFashion.me was built, to be a platform to elevate their stories and share their narratives. Knowledge is power: so the more you know about the change-makers – the more (hopefully) you’ll feel empowered that all is not lost.

The Autumn Edition of #WPresents (quarterly publication)

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Somehow, staring the beast that it is in the eye, uttering it on a public domain – in the hope of shattering the silent prison that it is, inadvertently set me free. Fashion – the exploration of craftsmanship and enterprise, was a means of an escape. It introduced me to a world of optimists, who spend every waking moment, assessing, evaluating and then delivering, alternative, positive means to everyday problems. Their energy is infectious, and I wanted to share it with you.

The Collective is my dossier of changemakers and their stories. Reading about how other people overcome their problems, celebrating their victories and sharing their solutions, has given me a new sense of purpose. I don’t have billions or even millions in capital – but I know how to write, and I know how to design a wireframe – so that’s what I’ll do.

Design>Solutions>Create>Hope

The Collective 1st Edition (November 2018)

The Collective @workinfashion.me is also a safe space where I – alongside my contributors think out loud.

The benefit of spending the last three years looking, exploring and examining the macroeconomic impact of fashion and design, is that what you’re left with is a more acute awareness of the serious global problems such as modern slavery, human trafficking and pollution. But at the same time, you’re also presented with real-time solutions. The solutions are not coming from policy makers, or the big conglomerate fat cats. The real change is happening on the ground, mere mortals – in touch with their sense of ethics, have decided to weaponise their creativity, in the fight for the preservation of civilisation and humanity. A worthy cause.

On a personal level, when I published ‘When The World is Not Enough’(2017) – it was the first time, I had come to terms with the reality that between 2012-2016 I was battling a very real war with anorexia nervosa.

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To Learn More About Citizens of Hope Click HERE

In December 2017, I wrote another confessional: ‘Citizens of Hope: The World Refashioned’. It was barely a sketch, but it is the blueprint of where I’m heading with all this.

As the daughter of artists, it’s impossible for me not to look at the world through the prism of design. Nothing hangs in orbit by chance.

If something is flawed or broken – it can be redrawn or reconfigured, or re-purposed or recycled into something new. We have the power to reorder our universe. At least that’s what my Father taught me, and I believe him. The problem is society has downgraded creativity as an extra – superfluous skill – as opposed to the bedrock of human survival.

How did we end up with a system where bankers and data farmers are at the top of the food chain, accumulating the world’s capital and resources, meanwhile the creatives who generate the GDP, the wealth, the goods, the natural capital and intellectual property are living in modern day slavery?

#BuildYourBrand #CreateYourLegacy Change isn’t coming: It’s already here. Don’t wait for your local MP. Interrogate, ask questions, be proactive in your own social circle. “Fashion activism starts everyday when you open your wardrobe” (Orsola de Castro, co-founder of Fashion Revolution). Being a citizen of humanity, being a Citizen of Hope – requires daily participation. Activism is not an extra-curricular activity – it’s a state of being. If you are not an active member of your community, why not? What will the universe give you – if you give nothing back?

Our society is in a season of famine, because the investment in our youth was withheld. That’s the long and short of it. Don’t blame the governments that WE elected, for not delivering on promises that WE have not held them to account for. Our democracy is only as good as the ‘demos’ – people within it. So the first rule of citizenship is personal accountability.

We’re all designers of our own lives, so let’s be responsible for the lifestyle and the opportunities we create.

In a nutshell this is the conversation we’re having on @workinfashion.me. I felt the need to revisit the Functionality vs The Aesthetic conundrum because socially, people are asking if it’s possible, if it’s even realistic to expect fashion to be ethical or sustainable… Well to the detractors I strongly suggest you pay attention. Fashion – is an extension of human expression. It’s a performance of humanity. Can humans be ethical? Do humans know how to live without exploiting, murdering, trafficking and stealing? – Ethics is the framework that keeps the world from spinning into chaos and oblivion, but Ethics- being ‘ethical’ is also a lifestyle choice. All we can do is keep asking the right questions. All we can do, is provoke, prompt and cajole to make the right lifestyle choices.

Thank you for following me on this journey – and sticking with me. As the @workinfashion.me community continues to grow, so too does the movement for an ethical and sustainable way of living and of doing business.

We draw the pictures, We set the tempo and We design the narrative so let’s rewrite the melody, reconfigure the composition so that Functionality and the Aesthetic are no longer in opposition, but in symbiotic harmony.

Thanks for listening.

Yasmin Jones-Henry Editor-in-Chief @Workinfashion.me

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Everlane

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HEAD GENÈVE Fashion: Freedom & Family

By Yasmin Jones-Henry

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#WorkInFashionPresents

Did you know that Geneva is a contemporary arts , fashion and design hub? I didn’t.

Coming from my other London-based life in economics and financial journalism, I’ll confess, when I first received the email invitation to attend the Geneva graduate fashion shows – I didn’t know what to expect. The public perception of this Swiss city is still very much entrenched with its banking and corporate persona. But as I left my hotel, and began to pound the pavements with my fellow journalists and tour guides, what we uncovered was a design district that was both edgy, cool and understated in its aesthetic. Imagine Shoreditch or Wapping before the hipsters and corporates moved in… Artists can’t help but make the spaces they inhabit desirable places to be. In this regard, Geneva is very similar to London.

The young people, the students and the creatives who work in the city and the energy they bring, gives Geneva a vibe that will without doubt, see me return in the very near future.

What is evident, almost immediately, is that this town knows its students are among its greatest assets, and treasures them accordingly. Located within the city centre, is HEAD: Geneva’s art and design school – home to some of the most prolific and celebrated artisans.

Creating platforms, elevating narratives and engineering a network of mentors, alumnae and sponsors were all part of HEAD’s mission to serve the next generation of creatives who through their output, will help to keep the city’s vibrant culture alive.

Speaking to Jean-Pierre Blanc, founder of the Hyères International Festival also present backstage at the show, he gave me further insight into his vision for Swiss fashion and his mission to bring greater exposure and publicity to the talent that Swiss design students have to offer.

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“For me, if I were to sum up this scene and this work, I would use two words” Jean-Pierre explained, “Freedom and family.” When I asked him to elaborate he further explained “Freedom: is celebrating creativity – and the freedom to create; Family: that’s the community we’ve built.”

His words struck me – warmed me even, as the Swiss night air grew colder, so too did the warmth of the 2000+ people who had gathered from all over the country at the 1950’s post modern campus to celebrate the young people within their community: This is how fashion should work and this is who it should serve.

Family members, friends, other students, lecturers, designers, journalists, investors and sponsors all mingled, along the front row. I didn’t spot any influencers clogging the catwalk – trying to get in a few last minute selfies before the show started (as I normally do at London Fashion Week).

Everybody took to their seats, and took in the moment. The stage had been set. >

The word POESIE (meaning poetry, the expression of the aesthetic) emblazoned above the diving board – and reconstruction of a local community hub and public bath the ‘Bains de Paquis’. These students were paying homage to their cultural heritage. Using the city’s iconic 1920’s bathing house located as the backdrop for the action that was about to unfold, brought ‘fashion’ out of the abstract and into the discourse of local socio-economic and environmental issues.

The sceneography of the catwalk for this year was designed, for the first time, by the school’s Interior Architecture department. In essence, 2019 BA graduates had their own school as their “client” which commissioned them to design the sceneography for one of its most important events of the year. What better way to showcase the calibre of diverse talent among the school’s student population, than to offer to share this fashion orientated platform with the next gen of Swiss interior architects?

This particular BA programme offered

by HEAD Genève enables the students to master every aspect of the profession while l earning to engage with contemporary issues. The MA in Interior Architecture is a

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encouraging a cross-disciplinary approach from design to visual art, from audio-visual culture to digital reality.

The Interior Architecture curriculum also encourages its students to engage with the construction of contemporary societies, the urgent issues such as environmental impact, renovating and preserving heritage and the spaces of shared economy and the construction of inclusive communities.

As we were given the tour of the design school the evening prior to the show, what struck me was the extent to which students were encouraged to develop their individual creativity while learning how to collaborate across different disciplines and departments – as a way of preventing insular thinking. It’s as if the teaching faculty wish to instil the principle of community within its alumnae, as a means of demonstrating that the purpose of design isn’t simply about the personal – individual’s creative expression, but the wider social impact their activity has on the world around them.

The set project entitled “Poésie” was designed by Paulo Jorge Diaz. The students then developed the sceneography under the direction of Bertrand Van Dorp and Leonid Slominskiy.

#WorkInFashionPresents

Back to the show…

The lights dimmed, the music started and for the next hour, we watched a narrative constructed by more than 300 silhouettes unfold down the runway.

Sustainability, diversity (race, gender, age and hair texture) and socio-political debate dominated the storylines developed by both BA and MA students. Mathilde’s I’m an Instant Star, Just Add Water and Stir; Estelle Krattinger’s Who Said Beach Clean Ups Can’t Be Stylish?; Ania Marincek’s Tears of Lava; Emma Bruschi’s Almanach and Eva Verwicht’s Folies Creatures were among my personal favourites.

Emma Bruschi’s work in particular, caught my attention. Her experimentation with non conventional materials such as straw and cultivated bacteria (of the Kombucha variety) illustrated the extent to which the next frontier within fashion and design will be the realm of regenerative materials, bio tech and innovation. Sustainability is ushering in a new era of craftsmanship.

Special guests included Made Visible x Archives who exhibited their initiative for visibility in road traffic. Victor Prieux who designed the collection is a HEAD (2017) MA graduate, which furtherreinforced Jean-Pierre’s comment about community: the students they nurture, never truly leave, they come back to support their former school.

This year’s presidents of the jury were Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, creative directors of Botter and Nina Ricci. Their candid conversation and public celebration of their shared Caribbean and European heritage, gave me so much hope for the future of design.

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To see that descendants from both Curacao and the Dominican Republic operating at the highest level, pioneering their own label Botter, while taking over the reins at a heritage Parisian fashion house Nina Ricci resonated with me on a personal level. As the descendant of both Cuban and Jamaican heritage, I very rarely – if at all, recall reading about any designers from Caribbean in the mainstream European fashion scene. Representation matters, and this design duo, leading the jury, also further reflects the extent to which the event organisers wished to bring in a narrative that was more eclectic and diverse in its cultural perspective.

Thomas Clement was awarded the Bongénie Bachelor Prize (and a cheque for €5,000). Giulia Chehab won the HEAD x La Redoute prize for her presentation, and her prize also includes the opportunity to design a capsule collection with La Redoute which goes on sale from March 2020. Meanwhile Emma Bruschi won the Mercedes-Benz Master Prize which also included a place at the next ‘Who’s Next’ or Premier Classe trade show in Paris and a cheque for €10,000.

What is fashion for? For those of you who are familiar with the our ethos, you’ll know that this question informs everything that we do on this platform. While sat on the front row, watching these designers leave their mark – listening to the applause their work attracted alongside the occasional whoops from friends in the audience, watching them embrace Emma after the award ceremony – cheering for her backstage – the community – I was reminded that this is what fashion does. Fashion is not just about the aesthetic. Its cultural significance is that it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The process of design, manufacture and performance is a collaborative exercise, that when executed properly – brings people from all walks of life together. [End] With special thanks to Jean-Pierre Greff (Director of the HEAD School of Art & Design), Sandra Mudronja (Head of Communications HEAD School of Art & Design), Yannick Aellen (Mode Suisse), Jean-Pierre Blanc (founder of the Hyères International Festival) Romain Casella (founder of MAY Concepts) and Sofia Pandolfo for introducing me to Geneva’s world of fashion, art and design.

VERONICA CHOU: Everybody & Everyone

#WeDress #WeWork #WeWin ‘Build Your Brand…Create Your Legacy’.

Before @workinfashion.me grew into the site it has become, when I built this website in November 2016, the homepage had just two articles on it. Functionality vs The Aesthetic and Abstract Impressions. It also contained that quote. It’s a quote – an imperative, and instruction my father and my mother would speak over me as a child. The premise being, it isn’t enough to be creative, it isn’t enough to be talented: as citizens of humanity, we have an obligation to at least try, to leave the world in a better state from where we found it. That, is the cornerstone, upon which this platform was built. As we’re a month away from our 3rd birthday, indulge me for a moment, while I retrace my footsteps.

May 2017, I found myself seated in Riikka Juva’s kitchen in Kensington as she explained that the leather bag I had enquired about at a mutual friend’s karaoke party earlier that month, was in fact made out of recycled pineapple leaves.

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Rememer WorkinFashionPresents: Taikka bags (May2017)? Well, my journey into the realm that is sustainable textiles, was somewhat accelerated by Riikka’s energy, enthusiasm and insistence that I educate myself on regenerative, low impact textiles.

Taikka bags, featuring Pinatex (2017)

It then followed later that year, that we interviewed Dr. Carmen Hijosa, founder of Pinatex, who further provided the inspiration for challenging the existing business models, but also for championing the importance of collaboration in innovation.

#WorkInFashionPresents

Then, in April 2018, I had the pleasure of exchanging a few words with an entrepreneur who was literally the heroine of my teenage years… Natalie Massenet. The announcement of the launch of her new venture capital fund Imaginary, prompted my interest in impact investment, the significance of female investors and the positive effect the investment world can have in accelerating change in the industry. The types of businesses Massenet has invested in includes Appear Here HQ and Reformation among the roster of Imaginary’s sustainable and ethical blueprint.

September 2018 I met Nika DiamondKrendel, who in her (then) new venture Paradise Row London, demonstrated the importance of making social enterprise a fundamental part of brand identity. Her bags are priced under £500, made in London and use non toxic vegetable based dyes, in a bid to demonstrate sustainable luxury is by definition guilt free. So we’ve got innovators, designers, investors…

These women together, were the muses for what has become The Collective. @WorkinFashion.me is where I gather up the stories of these entrepreneurs and visionaries for you to meet them.

September 2018 I met Nika DiamondKrendel, who in her (then) new venture Paradise Row London, demonstrated the importance of making social enterprise a fundamental part of brand identity. Her bags are priced under £500, made in London and use non toxic vegetable based dyes, in a bid to demonstrate sustainable luxury is by definition guilt free. So we’ve got innovators, designers, investors…

These women together, were the muses for what has become The Collective. @WorkinFashion.me is where I gather up the stories of these entrepreneurs and visionaries for you to meet them.

So what does 2019 have in store for the @WorkinFashion.me collective?

Natalie Massenet founder of Net-a-Porter and Imaginary

Nika Diamond-Krendel, founder Paradise Row London, featured in The Collective (2018)

“Most Powerful Business Women to Watch”

by Forbes magazine. Veronica has led investments in a wide-range of Chinese and #WorkinFashionPresents American businesses that include TheTot, Everybody Everyone Refinery29, Eloquii, Thousand Fell, Dirty Labs Allow me to introduce you to Veronica Chou, and Carbon Engineering. As a testament to founder and CEO of Everybody Everyone. her continued focus on improving the apparel Veronica’s past experience includes investing industry, Veronica joined the Copenhagen in and growing the Karl Lagerfeld brand into a Fashion Summit in 2017 in the role of special global lifestyle business with multiple product advisor. expansions, including hotels. As founder and Veronica Chou is not your average President of Iconix China from 2008-2015, she entrepreneur. This is not your average start successfully launched twelve brands in the up. With her new collection made out of Greater China market and opened over one recycled food waste and regenerative thousand stores. Her many business sucmaterials… naturally I had one or two cesses earned her the title of one of Asia’s questions…

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YJH: Who would you say is the target audience for Everybody Everyone and where can they purchase pieces from the collection?

VC: Women who live busy lives and want their products to do more for them so that life can be a bit easier! . It’s also for those who want items that are better for the planet. Our collection is exclusively on www.everybodyeveryone.com YJH: What were some of the challenges you faced in launching a lifestyle/fashion brand using regenerative textiles?

VC: A lot of new technology for regenerative textiles are not commercialized yet, it’s exciting that they exist, but most can’t be used yet. Also, there are certain qualities of fabrics, especially recycled naturals, that still need to be further developed.

YJH: What are your long-term plans for the brand VC: Our long-term plans are to continue to innovate in terms of materials and smart design processes, so that consumers can shop guilt-free and continue to live in our easy, efficient pieces.

Veronica tackles one of the biggest problems in fashion head on: INCLUSIVITY. Fashion fails women when it comes to diversity in size, age, body shape and net worth. If you care about the environment but can’t afford Stella or 7ForAllMankind where do you go? EverybodyEveryone has price points that vary from $48 for a t-shirt to $268 for a puffa jacket.

The name itself, speaks to address the lack of inclusivity in both design and the price points in fashion. There is a gap in the market, and Veronica has placed her brand at the very heart of it.

Eco-packaging? Yup, they’ve got that covered too.

“We prioritize sustainability in our packaging, too.

One final question…

Everything we use is recycled, recyclable or the YJH: If you could describe Everybody Everyone in 3 most sustainable option” – is the corporate guaranwords, which adjectives would you choose? tee.

Partnering with 3Degrees, a firm that scientifiVC: Eco-innovative. Inclusive. Everyday. cally quantifies reductions for greenhouse gas emissions, Everybody Everyone also boasts of the ***Veronica Chou is also included in the #WorkinFashion50 credentials of being a ‘carbon neutral brand’. With as a trailblazer. Her work as an investor, CEO and advocate additional efforts to drive down the environmental for sustainability, sets a paradigm for other entrepreneurs to impact of consumption, they also offer customers follow. *** the opportunity to donate to One Tree Planted at the checkout.

To learn more about the brand visit www.everybodyeveryone.com

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#WorkInFashionPresents CAMERON DESIGN HOUSE Ian Cameron founded Cameron Design House in 2014 and has since grown to being a globally recognised studio. After meeting his first client whilst working on a coffee stand in a London market, the company has since grown to a team of over 30 working on projects all around the world.

Ian has a shared history between the United Kingdom and Finland and has combined the influences of vibrant central London and the tranquil Nordic countryside into his sculptural pieces.

Proudly designed and made in Britain, embracing the British tradition of exploring the far reaches of possibility together with the Nordic premise of clean lines and maximising lightness, Cameron Design House prioritises both form and function to achieve beautiful, enduring designs YJH: The Kasvaa chandelier, has had rave reviews, will there be more designs/products like this made from recycled upcycled materials brought to market? If so when?

IC: The Kasvaa was our first piece directly made of 100% recycled brass for Chelsea Flower Show last June. We are always coming up with new designs at CDH and are looking to launch a new collection in May which will have a focus on sustainable luxury.

YJH: What/ How (if at all) is Cameron Design House adjusted/adapted/evolved its brand values where luxury and sustainability is concerned?

IC: Ensuring that Cameron Design House works in a sustainable environment is incredibly important to us. All of our pieces are designed and manufactured by hand to the highest quality by a team of artisans in our St John's Wood studio. We are dedicated to making pieces for our clients that can last for a lifetime.

[End] https://camerondesignhouse.com/

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#WorkInFashionPresents

Akojo Market For the longest time, African designers and artisans have watched their patterns and ideas reappear on the catwalks of New York, London, Paris and Milan, with little or no recognition. It’s virtually impossible to combat cultural appropriation, if there is a severe lack in the availability of platforms that can allow these artisans to sell to an international market. We’ve had Net-a-Porter – bringing luxury to our doorsteps for well over a decade. Far-fetch wasn’t far behind. But while these luxury e-commerce platforms cater to the predominantly mainstream market of luxury retail, what about the emerging markets? What about Africa?

Allow me to introduce you to Akojo Market. Founded by Natasha Buchler and Annie Rudnick, Akojo Market is the new e-commerce platform that is putting African, sustainable luxury lifestyle brands on the map. Whether it’s fashion, jewellery or interior design, whatever ethically sourced treasures you are after, Akojo Market is a great place to start. As a social enterprise, Natasha and Annie have created a business that is designed to financially empower the female and male artisans they collaborate with, thus upporting local communities. They curate brands that promote African culture and are committed to transparency as the foundation of their business practices. Their downloadable ‘Due Diligence Pack’ is a two page step by step guide as to the questions they ask, and the processes they undertake to ensure that the products they are selling are genuinely ethical, and genuinely sustainable.

One of the upsides to the backlash surrounding the unethical homogenous entity that is fast-fashion, is that increasingly, consumers are gravitating to the bespoke.

Produced at a smaller scale, often in communities that benefit exponentially from the revenues generated, the market for African luxury goods is on the verge of a Renaissance. Ahead of their launch next month (4th June) I decided to ask the founders a few questions…

1. What was the motivation for starting Akojo Market?

Our co-founder Natasha traveled frequently to Ghana and always returned with beautiful products and amazing stories of basket weaving women’s collectives in the Volta region, recycled glass bracelet initiatives in

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Accra and the female founders inspiring positive change within artisanal businesses. She wanted to bring these products to a UK audience and champion the makers by creating a platform and a community where brands can draw on her knowledge, particularly in supply chain compliance, to grow internationally whilst improving the transparency and sustainability of their operations. Partnering with Annie, our co-founder and Creative Director’s skills in marketing, curating and digital communications, was a natural fit!

2. There has definitely been a gap in the market for creating an ethical luxury ecommerce platform for artisans in Africa.

How has it been received?

The platform has been received extremely well by customers, potential investors and our brands. We have had many sales in the first month and interest from the industry. At present, there are many “buzz words” around ethics, transparency and sustainability in retail, and this can confuse customers.

We break this down as simply as possible, using clear criteria that determines at a high level a company’s ethos and accountability in business. Anyone can download our free guidance on vetting business partners and suppliers from our website’s APPROACH page. Most importantly, through our conversations and due diligence processes, our brands and artisans are understanding what they need to implement and achieve to be “ethical”, and that is the driver to real change – change that enables women to be financially independent, to send their children to school and to be in business in five years time with a growing workforce.

3. Your launch date is set for June 4th, what are your plans for the future?

Our core objective is to generate sales for our brands and support their needs as they grow.

With increased profits, these brands’ ability to do good in their local communities are endless. So, expanding our customer base in the UK to become a well known platform for beautifully curated, unique African inspired/ made products is our immediate goal. We will then expand to the EU, US and Rest of World, tackling two primary challenges: meeting customer demand without compromising on quality and sound work practices; and managing a seamless shipping and logistics operation, carrying this out in the least environmentally polluting way possible.

[End] www.akojomarket.com

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James Levelle: Race For Future

With the destruction of the Amazon rainforest through fire and deforestation; increasing numbers of deaths caused by illnesses related to pollution; microplastics contaminating our oceans; global warming accelerating at an alarming rate as temperatures continue to soar: it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the chaos of it all.

It’s even easier to retreat to the safety of our armchairs (or duvets) smartphones in hand – tweeting posting (avec relevant hashtags) broadcasting our thoughts on the current political-socio-economic-environmental crisis that seems to have gripped our planet in an ever tightening vice. But when the wi-fi goes down, or if for some reason (it’s happened before) Instagram goes down – what is actually being done #IRL (In Real Life?).

It’s a rhetorical question I ask myself on a daily basis when I find myself swiping, scrolling and double tapping in the search for a small daily dose of pixelated positivity.

So when I received James’ email, asking to meet me (in person) to discuss a new expedition he was planning in relation to all of the problems listed above, I was somewhat stunned.

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My attempts to squeeze any information out over the phone or via email amounted to nada, and I was instructed to meet him at a hipster cafe in Stoke Newington (‘The Good Egg’). Now for those of you who know me, as a self proclaimed hermit, you know this an indication of his sheer force of personality – and persistence in ensuring I had absolutely no excuse to cancel.

I’d seen him action once before on a television docu-series about hurricanes. Hurricane Man (for those who haven’t seen it) depicts a team of explorers and storm chasers, gathering data about some of the world’s deadliest hurricanes. Unfortunately the first and only episode I watched had me watching through my fingers alongside other viewers as James confesses (later in our conversation) that he almost died – such was the risk.

So why do it? “What’s this all about?” I asked him about five seconds after he sat down.

The expedition he explained, was inspired by his return home from his tomb raiding travels in Egypt where he discovered London was effectively on lockdown as a result of the Extinction Rebellion protests.

The sudden urgency, the sudden explosion of rhetoric around the climate crisis in the public domain, gave him inspiration for his next big project.

#WorkInFashionPresents

Always in pursuit of the next adventure, James explained that he felt this one, would need to be a collaboration.

His expedition ‘Race For Future’ will see him travel 7000+ miles from the UK to Chile as he makes his way to the UN’s Environmental Summit in December.

En route he will be collecting and filming messages from young people in towns and villages that he’ll be travelling through, in order to deliver them as a presentation to the world leaders he’ll be meeting at the UN Summit. “Race For Future is about elevating the power of influence children wield, connecting them to the political infrastructure they’re excluded from” James explains, “It’s their future.”

James’ mission is twofold. My favourite part of his story is the fact that he has created a global platform for young people to have a collective voice on the current environmental crisis. The other, is the fact he is venturing into unchartered territory.

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We know carbon emissions exacerbate the problem, but what we’re lacking is information and data on how to make travel more sustainable. During his travels, James will also be exploring how we can solve the climate chaos on a global scale, while evaluating what positive environmental impacts individuals can make at a local level.

History certainly makes space for the trailblazers who push the boundaries for the betterment of humanity. I think it was Pliny who coined the phrase ‘Fortune Favours the Brave’ – 7000 miles, fossil fuel free: I believe the odds will in James’ favour. * During the middle of this expedition, the UN announced they will be hosting the UN COP25 Summit in Madrid, following protests and civil unrest in Santiago. James and his team decided to continue with their South American expedition, collecting interviews and gathering the voices of the Chilean and Argentinean youths who now find themselves without a platform, following the change in location.

[YJH] To follow his progress, and to receive updates: Instagram:@James_m_Levelle, #RaceForFuture or visit www.RaceForFuture.com

The Collective (2019)

#WorkinFashion50

Slow Fashion with Laura Ironside 40

Laura Ironside Studio Rental FAQ How does the 7 day lease work?

Rent a garment for an event and keep it for 7 days: Choose your garment style, size and colour and select 7-day lease. Choose your delivery date & confirm purchase.

Wear, style, love your garment for 7 days!

Drop off at your nearest post office on or before the 7th day If you decide your garment isn’t right when you receive it, just notify us and send back within 24 hours for a refund.

What is the ‘24 hr Advance’ option? note that due to post operating hours this service is only available for delivery MondayFriday: Choose your garment style, size, colour and select 24hr Advance Try-on Choose your delivery date & confirm purchase. Try on in the comfort of your own bedroom! Drop off at your nearest post office within 24 hours www.lauraironside.com

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The Sustainable Luxury Report 43

by Yasmin Jones-Henry

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Executive Summary

The times are most definitely changing.

The last five years, has seen an outpouring of introspection and discourse into the production processes and the overall environmental impact of fashion and textiles.

This dialogue is being shared between analysts, economists, investors, and most importantly: designers. While positive changes are being taken, there is still so much left to be uncovered and resolved.

One of the biggest challenges yet to be confronted by the industry collectively is the material mix.

The conventional materials of polyester, cotton and viscose demand an unsustainable proportion of natural capital in their production. The recent report ‘Dirty Fashion Disrupted uncovered the true

Environmental cost of viscose—and the total lack of legislation and due diligence in the manufacturing processes of the material, leaving the raw untreated chemicals to be disposed of directly into local water supplies.

While the smaller, independent designers begin to experiment with new, biotech, and innovations in transforming food waste into biodegradable materials, the bigger, conglomerates, still continue to brag about using ‘organic cotton’ with little change or reform into the fossil fuel based, toxic and often unsustainable material mix that produces the bulk of their stock.

This report explores the pipeline in fashion, but also the chain of responsibility.

The government, the tax payer, the investor, the designer, he activist and the consumer.

Opposite page: L-R designers specialising in ethical fashion and sustainability supported by the British Fashion Council and showcase at London Fashion Week: Priya Ahluwalia, Christopher Raeburn, Saul Nash

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“Fashion is identified as one of five key industries implicated in modern day slavery.”

(Global Slavery Index, 2018) After food and shelter, clothing is next in line for the necessary essentials for human survival. Fashion wasn’t designed to be a frivolous affair.

2018 brought with it a host of hard hitting documentaries revolving around plastic waste and the use of slave labour in the fast fashion supply chains. The power of television was reaffirmed in the millions of viewers reacting in horror to the nation’s consumption of plastic goods. Nothing has been more effective in bringing home the environmental impact of plastics on the environment than footage of a sea turtle choking on a straw.

People will continue to go back and forth arguing whether fashion is the biggest polluter, whether it’s in first place on in the top five, the fact the industry, globally contributes more pollution than aircraft and sea vessels combined, is indicative of the scale of environmental damage we are dealing with.

The Environmental Audit Committee’s report that was released 19th February 2019, delivered some home truths that place the host of fast fashion retailers and manufactures who had been summoned to give evidence under the spotlight of public scrutiny.

After interrogating the decision makers for firms such as Boohoo, MisGuided, Sports Direct, ASOS, Marks and Spencers and a host of other high street brands, the EAC’s verdict has sent tremors through the industry. The opening line of the report declares that the current business model is ‘unsustainable’. In her introduction, Mary Creagh MP, Chair of the EAC, declared:

“Our biggest retailers have chased the cheap needle around the planet” (EAC,2019) By commissioning production in countries with low pay, little trade union representation and weak environmental protection—the industry had essentially built it’s foundations on sinking sand. Eventually the consumer would grow a conscience, or, sickened by the excess and gluttony, grow fatigued from the churn and burn cycle of cheap consumption.

Unfortunately for these retailers, both

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simultaneously, leaving these sleeping giants vulnerable to the abrupt changes in consumer tastes.

We all witnessed the early signals before Christmas 2018 when ASOS posted a 40% drop in share price. A hiccup? Or an early smoke signal. Later that day Boohoo and M&S also posted drop in their share prices too.

Could be pure coincidence that these were the firms also hauled before the Parliamentary Committee for their use of plastics and dodgy supply chains tainted with slave labour?

One of the biggest shocks of 2018, came from the Financial Times report on slave labour in Leicester where workers were being paid below the minimum wage, while being forced to work in unsafe conditions.

“Fast Fashion’s over production and over consumption of clothing is based on the globalisation of indifference towards manual workers” (EAC,2019) The public’s startling realisation that the sweatshop fashion model is not just occurring in countries like Bangladesh, China and Taiwan, but here in the UK, has brought with it further cries for government intervention in order to hold these firms to account.

Cries for more data, more information and further transparency for consumers has been met with a wave of stats. Here’s the highlights:

“More than $500 billion of value is lost every year due to clothing under utilisation and lack of recycling.”

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

What about Luxury?

One of the biggest lies the industry has promoted, has been the illusion that the luxury sector is exempt from the crimes committed by fast fashion retailers.

#TSLReport 2019

When it comes to incinerating excess stock, unsold items for the sake of ‘preserving brand value’ some of the worlds most respected fashion houses have led the way in this practice—thinking nothing of the environmental impact, or the social implications that they would sooner set fire to an unused item than donate it to homeless charities or to be recycled. Burberry was not the only one.

Then there’s the workforce. Last September's report from the New York Times exposed Italian fashion houses exploiting murky supply chains where factories outsourced labour to housewives, working away on Max Mara coats for 1 Euro per metre.

These coats retail for over 2,000 Euros, the mark up is immoral. The fact that these women are often in search of employment to support their families means they are vulnerable. They are also often without representation, so without any unions—they have no voice in the midst of the corporate machines.

This follows the Bloomberg report earlier in the year exposing American luxury brands outsourcing their manufacturing to Chinese contractors who manufacture on their behalf in Ethiopia. The factory Hawassa Industrial Park, was found to pay it’s predominantly female workforce less than $30 a month, while forcing them to live in squalid conditions.

It appears luxury brands are also exploiting the fast fashion business model too.

Their prices no longer guarantee quality or ethics.

There is some progress being made by some luxury houses in an attempt to redeem their public image. Kering’s appointment of a Chief Sustainability Officer Marie Claire Daveux has seen a culture shift within the brand. Their support of the Ellen MacArthur foundation and the Global Fashion agenda’s commitment to transparent supply chains is being held as a paradigm to the rest of the industry.

“The garment industry is reportedly the world’s 3rd largest manufacturing industry after automotive and tech industries.”

(EAC, 2019)

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The question remains, at what rate will the rest of the industry follow?

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, singles out the fashion industry for it’s scale in covering global productivity, agriculture and employment. In the fight to eradicate poverty, it plays a key role Steve Steve Kenzie, Executive Director, UN Global Compact, explains.

The UK Government signed up to the UN’s Sustainable Development goals in 2015.

The next question? After all the reports and the statistics have been submitted, what will the government do next?

Facts & Figures 

The UN says that by 2050 the equivalent of THREE planets could be required to provide natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles given to the growth in global population.

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According to Mckinsey, the global apparel, fashion and luxury industry outperformed all other market indexes in profitability between 2003-2013— oustripping high growth sectors like technology and telecommunications.

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According to the EAC’s report, the UK buys more clothes per person than any other country in Europe.

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Around 300,000 tonnes of textiles waster ends up in household black bins every year and is either sent to landfill or is incinerated.

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Less than 1% of materials used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing. Meanwhile retailers are burning new unsold stock merely to preserve their brand (Burberry received backlash in the media for engaging in this practice in August 2018)

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By 2030 global apparel consumption is projected to rise by 63% from 62 million tons today to 102 million tons— equivalent to 500 billion additional tshirts. (EAC, 2019)

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In September 2015, the UK signed up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals including a commitment to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

EAC Recommendations 

Moving from conventional to organic cotton and from virgin polyester to recycled P.E.T

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The Government should investigate whether its proposed TAX on virgin plastics, which comes into force in 2022 should be applied to textiles products that contain less than 50% recycled P.E.T to stimulate the market for recycled fabrics.

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Economic incentives for retailers to do the right thing. Taxation reforms to reward fashion companies that design products with lower environmental impacts and penalise those who do not.

What is the ‘Circular Economy’? “ *Design out waste. *Keep products and materials in use. *Regenerate natural Systems.”

In a circular economy, economic activity builds and rebuilds overall system health. The concept recognises the importance of the economy needing to work effectively at all scales – for large and small businesses, for organisations and individuals, globally and locally.

Transitioning to a circular economy does not only amount to adjustments aimed at reducing the negative impacts of the linear economy. Rather, it represents a systemic shift that builds long-term resilience, generates business and economic opportunities, and provides environmental

and societal benefits.

The circular economy model synthesises several major schools of thought. They include the functional service economy (performance economy) of Walter Stahel; the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy of William McDonough and Michael Braungart; biomimicry as articulated by Janine Benyus; the industrial ecology of Reid Lifset and Thomas Graedel; natural capitalism by Amory and Hunter Lovins and Paul Hawken; and the blue economy systems approach described by Gunter Pauli.

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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The Sustainable Luxury Report II “ *Design out waste. *Keep products and materials in use. *Regenerate natural Systems. ” Ellen MacArthur Foundation

In 2017 the global fashion industry was estimated to be worth $2.4 trillion (McKinsey, 2017).

In the UK, according to Walpole there has been a 49% growth in the UK’s luxury sector over the last four years. These numbers are huge. Make no mistake. But with size, power and influence, comes responsibility.

In the UK, there is estimated to be up to £30bn worth of unworn clothing hanging in our wardrobes. The UK purchases more new clothes than any of its European neighbours.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the textiles industry recycles less than 1% of its textiles used, with over 70% heading straight to landfill.

In the midst of the Environmental Audit Committee’s justifiably scathing review of the UK’s fashion and textiles industry, we are suffering from an endemic (and global) case of overproduction and mass consumption. The call for ‘slow fashion’ is a growing one as both business leaders and designers collectively re-evaluate the very DNA of their business models to position themselves as part of the solution.

The explosion of the ‘Second Economy’ in luxury retail is evidence of this. The shift from ownership towards rentals in luxury fashion is driving a new chapter in retail where consumers don’t ‘consume’ at all, they merely

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lease, curate and circulate pieces of the aesthetic. This heightened sense of fluidity is driving the e-commerce on platforms such as Vestaire Collective, Second Life (Farfetch) and Depop. According to a recent Financial Times report, estimated that the designer resale market is worth $24 billion and is expected to mature to $54 billion by 2023 based on GlobalData’s evaluation of the US market.

According to The Real Real’s recent ‘Resale Report’, drawing on a data pool from the millions of sales transactions on their platforms, their findings reveals the real and tangible shifts in consumer tastes within the US luxury market as a result of increased consumer awareness about sustainability.

78% said that an awareness of sustainability had changed the way they shopped.

Meanwhile 32% stated that their purchases of second hand designer classics were ‘investment pieces’ and that these purchases were ‘substitutes for buying fast fashion trends’.

Their data also revealed that of all the brands, Gucci and Louis Vuitton topped the brands searches. In terms of PR, it’s been well publicised that Gucci (owned by the Kering group) has been moving away from the use of furs, exotic skins and investing

#TSLReport 2019

heavily in more transparent and sustainable methods of production.

Both the millennials and the GenZ audiences (partly due to being raised in economic uncertainty and being laden with immediate student debt) possess less interest in ‘ownership’ as opposed to their parents’ generation. The acquisition of material assets are increasingly viewed less as a validation of success, but weighed upon the merit of the ‘experience’ itself.

Their future and their present is in the pursuit of mindfulness as opposed to the mindless consumption – that had driven the retail boom in luxury and fashion over the last thirty years.

A recent report by Jing Daily into what Millennials in China’s luxury market were gravitating to, cited brands incorporating ‘wellness’ into the corporate narrative, as the preferable option for the next generation of HNWI in China. This is echoed in Europe too. In the UK, the wellness industry is now estimated to be worth 26billion Euros according to the Wellness Institute (2017). If this is the generation dubbed as ‘Generation Rent’ – through their transactions they are providing data that reflects a willingness to invest in products and services that enhance their experiences.

Reverting back to the growing trend/ demand/attraction to ‘mindfulness’ – it provides a new challenge to the luxury industry to evolve and adapt to this new approach to consumption. In the face of growing competition and in a crowded market – morality, ethics – will be viewed as a ‘value added’ asset to brands wishing to attract new business.

The materials we come into contact with are being re-evaluated on a molecular level. Consumers now care about the socioeconomic and environmental impact of the materials they consume. With the devastation of the Amazon rainforest through fire and deforestation, with the discovery of micro plastics in the mainstream water supplies , as well as the melting ice caps – driven by rising temperatures accelerated by

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greenhouses derivative of fossil fuel driven pollution: the luxury industry will have to reconcile itself to the new expectation that in order for something to be ‘luxurious’ and in order for it to ‘feel good’ it must by default be cruelty and guilt free.

In both Greenpeace’s (2017) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s textiles reports (2017) they single out the lack of investment in recycling infrastructure as the biggest barrier towards the manufacturing industry achieving genuine circularity and sustainability. Please note, in the realm of luxury, textiles also covers upholstery be it in the automotive sector or in interior design.

Speaking to Cyndi Rhoades founder of Worn Again Technology, she is eager to reframe the conversation about waste in the textiles industry as new opportunities for creativity, innovation and investment. When discussing the fashion industry’s over reliance on polymer (fossil fuel based) textiles, Cyndi is eager to rephrase ‘plastic waste’ as “captured oil”.

This, she explains, is where the global manufacturing sectors have the opportunity to redeem themselves. Instead of the old linear and expensive models of take-make-waste, by adapting the principles of the circular economy, brands who are able to take back, reuse, and remake their garments by recycling the materials at a molecular level actually close a giant loophole – both in production and in future profits – if the expensive process of extracting natural finite resources are supplemented and eventually usurped by recycling plants – built to scale.

But our meeting was scheduled the week of the UK government’s announcement that they would not be implementing any of the recommendations proposed in the Environmental Audit Committee’s Fixing Fashion report. One of the recommendations suggested the investment in textiles recycling plants— delivered by a joint collaboration between the government through incentives - and the private sector through private investment. Naturally, Worn Again, could have provided assistance in building this infrastructure.

[Cont]

#TSLReport 2019

But Cyndi, dissollusioned by rhetoric around Brexit, and the government’s slowness to respond to the environmental crisis, has now decided to open her first textiles recycling plant in Europe.

To refresh you memory—here are some of the other recommendations that appeared in the Fixing fashion report that the Government also chose to reject: EAC Recommendations 

Moving from conventional to organic cotton and from virgin polyester to recycled P.E.T



The Government should investigate whether its proposed TAX on virgin plastics, which comes into force in 2022 should be applied to textiles products that contain less than 50% recycled P.E.T to stimulate the market for recycled fabrics.



Economic incentives for retailers to do the right thing. Taxation reforms to reward fashion companies that design products with lower environmental impacts and penalise those who do not.

“ Government intervention is 'necessary’.

Innovative businesses and designers in the UK face competition from businesses who are focused on reducing costs and maximising profits regardless of the environmental social costs.

“

(EAC, 2019)

Tom Punch (Global President & Chief # Creative Officer, Spring Studios), offered us a succinct synopsis as to where we are right now with both the fashion and the luxury sectors. This new era of heightened consumer awareness brings with it greater scrutiny, louder calls for corporate responsibility and a paradigm shift in the idea of ‘things’. Material possessions themselves are being re-evaluated in context to their philosophical, socio-economic and moral value in our lives.

This sense of introspection was the main objective on the agenda at Spring Studio’s Luxury Summit in June earlier this year. With decision makers present from the likes of Harrods, Bentley Aston Martin, Walpole, Richmont, Swarovski, DeBeers and the UN – the all day event was the closest thing the luxury industry has had to an informal sit in, whereby senior figures felt, measured and evaluated the full – global scale of this new movement in favour of sustainability.

In the war against greenwashing and ill-thought out PR – it’s imperative that I stress the day began with a session on mindfulness. Before the French Chambers of Commerce were permitted to open the proceedings, everyone present was asked to close their eyes and focus on their breathing. Feet on the floor, shoulders back – centring thoughts on the heart – it’s heartbeat and it’s rhythm: the ever so busy attendees were forced to open themselves up to ‘the experience’ of mindfulness. After all what is ‘luxury’ if not an experience?

“ The consumer has the power to fire every single one of you: From the CEO to the staff on the shop floor

” Megan Higgins, PwC Luxury Analytics Specialist,

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“While the luxury segment only represents a fraction of the marketplace, there is still a disproportionate onus on the sector to deliver sustainable products and carbon neutral footprints.

In a world where every consumption choice is being increasingly scrutinized, nice-to-have products and experiences (versus need-to-have) must lead by example in their approach to sustainability; from the perspective of both product and communication.”

– Tom Punch, Global President & Chief Creative Officer, Spring Studios

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#TSLReport 2019

The first hurdle the industry must overcome is the failure to fully appreciate the reality that the millennials are now the generation moving into the space of ‘high net worth individuals’ – the demographic heritage brands need to pivot their attention towards, if they are to survive and thrive in this new era. Sustainability is not just about carbon emissions, its sustaining a business, one’s very existence. The industry has been woefully slow to pitch to a younger generation both out of a reluctance and an ambivalence towards a demographic they have taken great pains to avoid.

The consumer have the power to fire every CEO in this room, if your brand does not reflect their values’, the luxury markets expert for PwC announced as she fired up her powerpoint presentation.

When notifying the c-suite seated in the audience of Spring Studio’s Luxury Summit, Ms. Higgins presented a list of the most predominantly used search terms. Words such as ‘Conscious’, ‘cruelty free’, ‘fur-free’, ‘recycled’, ‘green energy suppliers’ and ‘ethical’ appeared on screen. The effect was one of overwhelming evidence, that if these leading luxury brands did not incorporate these values into their own aesthetic, the sustainability of their corporations (let alone the environment) would be at risk.

The luxury and heritage brands in the room continuing to sell fur, diamonds, fossil fuel vehicles, unethically sourced/produced products in the pursuit of an ageing audience of Baby Boomers heading into retirement – will soon find themselves totally and utterly out of step with the current and next generation of high net worth earners.

For those who are unaware – the term millennial refers to anyone born between 1981-1994. This spans across those approaching their 40’s to those in their mid 20’s.

Both homeowners, first time buyers, and the aspirational – those just beginning the climb of their career ladders.

Both the Millennials and the Gen Z audiences (partly due to being raised in economic uncertainty and being laden with immediate student debt) possess less interest in ‘ownership’ as opposed to their parents’ generation.

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The acquisition of material assets are increasingly viewed less as a validation of success, but weighed upon the merit of the ‘experience’ itself. Their future and their present is in the pursuit of mindfulness as opposed to the mindless consumption – that had driven the retail boom in luxury and fashion over the last thirty years.

“The 20 warmest years on record have been over the last 22 years, with 2015-2018 taking up the top four”. In translation, the news stories and online footage of melting ice caps and starving polar bears is the fodder that Millennials and Gen Z consumers grew up with. There is a much clearer understanding and widely acknowledged correlation between culture, consumption and climate change. This, naturally is beginning to influence how the younger generation looks at and approaches luxury.

Not ignoring the economics, in the UK at least, with the likelihood of homeownership seeming ever further away, and substantial data to support the hypothesis that overall this generation are in fact fiscally worse off than their parents, it’s a tall order to ask a generation with less disposable income and more student debt to invest in a brand that will actually accelerate the depletion of world resources and thereby inadvertently reduce their quality of life.

We’ve all seen the figures where fashion is listed as one of the most polluting industries - more than aviation and shipping combined. Meanwhile less than 1% of materials used to produce clothing are recycled. The UN says that by 2050 the equivalent of THREE planets could be required to provide natural resources needed to sustain current lifestyles given to the growth in global population.

A recent report by Jing Daily into what Millennials in China’s luxury market were gravitating to, cited brands incorporating ‘wellness’ into the corporate narrative, as the preferable option for the next generation of HNWI in China. This is echoed in Europe too. [cont]

Images of Francois-Henri Pinault (CEO of Kering) leading the discussions amongst this group of global decision makers went viral on Saturday afternoon as photographs of the gathering were circulated and reposted across social media.

It’s difficult to ignore the correlation between deforestation to sustain cattle farming for the agricultural and leather goods industry which is tied to the luxury goods sector.

While such a political and clearly urgent gathering and consensus is necessary and long overdue, this joint commitment in achieving practical objectives in the areas of climate change, biodiversity and the oceans – is not, technically speaking a legal document.

It’s a promise. Another promise, in addition to existing pacts and pledges to the UN’s 17 G7 Fashion Pact Sustainable Development Goals that were In response to these seismic shifts both in the launched in 2015. environmental devastation that is ongoing, Robert Skinner, (Executive Director of but also in context to an increasingly vocal the UN Office for Partnerships) was also precritique of the fashion/luxury industry’s slowsent at the Spring Studios Luxury Summit. He ness to respond to the data on their existence seemed almost weary, as he repeated the as one of the world’s biggest polluters – has same statistics over again, about the Earth’s led to the G7 Fashion Pact. temperature, their targets for 2030 and the As the UK Government pledged realisation that as fashion was one of the big£10million towards assisting the efforts in regest polluters, the UN could not deliver their solving the current crisis in Brazil following the goals on time, without the industry’s accelerdevastation of their forest fires, 32 global ated participation. In other words, this is now fashion and textiles companies gathered to the chapter of ‘Facta Non Verba’ for the fashsign the ‘Fashion Pact’. ion/luxury industry: Deeds Not Words.

In the UK, the wellness industry is now estimated to be worth 26billion Euros according to the Wellness Institute (2017). If this is the generation dubbed as ‘Generation Rent’ – through their transactions they are providing data that reflects a willingness to invest in products and services that enhance their experiences.

Reverting back to the growing trend/ demand/attraction to ‘mindfulness’ – it provides a new challenge to the luxury industry to evolve and adapt to this new approach to consumption. In the face of growing competition and in a crowded market – morality, ethics – will be viewed as a ‘value added’ asset to brands wishing to attract new business.

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“

Marie-Claire Daveu Image Courtesy of Kering Group

While the collective has been slow to act, Kering Group under the guidance of their Chief Sustainability Officer Marie-Claire Daveu, have moved on from their groundbreaking delivery of the industry’s first Environmental Profit & Loss report of 2011.

They have now evolved a streamlined investment portfolio – enabling them to collaborate with the innovating start ups developing the low environmental impact materials and tech required to assist them in their drive towards complete sustainability and transparency. “The Circular Economy” Marie tells me (in my previous interview for the Financial Times), “It’s our main priority.

It’s the Holy Grail.”

While Kering has been able to bask in the light of having been ahead of the curve in revaluating their business models to better reflect a corporate ethos that places ethical production and sustainable business practices as its cornerstones, they are not alone in this field of innovation within the fashion/luxury market.

They have now evolved a streamlined investment portfolio – enabling them to collaborate with the innovating start ups developing the low environmental impact materials and tech required to assist them in their drive towards complete sustainability and transparency.

“The Circular Economy” Marie tells me (in my previous interview for the Financial Times), “It’s our main priority. It’s the Holy Grail.”While Kering has been able to bask in the light of having been ahead of the curve in revaluating their business models to better reflect a corporate ethos that places ethical production and sustainable business practices as its cornerstones, they are not alone in this field of innovation within the fashion/luxury market.

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Sustainability has grown beyond a level of mere awareness , becoming a genuine strategic factor for the development of brands.

Megan Higgins, PWC

After being blasted in the media for burning excess stock last summer, Burberry announced a calendar year later, the launch of their new capsule collection featuring Econyl: regenerated nylon.

Speaking to the Fashion Network, Pam Batty, Burberry’s VP of Corporate Responsibility, explained that the collection featuring upcycled fishing nets and industrial nylon waste was “just one example of the 50 disruptions the company has announced that it is progressively auctioning throughout its supply chain.” Their recent announcement of their ambitions to be completely carbon neutral by 2022 – is both ambitious but also a reflection of their new awareness of the drastic changes in consumer tastes and expectations in CSR from the brands they spend money with.

[Cont]

“This collection is just one of the things Burberry is actively disrupting and improving every style of how we create our products because we know our industry can play a big role in building a more sustainable future through science and innovation.�

Pam Batty (VP, Corporate Responsibility)

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Activism & Accountability As London Fashion Week approaches, so to does the debate swirling (internationally) around the necessity/relevance/ethics of a bi-annual showcase that essentially was set up to advertise new collections for consumers to by – at the precise moment for calls to slow fashion all the way down – from both demand and production.

Extinction Rebellion have been quite clear that they wish to use their proposed protests outside the British Fashion Council’s main events space in September, as a platform to challenge the wider UK textiles industry to acknowledge, address and reform their practices in light of the environmental impact of their very existence.

While this has sparked heated debate on both sides of the fence, in the spirit of solutions and innovation, many have also noted that this particular stunt may prove to be counterproductive – harmful even to London’s position as the undisputed influencer and driver of the sustainability movement in global textiles and luxury fashion.

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With innovative designers such as Christopher Raeburn and Priya Ahluwalia influencing the industry’s perception of upcycled textiles – bringing circularity into full view, or Bethany Williams incorporating biotech into her designs and even in the material used to manufacture her buttons and hangers (made from a lactose derivative that operates as a biodegradable substitute to plastic), the BFC has long been a consistent champion, platform and incubator for the designers who have sustainability at the very heart of their design philosophy.

If ‘Waste is a design flaw’ (Ellen MacArthur 2019) then, to target the platform elevating designers as solution providers to the fashion/luxury sector’s chronic widespread issues is again, counterproductive.

In the place of a boycott, other voices have called for reform.

Rather than abolish the bi-annual showcase – which is a vital platform for the pipeline of emerging designers in an industry that employs over 890,000 people in the UK: perhaps it would be wiser to evolveadapt the narrative the BFC/LFW serves –

#TSLReport 2019

making the focus on innovation and design – as opposed to merely producing for another season – which is still a strain on resources, in the midst of a global crisis. This current tension between the Extinction Rebellion faction and those in support of the British Fashion Council, has produced an insightful case study of when and where activism and accountability are needed in equal measure.

The fashion industry, as part of the wider design industry is the UK’s fastest growing industry – growing three times faster than banking or tech. It’s also one of the UK’s biggest employers. So any calls to effectively pull the plug entirely on an infrastructure (in the wake of Brexit uncertainty) that has helped to keep the wheels of the economy turning and stable – would be reckless.

As the global economy races towards AI and automation, where would these skilled labourers go in a shrinking global manufacturing sector? If in the wake of austerity, Universal Credits and the welfare state as a concept is now under immense strain – how would the economy cope with even more people out of work as a result of complete termination in production?

The simple reality is, even in the wake of the Financial Times’ expose into slave labour in brands such as Boohoo and New Look in the UK’s supply chains, outside of fast fashion, when it comes to luxury fashion, the UK is a world leader in transparency and ethics.

Katherine Hamnett, Anita Roddick, Vivienne Westwood are just a handful of trailblazing female entrepreneurs who were using their own platforms within the industry to call for more sustainable and ethical practices more than 30 years before the rest of the world caught on.

Stella McCartney’s recent partnership with the French conglomerate LVMH is further evidence of international fashion houses appreciating the value of British designers in their ability to innovate and evolve in a way that delivers sustainable and ethical practices not as an afterthought – but as the very basis of their brand philosophy.

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Only 1 in 8 Bangladesh garment factories passed international safety inspection: that’s 200 out of 1,600 factories. According to news reported by the Fashion Network, 400 have now subsequently barred from taking international orders – the conditions were so dire, as a result of their failure to meet the requirements outlined in the international accord on worker safety.

Considering it is predominantly high street fast fashion brands that provide the bulk of this demand for textiles manufacturing in this region, surely it makes more sense for Extinction Rebellion activists to focus their energy in this sector, where leading brands such as Primark, Boohoo and MissGuided are still, unapologetically driving this rapid over production and mass consumption of cheap, unethical and often toxic textiles manufacturing.

In the wake of Fashion Revolution Week earlier this year (April), the irrepressible rise in consumer awareness following the campaign ‘Who Made My Clothes’ has helped to accelerate this paradigm shift towards an era of personal, social and economic responsibility.

Brands who maintain a laissez-faire attitude towards transparency and poor communication of brand values will not survive in what is shaping up to be a new meritocracy where craftsmanship is the primary source of credibility.

The Age of the Artisan has returned.

[End]

Paradise Row www.paradiserowlondon.com/

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#PERSPECTIVE

Did you know the UK’s design industry is 88% white and male? Did you know that diversity in design is on the decline?

Design Can, the new campaign and online tool calling for the design industry to be representative of the world it serves, is ready to engage with the world today.

Visit design-can.com for further details.

There you’ll find their manifesto, practical ways to help in a section called You Can and a resources section stacked with articles, reports and a growing archive of talented creatives.Follow on Instagram at @_designcan_ and using the hashtag #DesignCan. Photography: Holly Whittaker (on Instagram @_hollyphoto)courtesty of Zetteler PR

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#Design

#TheCollective It takes a village to raise a child.

It takes a collective to usher in a revolution. The #WorkinFashion50 celebrates the 50 individuals we believe are working to improve their respective industries.

*NewFaces *DecisionMakers *Trailblazers

#Fashion #Design #Lifestyle #Publishing #Journalism #Art

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#TheCollective

#WorkinFashion50

NEW FACES They might have been around for a minute, but if you didn’t know... you do now!

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Rushemy Botter & Lisi Herrbrugh Creative Directors of Botter & Nina Ricci

This year’s presidents of the jury at HEAD Geneve, Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, creative directors of Botter and Nina Ricci. For those of us lucky enough to arrive a day early, we had the pleasure of listening to Rushemy and Lisi’s talk about their journey into the world of fashion and design. Their candid conversation and public celebration of their shared Caribbean and European heritage (Curacao and the Dominican Republic respectively), gave me so much hope for the future of design.

To see that descendants from both Curacao and the Dominican Republic operating at the highest level, pioneering their own label Botter, while taking over the reins at a

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heritage Parisian fashion house Nina Ricci resonates with many on a personal level.

Representation matters, and this design duo, leading the jury, also further reflects the extent to which the event organisers wished to bring in a narrative that was more eclectic and diverse in its cultural perspective.

“We are very honoured to be a part of this fantastic project,” Botter and Herrebrugh said in a press release. “We feel very inspired by the fresh and subtle codes that make Nina Ricci such a beautiful ode to femininity. We aim to create a new spirit, a spirit of our times: effortless, sophisticated and strong.”

The AW19 Collection (opposite page) shot by Mario Sorentti available via www.ninaricci.com

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50

Priya Ahluwalia Founder & Creative Director of Ahluwalia Studio

YJH: In terms of the motives behind using repurposed textiles. What was the vision for that?

PA: It was a long process.

Clothes from the west travels so far to developing countries. People wear it and they buy it from markets and things like that. I found that so interesting. I was really shocked by it.

Beyond it being an ethically big thing that there is so much waste in the world, I think it’s really interesting to take something that already exists and reformat it into something new. I think in terms of design I really enjoy that process. And I’m really interested in graphics so...

YJH: The business model, how does that work? Is it something that you do to order, how do you bring your products to market?

PA: I’m working on a small ready to wear business at the moment. Each garment that is patch worked is slightly different to each other, it will be the same shape and everything. It depends on what I can get my hands on. It’s a laborious task but it’s worth it. My clients will get something slightly different from each other.

YJH: obviously your model is not homogenous.

In terms of your production process would you say you’re sustainable because you’re not bound to a particular type of fabric?

PA: The possibilities are endless. Because say if I wanted to do patchwork camouflage trousers, I could produce loads of patchwork camouflage. What it does limit is the speed I can get things at or in terms of sourcing it makes it a long process. – So it’s lucky I enjoy it!

[End] Priya’s collection is available via Brown’s Fashion

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Jessica Alderson

Global Research Associate Director at Workthere

Jessica leads the global research initiative for Workthere, which is a broker for the flexible office industry. Before joining Workthere, Jessica worked as an equity research analyst at an investment bank for five years. She first covered oil services companies in London, before moving to Sydney to focus on real estate.

Jessica now writes reports about the flexible office market.

This encompasses a wide range of topics, from producing market updates using Workthere's proprietary data to writing about what the ideal flexible office looks like.

Workplace wellbeing is a topic that Jessica feels particularly strongly about, which prompted her to create the first ever wellbeing awards for the flexible office industry in order to highlight the companies that are doing most around this area. www.workthere.com

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50

Hanna Fielder Founder & Creative Director of Hanna Fielder, London

Hanna F. Fiedler, founder and creative director of HANNA FIEDLER, launched the brand in December 2018 with the aim to create timeless designs for strong and inspirational women with environmentally friendly and ethical practices at their core.

Originally from Germany, Hanna grew up in the Bavarian countryside. She trained as a traditional bespoke tailor at the Berlin Opera Foundation before moving to London to study design and pattern cutting. The appreciation for craftsmanship and quality nurtured during her tailoring years has a great impact on her approach to design.

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Before starting her namesake label, Hanna worked with Mary Katrantzou, Gabriela Hearst, and McQ Alexander McQueen.

Founded in 2018, HANNA FIEDLER is a London-based womenswear brand born from the desire of equipping women with a wardrobe of effortless and timeless pieces in which they feel free, powerful, and comfortable. Working with a small-scale network of manufacturers across the UK, traditional tailoring methods and a minimalist aesthetic merge in HANNA FIEDLER to create highquality garments whilst supporting local British craftsmanship. https://www.hannafiedler.com/about

#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 M.J Contreras Communications Specialist, London

Maria Jose Contreras is a London-based communications and content strategist and researcher. Originally from Madrid, she trained in performing arts and researched the relationship between theatre and human rights before moving to London to pursue a master’s degree at the London College of Communication, where she explored the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry.

Ever since moving to London, she’s collaborated and led the communications strategy of emerging sustainable brands and projects leading the conversation around sustainability, such as HANNA FIEDLER, What’s Your Legacy (both United Kingdom), Zerrin.com (Singapore), and has been invited to present her research at international conferences such as GreenUp (Dominican Republic).

Instagram: @m.jcontreras

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Natasha Fish

Senior PR & Marketing Manager at Trends Intelligence Service STYLUS

Natasha is a passionate PR and marketing specialist, with a keen eye for new brand building opportunities.

At Stylus, Natasha has led and implemented business-wide communication strategies encompassing PR, social media, events and partnerships, building brand awareness in Europe, the Americas and Asia. From adding 26 new partnerships events to the Stylus portfolio, to managing activations at sketch London, this activity has led to the creation of new commercial opportunities.

She has led strategic media projects with Facebook IQ, Amazon and Graham & Brown, alongside securing coverage for Stylus’ trends experts in BBC News, Channel 4, HuffPost, Forbes, Business of Fashion, I-D, South China Morning Post and Vogue titles globally.

Natasha has a wealth of insider knowledge covering retail, marketing, fashion, beauty and product design, gained from being immersed within Stylus’ pool of trend experts. This insight gives Natasha a unique perspective on existing and future opportunities and challenges facing businesses within these industries. Having seen how tech startups are disrupting and driving positive change within fashion, Natasha has established partnerships with the likes of Save My Wardrobe, Vue.ai and the Fashion District in East London as part of demonstrating Stylus’ continued support and celebration of changemakers.

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50

Vania Leles Creative Director & Founder Vanleles Diamonds

VANLELES is the first female founded, fine jewellery brand with a deeply rooted African heritage. Although more than 75% of all precious stones used in fine jewellery are mined in Africa, there is not a single African fine jewellery brand among the top ten fine jewellery brands, let alone one founded by a female African entrepreneur. “I am on a mission to make VANLELES a top ten fine jewellery brand (the brand is already listed side by side with top ten brands in magazines), and also to make it the brand of choice for successful women worldwide and women who value authenticity and believe in ethical sourcing and supporting African talents and AfricanAmerican culture. I am also very active in charity work and giving back. Last year VANLELES was one of the main sponsors for Women to Women.

Currently we are selling only online via 1st Dibs (with our main market being in the USA) and by appointment in our showroom (76 Brook Street) We do the shows in Bahrain and Doha and frequently we do private shows in the US ( NY and LA), Paris, Dubai, in 2020 we are aiming to do in Riyadh,, Jeddah, Luanda and Lagos.�

By Appointment only www.vanleles.com

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Charlotte Carroll Actress, Producer

Charlotte Carroll is a trailblazing English born actor and producer.

Founder of the multi award-winning 33C productions, her passion for story telling flows from on-screen to off-screen. Her theatre acting debut about a young woman battling schizophrenia garnered a four star review in the London Evening Standard for delivering a "powerful and poignant performance, a true modern day Ophelia" and was praised for shinning a compassionate light on the stigmas around a highly sensitive issue.

Likewise, her film work pushes boundaries and is inspired by the great talents of luminaries such as Krzysztof Kieślowski and Charlie Chaplin.

Next up in her acting path, she would like to work with fellow groundbreakers; in particular with Taika Waititi and Ava Duvernay.

When she is not on stage or screen Charlotte is passionate about raising awareness for causes close to her heart; currently sitting on the committees for both Unicef and Prince Charles' Elephant Family .

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Mallika Chaudhuri Founder & Creative Director of I.N.D.O.I

INDOI is clothing brand steeped in craft, heritage and slow fashion, creating timeless versatile pieces for all seasons, for all women.

The brand was founded and launched on International Women´s Day by Mallika Chaudhuri- a textile designer with over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry. Having worked for global brands, she struck out over a year ago to build a conscious, responsible brand working with her Aunt, Maheen Khan in Pakistan and local based craftsmen.

"A master of her craft in embroidery and pattern cutting, Maheen, alongside my mother, has always been one of my biggest inspirations.

We are of Iranian Bangladeshi descent, with heritage in Burma, India and Pakistan and are preceded by a line of extremely strongwilled women who have broken boundaries, showed immense strength and escaped their traditional paths for want of something else.

Something different. Something exciting." https://indoi.co.uk/

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Alexandra Soveral Co-founder of Soveral (skincare)

Alexandra has created the brand and hand blends each item personally seeing them transform from their raw ingredients to the finished product on the shelf. She also designs for other brands, taking original concepts and concocting the most considered ranges each with an organic and unique identity.

Before launching her skin-care line, Alexandra dedicated her time to understanding the skin. Among other studies along the way, Alexandra studied Aromatherapy, Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology to truly understand the skin inside out, naturally becoming a wellrespected skin specialist.

Whilst running her natural remedial practice in London, she conducted meticulous independent research on organic produce, travelling to the origin of most of the ingredients and hand-picking herbs used in her oils.

Co-Founder and partner Jorj plays a

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fundamental part in the running and the progression of the business. His brilliant ability to direct the brand and his belief in the integrity of the business, keeping it exclusive, sustainable and true to the Soveral philosophy has established the Soveral brand as one of the most respectable skincare brands available. **All products are hand blended at the London lab using the highest quality ingredients, all natural and organic, where possible.

The only non-organic ingredients that they use are not yet available in organic form.

However, Soveral ensure that there are of the purist quality and Non-GMO. Traceability of all ingredients is paramount and wherever possibly they are purchased directly from source. All end products are thoroughly tested, have no Sulphates, no Parabens, no Petrochemicals, no Synthetic Fragrance and no GMO's. All certified to comply with EU, FDA standards.

AlexandraSoveral.co.uk

#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Rosanna Cundall Partner Consultant, Saxton Bampfylde

Rosanna joined Saxton Bampfylde’s consulting team after spending 10 years working in executive search with a focus on the art world.

As a consultant in the Arts and Culture Practice, she advises on board-level and executive appointments across the industry.

Rosanna also works in the commercial sector, across luxury and consumer markets.

Rosanna has a degree in Art History from Manchester University. She volunteers at Hospital Rooms, an arts and mental health charity that commissions artworks for NHS mental health inpatient units across the UK. rosanna.cundall@saxbam.com www.saxbam.com/

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Rory Menage Artist, Sculptor

Rory Menage (b.1988) is a young British sculptor exploring new possibilities in portraying naturalism. Carving and casting in raw materials local to the British Isles such as oak, limestone and iron, he examines the position of object-making in a digitally saturated era. Menage holds a BA in Modern Languages and Linguistics from Oxford University and an MA from Leeds College of Art. His work has been shown at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, the Saatchi Gallery and McNamara Art Projects in Hong Kong.

He lives and works in York, UK. www.rorymenage.com

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#WorkinFashion50 Sanja Vukelic Founder & Creative Director of S Dress

Sanja Vukelic is the founder and creative director of SDress.

SDress is one of the pioneers of sustainability with the new environmentally sound and smart approach to dressing. Established on the environmental principle that a vision for the aesthetic that is compatible with the pace of modern life. Sanja has built a brand that seek to provide a solution to the fashion industry’s impact on our planet, whilst not compromising on style. The design adapts to the woman’s individuality to compliment her beauty and form as well as to complement her lifestyle.

Beautifully made in Italy, SDress maintains the small carbon footprint of the manufacturing throughout its long life, minimising waste, maintenance costs and energy. The designs are clean and trendproof to last the exceptionally long life of the fabrics we use.

The fabrics are eco certified and manufactured in a carbon neutral and water saving process endorsed by WWF. Clean lines and comfort are enhanced by thermal and ultrasonically bonded seams as well as the absence of buttons, zips and labels in all of the designs.

All SDress is machine washable and no iron, doesn’t crease or lint and any creasing relaxes with the body heat. Their fabrics are breathable, hypoallergenic and feel great on the skin. www.sdress.com

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Katherine Maunder Co, Founder of Threadtales

The story doesn’t begin with the founders. It begins with their mother – a 70+ year old inspirational midwife, who leaves the comfort of her UK home, to ride the back of a motorcycle, visiting remote villages in Myanmar teaching women about safer methods of midwifery in order to help to reduce the country’s child mortality rate. On one of her many trips, she returned with a material made from the lotus flower.

The lotus flower has multiple functions – but I had no idea it could be used in the process of manufacturing biodegradable and sustainably sourced textiles – at least not until Katherine put one of their scarves in my hands to examine.

Surely this is the true definition of luxury. Something that feels luxurious because it is well made, bespoke, crafted by artisans using the very finest materials – and what’s finer than sustainably sourced fibres?

It feels good, because the person who has purchased the product, is safe in the knowledge that their transaction is in fact an investment – returning to the villages that weave this innovative material. Getting to grips with the business side to a socially conscious enterprise, is no easy task.

Katherine, a designer by trade – has in the space of a year, established a brand that sits well within the UK’s ethically conscious consumer market.

“Thread Tales’ philosophy; ‘Wear something that Means Something’ drives us to create without compromise” Katherine explains, “Our aim is to position ourselves in the luxury market to enable us to use quality materials that sell with high enough margins

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to succeed in creating a value chain, that delivers decent wages for environmentally and ethically sourced products.”

As recognition of their sustainable credentials Thread Tales have been awarded the Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury as a ‘brand to trust’. “In addition to sourcing sustainable fabrics, we offset our freight, use environmentally sound packaging and have a zero waste policy” Katherine tells me with pride. Currently the yarn is being processed in Myanmar and mostly woven Nepal (at least 85%) and Myanmar (15%).Number 8 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: “Decent Work and Economic Growth” is fulfilled with the platform Thread Tales offers the local artisans, as their craft is opened up to a wider global market in search of ethical luxury.

Aside from meeting their macroeconomic obligations as an emerging player in the fashion industry, Thread Tales is also an early business success. “Since we started trading in September 2017, we’ve had no returns”, Katherine informs me with a measure of pride. “We’re also selling outside the UK, with customers coming from the US, Finland and Germany” – proving British businesses in the 21st century can still be conduits for positive change on a global scale.

Thread Tales is a story of a mother’s ability to inspire her daughters through her indefatigable passion and sense of humanity.

It’s the story and celebration of an artisan’s ability to create but also innovate – without harming the environment that gives them shelter. It’s about the ability to use fashion as a force for good – now that’s worth celebrating. www.threadtalescompany.com

#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Anna Gordon Photographer

Anna Gordon has been a photographer for 18 years. She learned her trade working for a group of local newspapers in North London, where she covered stories such as the street preaching of Abu Hamza, the Potters Bar rail crash, and Tottenham Football Club.

She spent a year in Central and South America shooting images for the Andes Press Agency, where she also learned to speak Spanish.

For the last 16 years she has worked as a freelance photojournalist in London, where her regular clients include The Financial Times, The BBC, The Guardian and The Red Cross. Her specialisms are portraiture and reportage photography.

She has documented asylum seekers staying illegally in the UK for Amnesty International and recently produced a photo essay for The Guardian, going behind the scenes at the Antiques Roadshow. Anna is a member of Women Photograph.

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#WorkinFashion50

Ian Cameron Creative Director, Cameron Design House

Ian Cameron founded Cameron Design House in 2014 and has since grown to being a globally recognised studio. After meeting his first client whilst working on a coffee stand in a London market, the company has since grown to a team of over 30 working on projects all around the world. Ian has a shared history between the United Kingdom and Finland and has combined the influences of vibrant central London and the tranquil Nordic countryside into his sculptural pieces.

Proudly designed and made in Britain, embracing the British tradition of exploring the far reaches of possibility together with the Nordic premise of clean lines and maximising lightness, Cameron Design House prioritises both form and function to achieve beautiful, enduring designs. www.camerondesignhouse.com

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Victoria Helena Mihatovic Founder of VHM Studio

Victoria Helena Mihatovic is a multinational artist based in London. Her work investigates the psychoanalytical nature of collective memories, trauma, mending, and loss; all the while placing a contemporary context on historically marginalised and gendered ways of making. The process heavy work focuses on the repurposing of industrial and earth-derived materials. The objects become hints of a cultural transgression against the digital methodologies of today and with a return to ritual. She completed her Master in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, where she was awarded a distinction with her dissertation research on affect theory and the gothic sublime. Victoria has exhibited internationally in the U.S., U.K., and Europe along with creating large scale public art in California. Her work sits in private collections in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Amsterdam. www.victoriahelena.com

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Louisa Canham Founder LaEva

Growing up in Greece, Louisa’s early memories are imprinted with a lack of detail but vivid associations. Yellow and blue horizons. The sound of crickets. Hot sand and rocks underfoot.

And a beautiful array of scents: wild mountain herbs, jasmine, chamomile, citrus blossom.

A sensory soundtrack to formative years; one which continues to be a source of reference and inspiration to this day.

Although making things with her hands and appreciating objects of beauty has been a long standing thread, coming to create an edgy, ethical luxury beauty brand has involved an unlikely set of circumstances and choices.

At the age of 22 Louisa trained as a clinical psychologist, completing her doctorate at Oxford University. With a specialist interest in children and adolescents, for over 10 years she helped traumatised unaccompanied children seeking asylum, young people on the autistic spectrum, adolescents with eating disorders, and young offenders in prison.

Whilst on a personal level it was an interesting and rewarding time, working with human vulnerability and risk is inherently emotionally straining, and there came a point — particularly after she had her own children — where Louisa found herself seeking something gentle and therapeutic to mediate the impact. The summer of 2011, and a tray of gently scented soap, cut into rough creamy chunks, was to offer the seed of what has become LA-EVA.

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LAEVA / la.eva / Latin adj. (f) meaning left of centre [EVA] /e:va / female name meaning life, living one, full of life

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Caroline Gration Founder The Fashion School

I created the award winning sustainable school in 2012 enabling children and teens in proper sewing, patterncutting skills, fashion creativity, business awareness through classes/workshops in London and Brighton with excellent staff. The Fashion School is an authentic environment so we collaborate with designers & industry professionals to deliver projects and talks.

We promote truly open and enquiring young minds so we have constant dialogue in the studio on matters such as climate change, every opinion counts. We visit V&A, Saatchi, Chelsea library, Wallace Collection and LFW to enrich their cultural appreciation and widen their understanding.

Brighton and London have their own unique vibe responding the the diversity of each city. Fashion should be for everyone, we are a broad church respecting each student's individuality/personal interest in fashion. Inclusivity and social mobility are for everyone so we use our Chelsea studio accordingly. Affluent locals, disadvantaged kids, princesses, internationals - ALL welcome. We also collaborate with RBKC and K&C Foundation, addressing the 41% of local children who live in poverty in the borough. I don't believe in formal written assessment for children in creative arts, I am a mother of Oxford medical graduate and a CSM student.

The Fashion School

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Alice Ratcliffe Head of Brand Appear Here HQ

Alice Ratcliffe is the Head of Brand and part of the founding team at Appear Here, the leading online marketplace for short-term retail space. Appear Here’s mission is to create a world where anyone with an idea can find space to make it happen. Named one of ‘the most disruptive companies', by The Financial Times and chosen as one of Wired’s ‘100 Hottest Start-Ups’, Appear Here has become the go-to destination to make innovative and creative retail ideas happen. Since it launched in 2013, it now has over 200,000 brands using the service and lists over 10,000 prime retail spaces across the UK, US and France. www.appearhere.co.uk

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Ellis Mhairi Cameron Jeweller

Ellis Mhairi Cameron is a fine jeweller, whose work is inspired by her Scottish heritage. Created by hand in her London studio, Ellis uses traditional techniques and hand skills to give her pieces their signature rugged aesthetic.

Since launching her fine jewellery brand in 2017, Ellis has secured stockists within the UK and Europe, such as Farfetch and Tomfoolery, as well as building a strong customer base for bespoke and bridal jewellery.

Ellis has been featured in publications such as Vanity Fair and Marie Claire. Ellis was also shortlisted for ‘Young Designer of the Year 2018’ award by Professional Jeweller and ‘Young Jewellery Designer of the Year 2019’ by The UK Jewellery Awards.

At the foundation of the brand is a belief in the beauty of imperfections, hand craftsmanship and a desire to provide clients with fine jewellery which can be handed down through the generations. www.ellismhairicameron.com

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Ellis M. Cameron

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Phoebe McCaughley Animator

Phoebe is a recent animation graduate from Kingston School of art, which is where she found her love of stop motion- it allows me to tell stories through her hand made sets and puppets.

“The often strange looking characters I craft lend themselves well to comical storylines but since adopting more serious topics in my films such as Post-natal depression I noticed that the evidence of real hands that have carefully made and incrementally moved the puppets allows you to tell these stories with more human sensitivity. Animation is great because you can convey ideas that would normally not be able to be shot in live action, for example in my grad film ‘The Fourth Trimester’ I was able to reverse the roles of mother and baby and have the baby swaddling the mother to communicate feelings of vulnerability.”

Instagram: @PhoebeStopMotion

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#NewFaces

#WorkinFashion50 Grace Probyn Membership Manager, Allbright

Grace Probyn is the Membership Manager at AllBright, London's first members club designed by women and for women. Born and raised into a strong entrepreneurial family who always said she could do whatever she wanted, Grace started her career joining Social Concierge (a private dating agency) as their first employee, curating their membership base and launching their first international club in NYC in Spring 2018. Leading the charge on off-line dating, SC saw over 2.5K singles get offline at highly curated parties across the city.

Joining the AllBright team in October 2018, Grace has since been curating the female focussed network, bringing together women from every age, stage, industry and driving the gap between members club and communities. More recently she's taken the lead on their internal mentor programme and continues to be a lover of highly curated dating parties launching her first solo event on November 22.

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#TheCollective

#WorkinFashion50

DECISION MAKERS Creativity comes with responsibility.

Did you know artisans could be social entrepreneurs too?

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Nene Persotam Executive Creative & Art Director Vine Creative

With over 15 years’ experience working within the advertising and design industry, Nene is Creative Director, primarily an Art Director.

Idea conception, digital campaign idea generation, layout, art direction and UI design are Nene’s core abilities.

Having worked in some of the top global ad agencies, Nene conceptualizes photoshoots and directs creative teams on set to achieve the right image for both brand and PR photography: from fashion to editorial to conceptual to mixed media, across a variety of sectors from telecommunications, TV, FMCG, banking and film.

She has worked with Fortune 500 brands, large brand and advertising agencies, SMEs and expert individuals. Clients have included Amazon, Barclays, Cadbury’s, Jaguar, Pepsi, PayPal, Pizza Hut, Sainsburys, Samsung, Sony, Visa and Loreal to name a few.

Nene now runs VINE Creatives, a visual communications, brand strategy and investment agency. Which works for and with scale-ups, entrepreneurs and businesses run by the African diaspora and with companies with an African focus.

VINE Creatives help brands with their visual positioning to enter either the western

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or African market ensuring that the brand look and feel, messaging and visuals are all in line with the brands target audience..

As well as work closely with business investors, and understand what they expect to see in investment presentations and pitches.

Campaigns produced by VINE Creatives have included this year’s Project Embrace “Rip up the dress code” billboard which has now been featured on BBC News, ITV News, Metro Online and was on over 800+ billboards across the UK. Previous projects include The Black Panther “Hero in Us All” campaign for child talent agency Looks Like Me which went viral with over 2.5 million views across social media and was shared by Common, Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright to name a few.

Nene also co-founded and runs We Are Stripes, a career progression initiative which aims to address the ethnic diversity imbalance in the creative industry, starting with the creative advertising subsector.

With visibility of talent and roles, events and education, it both create and increase opportunities for BAME creative talent. www.vinecreatives.com

Nene has previously judged both the 2018 Professional D&AD awards in the Digital Design category and last year’s Eurobest Awards in both the Glass and Design, Print and Outdoor Craft category.

In 2019, Nene was a judge for the New Blood Awards for the Durex brief and had the honour of being on the Industry Craft Jury for the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Annie Ruddick & Natasha Buchler Founders of Akojo Market

AKOJO MARKET is an online marketplace championing ethical designers and brands from across Africa. We curate and sell beautiful handmade accessories, clothing, homeware, kitchenware, gifts and kids toys, supporting the artisans who make them and empowering local designers. Co-founded Natasha Buchler, formerly a business risk consultant in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Annie Rudnick, former Head of Communications at art gallery Hauser & Wirth, AKOJO MARKET is the UK's leading platform for the discovery of talented, sustainability- minded creatives in Africa.

AKOJO MARKET only works with brands that have met robust criteria for ethical and sustainable manufacturing and demonstrate transparency in their processes. These brands contribute to the development of society and growth of legitimate industry in a

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variety of ways - ensuring workers and artisans are well paid, not hiring forced, child or prison labour, refusing to cut corners, considering the environmental impact of manufacturing and use of certain materials, donating a portion of profits to local charities and more. The company has received the Eco-Age Brandmark Initiative.

AKOJO MARKET has 28 designers on its site and offers a curated, secure and seamless shopping experience for customers, as featured in the Evening Standard and The Times Magazine. Behind the scenes, AKOJO MARKET also supports small businesses looking to expand globally and improve compliance, logistics and manufacturing processes. www.akojokmarket.com

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Martina Spetlova Fashion designer, founder MWOVEN

MWOVEN is a brainchild of fashion designer Martina Spetlova, whose highly identifiable use of hand-woven leathers in unexpected juxtapositions have become a trademark of her sustainable brand.

Martina’s background in biology and chemistry influences her experimental approach that challenges materials, elements and expectations.Her textiles are now used on accessories, jackets and larger scale interior design projects.

Martina has a more holistic vision for her brand and its approach to sustainability, and she thinks about the entire life cycle of her products from raw materials, making to repairs and recycling. Working with leather the brand promotes a cruelty-free ethos in leather supply, using only high quality by-product leather hides supplied by European tanneries with Environmental management system certifications.

A big believer in the circular economy each style’s lining and tapes are made of ECONYLŽ regenerated premium nylon, that is made by recovering and recycling waste such as fishing nets from the oceans, fabric scraps and carpets destined for landfill. Martina has come to realise the importance of storytelling, and how each product has a narrative. Her brand now applies cutting-edge blockchain technology to their accessories and outerwear lines. Each design they create comes with a scannable chip detailing its materials, sourcing and processes to provide a fascinating digital life story for each piece. www.martinaspetlova.com

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50 Amy Brazewell

Head of Marketing - Core events Strategic Marketing Manager - Luxury, Retail & B2C FT Live

Amy Brazewell is an established multidisciplinary marketing professional with experience of strong Brand Development and Audience Engagement, within Luxury, Global travel & publishing industries.

Managing and motivating teams to help organisations to achieve their business goals, Amy has a flair for bringing like minds together to empower, inspire and transform through leadership and gender equality in business.

From engaging consumers with the World’s Best Airline, Qatar Airways and the award-winning Financial Times, FT Weekend Festival, to giving Luxury and Retail executives an exclusive platform to connect, all with sustainability, diversity and communities at the heart.

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50 Venetia Berry Artist

YJH: You recently shared an insta story about your investigations into cruelty free paint, what was the outcome? Have you found oils/acrylic that is non toxic/free from animal fats?

VB: I was taught how to make and prime canvases at art school, we used three layers rabbit skin glue to prime the canvases for painting – skipping this step would mean the paint would be completely absorbed by the fabric of the canvas and eventually mould. I had been using this technique ever since, despite it being a slightly smelly process! However, I gave up meat last year and have since been interested in alternative art materials, for the sake of the environment and animal welfare.

When I started looking into it, I naively thought that it would only be the rabbit skin glue I would need to replace. In reality there are a startling number of art materials

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containing animal ingredients, whether it be the skin for glue, the bones for the deepest black, hog hair for brushes or ox bladders for paint thinners.

The best point of research I came across was a blog post by Jacksons Art pointing out some of the leading brands that create materials without animal products. It may be hard to believe but most brands don’t shout about this, these details are hidden away amongst the FAQS. Jacksons also now have a ‘Vegan’ filter on their site, which has proved extremely helpful. So far I have swapped my rabbit skin glue for Lascaux acrylic size, which provides a great base for oil or acrylic. paint and some inks from Schminke.

At the moment I use Michael Harding oil paint, when it runs out I intend to replace it with Langridge oils. Luckily I have never been a fan of the hog hair brushes, so I am okay on that matter!

You can barely see it on the canvas, unlike the rabbit skin glue, which can give a slightly

shiny reflection. I have also acquired a set of Lascaux acrylic I intend to use up all of the animal based products I do have, because throwing them away would not be help to anyone.

YJH: In terms of spaces (be it your own personal space at home or studio) what do you look for in your ideal surroundings?

VB: I am a real homemaker – I love rearranging my home and adding new things to improve the atmosphere. It is slightly harder to create this atmosphere in my studio, as it is my workspace, and considerably less tidy than my flat!

However, I found a big green velvet sofa on eBay, which has transformed my studio. I also love having plants around, I love how they can break up the typical straight lines of a room as well as helping to clean the air, much needed in my Brixton flat and studio.

Something else found in both my flat and studio is an abundance of books.

I am lucky enough to own a fair few beautiful art books which I can flick through for inspiration. I really can’t stand a bare wall; both my flat and studio walls are

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covered in framed exhibition posters, etchings and paintings. Mostly my own works at the moment, as I very slowly start collection the work of other artists.

So if you can imagine this, with a burning candle, a cup of tea and Desert Island Discs playing in the background – those are pretty much my ideal surroundings!

YJH: IKEA has admitted they’re totally redesigning their business model to suit Millennials lifestyle/spending habits) what would you like to see more of/change from the interiors world?

VB: In the last few years there has been more of a push towards individuals as opposed to brands. In my opinion, this is wonderful and often collaborations can be integral to an artist, illustrator or designer’s success. It would be great to see large companies continue to collaborate with individual creative.

This is a win-win situation for everyone, as the buyer is able to own something with a limited edition. There is nothing worse than going to a friend’s house only to discover that its contents match your own!

[End] Venetia’s work is available to purchase via Partnership Editions

#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Sherry Dobin Partner Future City LTD

Sherry is Managing & Cultural Director at Futurecity, where she sets the delivery structure and cultural alignment of the portfolio. Her project work focuses upon cultural infrastructure, programmatic development, public-private partnerships, establishing models for arts delivery, and the role arts and digital media in the public realm. She was Founder and Director of Times Square Arts; Director of Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center; Director of GreenHeart Partnership and has produced across four continents in all art forms.

https://futurecity.co.uk/

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50 Katie Barker

Business Development Director, Adoreum & Founding Instructor of Masterpeace

Katie has a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Bristol and spent the first five years of her career at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd; starting in the technical laboratory testing bespoke paints and gradually working her way around the business ending up in the Private Office where she was managing relationships directly with UHNW customers through a future retail pilot.

The Adoreum business has two main arms, the Adoreum Club and Adoreum Capital. The Adoreum Club is a specialised business development events platform, which provides its Corporate Members with access to a collective personal network of over 35,000 U/HNWs, investors, business leaders and philanthropists through a regular calendar of high-profile Adoreum Club events and ad-hoc direct introductions.

Adoreum Capital is a merchant venture capital platform through which the Adoreum Partners invest and raise money for companies they can also help accelerate through the Adoreum network.

MasterPeace is London’s first dedicated mindful art experience in Belgravia for adults who want to learn to paint mindfully and express themselves creatively. www.adoreum.com/

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Jennifer Schneider Image Consultant & Stylist, Founder of The Loved Object

Image consultant and stylist Jennifer Schneider established The Loved Object, to help her clients find their own distinctive voice and style.

Previously at luxury labels Burberry, Emilia Wickstead and Dolce & Gabbana. Jennifer now works with private clients to empower, enlighten and simplify their approach to dressing.

Catering her skills to each client, Jennifer's services range from red carpet and event dressing to personal image development, custom design commissions and bespoke wardrobe design. Helping her clients develop their distinctive style, she imparts knowledge and skills through a step by step approach. Her educational process galvanizes wardrobes whilst simplifying the everyday nature of dressing.

Instagram: @TheLovedObject

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Alice Early Founder of Alice Early, London

Alice Early, a new sustainable luxury lifestyle brand, is another one on my radar. “All my pieces are designed with longevity in mind, in a utilitarian and minimalist style, constructed in London using 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and sustainably sourced and durable components and I ship to my customers in recyclable packaging�

Alice assured me during our first conversation. With over 10 years of experience working in the industry for brands including Paul Smith, Sophie Hulme and couture designer Deborah Milner. Alice decided to start her own collection to focus on sustainable design and clothing that would buck the trend for throw away fashion. www.aliceearly.com

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#DecisionMakers

#WorkinFashion50

Romain Casella Founder of MAY Concepts LTD

Romain Casella is the Founder and Director of MAY Concepts, an international communications agency specialising in the fields of fashion, design and arts & lifestyle.

Having worked as a communications expert for organisations including Publicis and WGSN, Romain founded MAY Concepts in 2012 in order to bring his own values of empathy, compassion and humility to the industry.

Since its foundation, Romain has expanded the agency to represent clients across the globe, with a particular focus on building synergy between Asia and Europe.

The agency has represented rising Chinese stars among the likes of Angel Chen, STAFFONLY and XU ZHI, and Romain is now a regular face at Shanghai Fashion Week.

With a French and Italian background, Romain also maintains a strong interest in

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exploring collaborations within Europe having earned the trust of Italian design powerhouse Cappellini, among others. He is also heavily involved with the Swiss design scene; his agency collaborates with the Swiss Embassy in the UK and the Swiss Arts Council, Pro Helvetia.

Romain has a particular interest in exploring opportunities across all industry levels, whether it be designers, showrooms, producers, or even materials suppliers. It is often these untapped areas of the industry that Romain sees the greatest potential for building synergy.

As a visiting lecturer at the renowned fashion and design school Istituto Marangoni London, Romain regularly discusses challenges facing the industry, often applying the latest developments and theories to his own work. mayconcepts.com

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

TRAILBLAZERS The Visionaries, the Inventors, the Platform Builders, the Investors.

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Katherine Hamnett MBE Designer, Activist

The O.G of Sustainability A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Katharine Hamnett launched her brand in 1979 with a range of eclectic women’s designs; menswear followed in 1981. That year also saw her release the first of her many slogan tees CHOOSE LIFE, soon followed by EDUCATION NOT MISSILES, WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR BAN NOW, PEACE, SAVE THE WORLD, YOU – ME, SAVE THE SEA, CLEAN UP OR DIE, and SAVE THE FUTURE – these are central to the Hamnett DNA of the provocative and political writ large.

By 1984 the collection was selling in 700 of the best retail outlets across 40 countries. Katharine, known to the British

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public as a “bad girl with integrity”, was the first person to win the British Fashion Council’s “British Fashion Designer of the Year” and signed her first international licences. Across the media and on the street it was the summer of the slogan tee. Wham wore CHOOSE LIFE for one of their videos. Perhaps the most famous was the 58% DON’T WANT PERSHING t-shirt that Katharine wore to meet British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: a bold political act that made front page news around the world.

(Pictured).

By the 1990s the Hamnett brand was a major UK exporter with a multi-million pound turnover. Catwalks were staged in all the major fashion cities: Milan, Paris, London, New York and Tokyo. A highlight of fashion schedules,

Image courtesy of www.katherinehamnett.com

their mix of women’s and men’s collections were joyous and often riotous, and defiantly original for the time. Katharine took the then unprecedented step of launching collections with films: the first in 1991 with supermodel Naomi Campbell who had made her catwalk debut for Hamnett.

“It was a war before its time” Sustainability and ethical production became of prime importance, further shaking up what was expected of a global brand. Katharine’s 1989 research into the environmental and social impact of the clothing and textile industry horrified her as she discovered that the true cost of fashion was paid in environmental degradation and human suffering.

She lobbied the industry to act for change, but with little success. She campaigned directly on issues such as the use of pesticides and the plight of cotton farmers, and badgered her licensees to reduce the environmental and social impact of her collections.

Katharine took the decision to gradually wind down her brand – ripping up licences – until production methods could meet her environmental criteria. She moved out of the mainstream industry to concentrate on campaigning, political activism and collaborating with charities.

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Now sustainable materials have at last caught up with her activism, in large part through her high-profile campaigns. Sustainability is no longer a left-field notion, consumers are increasingly demanding sustainably made products, and people are agitating for change in all areas.

Katharine Hamnett London relaunched in 2017 with reissues of many classic archive unisex pieces that are as relevant today as they always were, along with a wide selection of new designs – now all sustainably and ethically produced in Italy. The collection is available on this site and via top international retailers.

Full biography available at www.katherinhamnett.com

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Margaret Casely-Hayford Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe & Chancellor of Coventry University

Margaret Casely-Hayford became Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe in 2018 and Chancellor of Coventry University in 2017. She was Chair of ActionAid UK., (2014-2017); and has been a Non-Exec Director of the Co-op since 2016. She chaired the Carnegie/Greenaway book Awards diversity review and is trustee of the Radcliffe Trust.

After 30 years in law as Legal Director for John Lewis Partnership, and a partner at law firm, Dentons, she now advises entrepreneurs, and those seeking board careers; and is Advisory Board Chair of UltraEducation, which provides entrepreneurial skills teaching. She’s Patron of John Staples Society, supporting the Leathersellers’ Schools Federation.

Her focus is on developing cultural capital, and creating access and opportunity for minorities and the disenfranchised.

She was made an honorary Fellow of Somerville College Oxford; given an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University and awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018, for charity work and working to promote diversity.

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Marie Claire Daveu Chief Sustainability Officer, Kering

Marie-Claire Daveu was appointed Kering’s chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs in 2012. She is responsible for the continued development of Kering’s sustainability strategy and the direction of the Group’s institutional affairs.

She joined the company from the public sector where she served as chief of staff to French politician Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, within the Ministry of Ecology and other areas from 2007 to 2012.

Prior to that, Ms Daveu was senior director of sustainable development at Sanofi-Aventis Group in 2005.

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She was previously technical adviser to the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and principal private secretary to Serge Lepeltier, Minister of Ecology and Sustainability.

French national, she is a graduate of the Paris Institute of Technology for Life, Food and Environmental Studies (École Nationale du Génie Rural et des Eaux et Forêts). She also earned a Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (diploma of specialised higher studies) in public administration from Dauphine University, Paris. www.kering.com

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50 Veronica Chou

Founder and CEO of Everybody & Everyone

Veronica’s past experience includes investing in and growing the Karl Lagerfeld brand into a global lifestyle business with multiple product expansions, including hotels. As founder and President of Iconix China from 2008-2015, she successfully launched twelve brands in the Greater China market and opened over one thousand stores. Her many business successes earned her the title of one of Asia’s Most Powerful Business Women to Watch” by Forbes magazine. Veronica has led investments in a wide-range of Chinese and American businesses that include TheTot, Refinery29, Eloquii, Thousand Fell, Dirty Labs and Carbon Engineering. As a testament to her continued focus on improving the apparel industry, Veronica joined the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2017 in the role of special advisor. www.everybodyeveryone.com

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50 Emma Bruschi MA Graduate and Designer

Emma Bruschi’s work in particular, caught the audience’s attention at the 2019 HEAD Genève MA Graduate presentation. Her experimentation with non conventional materials such as straw and cultivated bacteria (of the Kombucha variety) illustrated the extent to which the next frontier within fashion and design will be the realm of regenerative materials, bio tech and innovation. Sustainability is ushering in a new era of craftsmanship.

Emma Bruschi won the Mercedes-Benz Master Prize which also included a place at the next ‘Who’s Next’ or Premier Classe trade show in Paris and a cheque for €10,000.

Emma is also part of a new design collective called ‘Club Poisson’. This quartet of designers are working together to use their craft as a means of conservation. Sustainability and the environment is at the heart of everything they create. For further information: Instagram: @club_poisson

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50 Camille Walala Artist

As an artist, Camille Walala is purveyor of positivity, expressed through vibrant colour and bold pattern. Her work, from the micro to the macro, harnesses optimistic typography and exuberant geometries to create environments that stimulate the senses and inspire joy.

Camille grew up in the south of France.

Her childhood was spent between her parent’s homes. Her mother had a love of rich colours and African prints; her father, an architect, surrounded himself with Memphisinspired and 1980s pieces. Their distinctive styles had a strong influence on the development of her aesthetic.

Encouraged by her father, Camille came to London in 1997 with the aim of learning English to help her complete her literature degree, but fell in love with the creativity, eccentricity and freedom of the city, and has remained here ever since.

After studying textile design in Brighton, she returned to Hackney, working at Broadway Market café La Bouche and designing cushions to sell at the Saturday market on the

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When the owner’s wife opened a textile shop next door, she invited Camille to print some of her designs, and began selling her cushions, purses and other accessories. Being spotted by online retailer Supermarket Sarah gave Camille an opportunity to begin selling her pieces on the web, where they proved an instant hit.

Camille set up her eponymous fashion and textiles brand in 2009, but it wasn’t until the owner of Shoreditch’s XOYO nightclub invited her to bring her unique style to its interior in 2012 that her career really took off.

More and more commissions came rolling in, and Camille found herself working on bigger and bigger projects. Her ‘tribal pop’ style gathered widespread attention, and she was soon creating murals and interiors everywhere from Melbourne to Manhattan.

Clients include: Harrods, Sarenza, Armani, The Other Art Fair, Natuzzi, Better Bankside, Naked Heart Foundation, Art Fund, Selfridges, ES Magazine, Marie Claire, Converse, Facebook, Nintendo and XOYO .

For Further information visit Camille Walala/Zetteler PR

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50 Ara Katz Co-Founder of SEED

Ara Katz is the co-Founder and co-CEO of Seed, a consumer health company based in LA. Ara’s breastfeeding experience led her to the microbiome and inspired a personal mission to explore the importance of microbes and how they can impact the health of our bodies, our children and our planet.

A serial entrepreneur, Ara previously co-founded and served as CMO of mobile commerce marketplace, Spring and was on the founding team of social commerce company, BeachMint, where she launched six direct-to-consumer brands.

Ara has been a fellow at the MIT Media Lab’s Center for Future Storytelling and CCA's DesignMBA program, and was named in Marie Claire’s “The New Guard: The 50 Most Influential Women in America,” listed on Business Insider’s “Silicon Alley Top 100” and “36 Rockstar Women in NYC Tech.” She also advises startups across the health, tech, and consumer verticals. www.seed.com

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#WorkinFashion50

James Levelle Film maker/ founder of ‘Race For Future’

James Levelle is an award-winning filmmaker and adventurer.

Currently racing 7000 miles from the UK to Chile - FOSSIL FUEL FREE : cycling, sailing, kayaking, horse riding and hiking.

James will be working with WWF and Greenpeace connecting with youth groups along his route to Chile. His adventure is about and for young people and he wants to amplify their voices and empower them.

James in his own words: “I began in documentaries making films for human rights and environmental NGOs, WildAid and the Environmental Justice Foundation, and was very proud to go on and direct the award-winning National Geographic series about the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and their inspirational work into the illegal wildlife trade.

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Since then I’ve come to specialise in super immersive authentic filmmaking whether that’s travelling 6000 miles across South America with no money whatsoever for Discovery Channel or filming inside the eye of the planet's most powerful hurricanes for the BBC. My website - www.jamesmlevelle.com will show you a bit of what I’ve been up to. Telling stories that celebrate the majesty of the natural world and that also celebrate the best in humanity is my greatest passion and purpose in life.”

Link to teaser:https://vimeo.com/350789252 Website: https://raceforfuture.com/

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Bernie Yates Outreach Practitioner, Central Saint Martins

I help students understand the different avenues they can study and make sure that young people know about the variety of careers there are available across all of CSM’s courses.

We target schools with higher percentages of free school meals or lower income; another area we look at are students who are in the first generation within their family to go to university.

I work with schools from year 10 to 13 as well as with undergraduates. We run a series of programmes and interventions at community hubs, CSM and in schools.

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I work a lot with what I call Community Anchors, who maintain relationships with the schools that we work with. I have one in Islington, one in Camden and one in Tower Hamlets.

I also work a lot with Student Ambassadors. They are like gold dust - they often go into schools and show their work and talk to the departments and the students – especially for courses that aren’t particularly well known about. arts.ac.uk/colleges/central-saint-martins/ people/berni-yates

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50 Julie Channing VP Marketing Allbirds

Julie Channing is a strategic, creative and analytical brand marketer with over 17 years of experience spanning both the agency and brand side. In 2015, she helped launch Allbirds – the sustainable footwear brand challenging industry norms – crafting the brand positioning and communications plan.

Prior to joining Allbirds as VP of Marketing, Julie served as Global Consumer Marketing Lead at Nest, the home electronics company acquired by Google for $3 billion. Previously, she was leading Global and US Digital Marketing for Levi's where she executed numerous nnovative brand initiatives across digital and social channels. Julie also worked on the creative side at a leading global agency, AKQA, for over 8 years. As a Senior Account Director, she worked on global campaigns for clients including Gap, McDonald's, and Palm Pilot.

Passionate about the connection of brands and people, Julie is driven by a desire to create memorable marketing programs that win the hearts and minds of her audience. Julie received a BA in Communications and Italian at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also earned a certificate of completion from the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) in Advanced Advertising Studies.

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#WorkinFashion50

Patrick Duffy Founder of the Global Fashion Exchange

Patrick Duffy founded the Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) in 2013 with the mission to challenge the fashion industry to create a more sustainable world through inspiring forums, educational content and cultural events, including fashion swaps and consulting As an expert in developing networks and activating ideas, Patrick guides creative teams for GFX in 30+ countries where GFX has taken place at institutions like V&A in London, Federation Square Melbourne, Madison Square Garden in NYC and more. Patrick experience producing events and creating marketing campaigns for some of the world’s most recognized brands across the art and fashion space include HM, Moët Hennessy, Microsoft and spans 15 years, hundreds of events in 5 continents. In addition to his work with GFX, Patrick also manages global partnerships for Common Objective (CO),

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an intelligent business network for the fashion industry, has launched “Mr Duffy” a 100% circular and sustainably focused clothing collection with partner Fashion 4 Freedom in Vietnam and is a partner at Design Pavilion, NYC’s Largest public interfacing event with over 7 million visitors in partnership with Times Square and NYEDC during NYCx Design week each May. Patrick’s public speaking engages and excites businesses and consumers about about creating a industry shift and positive impact which has brought him to the United Nations, many intentional fashion weeks and sustainability conferences around the world. Further Patrick hosts a regular segment for the Nasdaq financial network about design, economic empowerment and a sustainable future in partnership with Design Pavilion. www.GlobalFashionXchange.org

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50 Roohi Hasan

Senior Producer at ITV National News at ITN

Roohi Hasan is an award-winning Senior Producer at ITV National News at ITN. Her journalism has taken her around the world, including America for the historic 2016 Election. She has interviewed leading global figures and covered some of the biggest international stories over the years, most recently the conflict in Syria. She has worked on documentaries and investigations at home and abroad for news and current affairs, such as highlighting the plight of victims of rape and climate change in India, and the struggle of those returning to the UK with PTSD from war .

Her journalism has been well recognised with nominations for her work including the prestigious Broadcast Awards, and for shows she has worked on from Royal Television Society and BAFTA. She has received many personal accolades too

including nominations for Journalist of the Year for outstanding contribution to the understanding of mental health from the charity Mind, from the Asian Media Awards, and with the Prime Minister in attendance winning the Excellence in Media award from The Muslim News and The Asian Women of Achievement Awards.

Roohi’s great passion has been mentoring the next generation, through her work at ITV News, by doing talks nationwide and in her personal time. She has been working to improve newsroom diversity too.

For the past decade she has also been mentoring schoolchildren, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, through Prince Charles’ charity, 'Mosaic', where she is a member of their Leadership Group. The Financial Times featured Roohi’s article on mentoring. www.justgiving.com/roohihasan

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Cyndi Rhoades Founder of Worn Again Tech

Cyndi founded Worn Again Technologies in 2005 with a determination to make a difference and create a business out of solving the challenge of textiles becoming waste and ending up in landfill or incineration.

Cyndi began her career as a film maker in music videos and documentaries which over time evolved into a deep interest in the impacts of commerce and global economics on society and the environment. These interests led to the formation of Worn Again Technologies which she has been driving forward ever since, from its early beginnings in upcycling to its current transformational polymer recycling technology.

Paving the way in this uncharted territory, Cyndi is now a recognised thought (and ‘do’) leader and an advocate for polymer recycling technology as an enabler for a circular textiles industry.

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She is a regular speaker on circularity and innovation including the Economist Sustainability Summit and Stylus Decoded Future 2019 conferences.

Cyndi is an early pioneer of the sustainable fashion movement and a co-founder of the RE:Fashion Awards, the world’s first Sustainable Fashion Awards in London. She is also an award-winning entrepreneur; in 2019 she was awarded the PCIAW Outstanding Contribution to the Textile Industry and was a finalist for The Circular Economy Awards, Leadership award.

Also in 2019, Worn Again Technologies was awarded the ANDAM Innovation Prize and ‘One to Watch’ at Global Good Awards. www.wornagaintech.co.uk

#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Tara Donovan Investor & Co-Owner of Casa Fuzetta

Tara Donovan is a former entertainment law partner of what is now SNR Dentons, former CEO of Jamie Oliver’s Media Group and now co -owner and founder of Casa Fuzetta in the eastern Algarve of Portugal - named one of 2019’s best retreat venues in Europe by Elle Germany.

Tara has also invested in and worked with a number of other businesses in the restaurant, fashion and consumer live events industries. Current active investments are with the organic skincare and lifestyle brand LA-EVA and restaurant intelligence platform Yumpingo.

“Life is full and rewarding. There is always so much to be curious about and to get involved with…” Tara Donovan www.casafuzetta.com

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#WorkinFashion50 Natsai Audrey Chieza Faber Futures

Natsai Audrey Chieza is Founder and Director of Faber Futures, an award-winning multidisciplinary design agency operating at the intersection of nature, technology, and society. The London-based studio empowers industry and institutions with innovative design solutions and R&D for an impactful transition towards sustainable futures.

A background in Architectural Design and Material Futures, Chieza pioneered the design-driven application of microbial pigment dyes for textiles and has been awarded the Index Award 2019 for the chemical-free, water-saving biofabrication system she developed. In her 2017 TED Talk, Chieza demonstrates how emerging biotechnologies converge with craft and interact with the contemporary realities of resource scarcity, climate change, and sustainable development.

Chieza demonstrates how emerging biotechnologies converge with craft and interact with the contemporary realities of resource scarcity, climate change, and sustainable development.

With a highly influential practice in the contemporary design for ecology movement,

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Chieza has exhibited at prestigious institutions including at the Cooper Hewitt (US), Pompidou Centre (FR), Vitra Design Museum (DE), The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, The Victoria & Albert Museum (UK) and Science Gallery Dublin (IE).

Her work has been acquired by the Cooper Hewitt (US) and sits in the permanent collection at Forbes Pigment Collection at Harvard Art Museums (US). Chieza is on the founding Her work has been acquired by the Cooper Hewitt (US) and sits in the permanent collection at Forbes Pigment Collection at Harvard Art Museums (US). Chieza is on the founding and curatorial team of Ginkgo Bioworks’ "Ginkgo Creative Residency" in Boston (US), has held teaching posts at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Central Saint Martins and has been a member of numerous international jury panels for innovation awards and prizes. An international speaker on emergent futures, Chieza is named on OkayAfrica’s "100 Women 2018" for her work in STEM, ICON Magazine's 2019 "ICON Design 100" list and It's Nice That's "Ones to Watch 2019". https://faberfutures.com/

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#Trailblazers

#WorkinFashion50

Christopher & Graeme Raeburn Creative Director at RÆBURN & Performance Director at RÆBURN

Christopher Raeburn is the Creative Director of British fashion label RÆBURN. His RÆMADE ethos guides and influences every aspect of the RÆBURN design and development process; a RÆBURN product is defined by distinctive aesthetic, meticulous detail, considered functionality and sustainable intelligence. Raeburn’s pioneering work has brought responsible design to a mainstream fashion audience and presents a new definition of luxury with integrity. Raeburn has won numerous awards over the years, including British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent Menswear in 2011. He was appointed Global Creative Director of Timberland in October 2018.

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Graeme Raeburn Long-time collaborator and Christopher's sibling. Graeme joined RÆBURN in March '18 after ten years as Lead Designer at Rapha Racing. With experience working across product categories, Graeme specialised in optimising product performance for elite athletes including World and Olympic champions, and now turns his focus to innovating responsible design, materials and fabrication as Performance Director at Ræburn.

RaeburnDesign.co.uk

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#Events

Future Fabric Expo London 24th-25th January, 2019

Fashion has a future.

After the fire and brimstone that 2018 unleashed with heightened levels of press scrutiny into the modern day slavery, pollution and excess of the fashion industry, I am pleased to announce that 2019 brings with it a more conciliatory and positive outlook for the sector.

After witnessing the progress at London Fashion Week Mens at the start of this month, it is safe to say, among the New Gen of designers, sustainability is at the very core of their design philosophy. Ethical fashion is more than a passing trend. It is the future of fashion.

The concept of ethical fashion and eco fashion is not new. The UK has a long history of producing ethical entrepreneurs, from Josiah Wedgewood, to Katherine Hamnett and Anita Roddick (founder of the BodyShop). While the rest of the world cottons onto veganism and wellness, in a quiet pocket of UK industry there has always been an agitator, a reformer working for change.

So, it came as no surprise when I sat down with Nina Marenzi, the founder of the Sustainable Angle, that she explained that her journey began with her dissertation project at Imperial College, London

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. ‘Organic Cotton: Reasons Why the Fashion Industry is Dragging its Heels’ was the title of Marenzi’s dissertation for her MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development.

In order to complete this project she was required to interview numerous fashion designers, representatives of the textiles manufacturing industry and NGOs. Her research uncovered a desperate need for a curated sustainable textiles showcase.

A lack of awareness, Marenzi explains, was the biggest hinderance to evolution in fashion’s manufacturing processes. Thus, the Future Fabrics Expo was created. In 2010, Marenzi established The Sustainable Angle in order to initiate and support projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the industry.

The Sustainable Angle is both a platform for independent manufacturers and a solution provider for designers with a growing conscience in all matters concerning sustainability and conservation. Many stare in wonder at the plummeting share prices of the UK’s fast fashion high street brands, but it is no coincidence.

As government legislation begins to flex it’s muscles addressing the plastic problem and

#Events pollution, brands who have contributed to the growing problems, find themselves in a PR nightmare. A succession of reports from the Financial Times and the Global Slavery Index 2018, sent ricochets through the industry as the reality of the fashion industry’s involvement in modern day slavery and child labour, has left many unable to return to their previous positions of complacency.

Revolution (not reform) – is the only alternative. So it seems that at the precise moment the industry pivots towards rhetoric around sustainable fashion and conservation, an organisation dedicated to this very cause stands ready, waiting, with open arms.

Apple-leather, recycled wood chips transformed into a cotton substitute, bio-degradable sequins and recycled polyester were just a handful of the sample materials on display at the press preview for the Future Fabrics Expo 2019. Attached to each sample was a label, giving the reader a brief synopsis of the composition, it’s environmental features, and contact details of the factory that manufactures it.

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I have always maintained that for fashion to be ‘Fashion’ it must also be functional. Anything else is idle vanity. With the in depth research The Sustainable Angle does, in bringing the latest innovations to the market, designers have an opportunity to create something that is both aesthetically pleasing that does not harm the environment, the farmers or the local economies that support the industry.

Fashion must never again be separated from its manufacturing and agricultural roots.

With the fast fashion epidemic, it became detached under a ‘See Now, Buy Now’ frenzy of mass consumption. The end result is landfill waste, micro plastics and polluted water systems.

Sustainability is about survival, not just of a particular economic sector, but of life on Earth itself. If the fashion industry is to survive it must first evolve. The key to this evolution? (I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again) People first, profit later.

The next Future Fabrics Expo will be held at Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London, 29th-30th January.2020

#Events

#PowerofOne Pure London AW19 (10h Feb-12th Feb 2019) Kensington, London There was an air of seriousness that hung over the stalls at the Sunday instalment of the Pure London 2019AW show at Kensington Olympia. After a bruising year from the media and governments around the world, chastising the fashion industry for its profligacy and contribution to pollution and poverty, the marketers seemed eager to show the visitors they had listened to the constructive criticism.

The #PowerofOne campaign was brought front and centre with all staff members wearing the t-shirts. The billboards announced the presence of the UN and their Global Goals initiative. The Pure Origin exhibit has grown with even more manufacturers from around the world, eager to meet their

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prospective clients face to face. Increasingly more strive to offer better deals on minimum orders, eager to champion their low carbon footprints and demonstrate how their products are locally and ethically sourced.

If transparency and dialogue is the objective, the organisers have fulfilled their brief. Last year’s collaboration with Orsola de Castro, co founder of Fashion Revolution, in the foundation of the Pure Origin Exhibit, is paying dividends.

There is even a designated ‘Conscious fashion’ area for the vegan, recycled plastics and ethical lifestyle brands.

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#Events

Steve Kenzie, Executive Director, UN Global Compact

By making it easier for consumers and buyers to find sustainable high quality brands, and giving better platforms for ethical manufacturers is evidently, it is clear this is now a top priority.

Last year the EDB (Economic Development Bank) had a prominent presence supporting the delegation of factories from Mauritius, this year the Serbian Chambers of Commerce assisted local factories in making the journey to London to source new business. There seems to be growing and healthy competition between the various countries in attendance.

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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Steve Kenzie, Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact, gave the opening address. It was a watershed moment to have the presence of the UN at a London, B2B fashion trade show. Mr. Kenzie did little to disguise his disappointment that the world, is still so far away from getting issues such as pollution, poverty and climate change under control. He intimated that fashion is a key player in this project. One in six jobs around the world are created by the fashion industry, according to UN statistics.

#Events From the cotton fields to the factory floor, from the tanneries to the design studios: as one of the biggest employers, fashion is also one of the largest industries that uses the most natural resources – and thus one of the biggest polluters. Mr. Kenzie wished not to chastise the independent wholesalers, buyers and consumers in the audience but to educate them on the #PowerofOne. The power they each held, in adopting more sustainable practices to improve their surroundings.

Employment. Productivity. Social mobility.

Economic Growth – these are all areas that the fashion industry has the potential to facilitate in every economy it is active. Among food and shelter, clothing is the third basic need for humanity’s survival.

Fashion isn’t going anywhere, but it feels like for the first time, from the consumer all the way to the UN, there is an acceptance, that the fashion industry needs sweeping reforms.

During her panel talk, the trailblazing activist and designer Katherine Hamnett did not mince her words. “I’ve read the Interim report from the Parliamentary Audit Committee,” she announced. “But all it tells me, is just how little our government understands fashion.” During our conversation, I raised her point again, asking her for clarification.

“They refer to ‘textiles’ throughout, but the firms they summoned (Asos, Primark, TK Maxx, Debenhams, M&S) are retailers. Textiles, by definition refers to the process, not the finished product.”

My mouth fell open.

I had previously cheered when the public statement from the committee announced that they were in agreement that the fast fashion business model was ‘unsustainable’. No one, had clocked that this was report was essentially window dressing.

What I hadn’t considered until now, was the reality that this audit, did not probe far enough.

What of the individual factories that supplied these firms? Had they investigated the chemicals used, the processes in which the materials were sourced?

Hamnett, with her unflinching stare confirmed – that the government’s ignorance in the fundamentals in fashion had led to this oversight. “They talk about the fishing industry all the time in the Commons, but that industry is worth £1.9 billion, the fashion industry more like £34 billion – but it’s barely given a second thought.”

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Phase One was about consciousness, making people aware of the high price the world is paying for a lifestyle that is built on inefficiency and waste. Phase Two? Legislation? External pressures on corporations and countries that do not accelerate the necessary reforms at a fast enough rate?

Hamnett proposed utilising the trading bloc’s muscle in only importing goods that meet the sustainable goals standard in manufacturing.

When asked how, as a team member, an individual could they get their CEOs to care?

“Unionise” was her response. Talk is cheap.

Now it’s time to act. While some speak of reform, Hamnett’s language was all about revolution. Starting again, innovating new business models, exploring new methods of sustainable manufacturing. #ThePowerOfOne is as much about the agency of the individual as it is the collective. It speaks of accountability of the manufacturer, the wholesaler, the buyer, the retailer and the consumer – the CEO and the employee. Governments are appointed by the people. The Csuite only exists when corporations have a customer base and demand. Consumers really do, for the first time hold all the cards in maintaining pressure for genuine and sustainable change. The question for 2019, is can these brands and corporations adapt fast enough to the shifts in consumer tastes?

[End]

#Events

Katherine Hamnett, Pure London AW2019, Kensington Olympia, photographed by Yasmin Jones-Henry

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#Events

INTERNATIONAL FASHION SHOWCASE (11th Feb-24th Feb 2019) Somerset House, London Review by Yasmin Jones-Henry

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#Events In November 2016, when I published my first ever article “Functionality vs The Aesthetic” on @Workinfashion.me, I had just one simple question: WHAT IS FASHION FOR? I had to ask, because back then, looking at the state of the industry, it wasn’t entirely clear.

As a millennial growing up in a decade of rabid consumption and fast fashion, I relied upon my parents’ perspective, to inform my tastes in the aesthetic.

My mother taught me that fashion was political. As a form of self expression, I was conditioned to believe that there is no trend that you’re obligated to follow. My father – ever the social entrepreneur used to scold me with the phrase “You buy cheap, you buy twice” as he implored me to consider the human cost of my fast fashion choices aged 14. But, in truth, without them, I would have been at a loss.

Somewhere in between Katherine Hamnett’s epic declaration to “Bring Back God” and the “See Now, Buy Now” trend that infected the catwalk, I felt that fashion had lost its way. As a woman of colour, I have very little recollection of seeing any form of diversity in my favourite glossies growing up. It was just the way things were. But, the moon travels in phases, the seasons have their cycle and we seem to be coming back to the middle. Fashion has finally rediscovered its focus.

Bold, Unapologetic and Sincere are the three words I would use to describe the International Fashion Showcase’s ‘Brave New Worlds’ exhibition. The IFS is a collaboration between the British Council, British Fashion Council and London College of Fashion. The International Fashion Showcase, held at Somerset House, first inaugurated in 2012 as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

In 2018 it evolved into a creative mentoring and business support residency for emerging designers.

The objective was to give these young, international designers the opportunity to build a network of peers and professional contacts in the British fashion industry.

The International Fashion Showcase is commissioned by Sarah Mann (Director of Architecture, Design, Fashion, British Council)

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Caroline Rush CBE (Chief Executive, British Fashion Council), Prof. Frances Corner OBE (Head of London College of Fashion UAL) and Ceri Hand (Director of Programmes, Somerset House).

The chair of the International Fashion Showcase is none other than Sarah Mower MBE (British Fashion Council Ambassador for Emerging Talent). For those of you who have read Platforms & Protégés (2017)you will know that I’m a big fan of Sarah Mower. She’s a woman of substance. So, anything that has her name attached to it will not disappoint.

Imagine the #SarahsList exhibit at Liberty’s London back in 2017 – then project that onto a global scale, with designers from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Georgia, India, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Netherlands, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Vietnam. Young designers: big platforms.

Interview with Sarah Mower featured in the #Workinfashion50 (Photograph courtesy of the British Fashion Council)

Walking through the Brave New Worlds exhibit, I turned to Sarah and declared, “You’re an International Mama!” She laughed, but I know she knew what I meant. I had seen the exhibit twice in one day. The press preview in the morning, and the launch party in the evening.

[Cont]

#Events Mingling with the designers, talking to them about their work, their local communities and how they were enjoying London, it’s not until you mention Sarah’s name that their eyes light up.

Talking to Roni Helou, a Lebanese designer and social entrepreneur whose exhibit chastised the viewer for the environmental cost of fashion, he simply smiled and said “Sarah’s amazing”. It meant so much for these independent artisans to know, that despite being in far flung corners of the world, somewhere in London, is a safe space, where they are permitted to speak their truth, through their art.

In “Functionality vs The Aesthetic”, I deduced that real fashion – for it to be fashion – must serve a purpose, anything else is idle vanity.

These designers seem to share the same view.

Each installation tells a different story. From the Netherlands, in Duran Lantink’s decimated department store, we see a foreboding of the demise of consumerism.

Meanwhile India’s Naushad Ali, makes the powerful statement using upcycled materials to illustrate how ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure’.

Sarah with Roni Helou, Lebanese designer 11/02/2019 (photographed by YJH)

Naushad Ali photographed by © Agnese Sanvito

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#Events

Thebe Magugu, South African designer, photographed by Agnese Sanvito

Few could find space to manoeuvre in Thebe Magugu’s room as he channelled the activism of the South African school girls who challenged the constitution as they fought for the right to wear their natural, unstraightened hair to school. His sharp tailoring, eye for colour and detail, was complimented with the Afros as the ultimate symbol of black resistance.

I promised myself, that I wouldn’t walk you through every installation, because you all need to go and see this for yourself. It seemed fitting, that the day after interviewing Katherine Hamnett,

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fashion designer, activist and all round legend, that I would then have the privilege of seeing the next generation of designers who understand their responsibility in using their creative power for the betterment of the human race. The revolution is upon us, and it’s gone global.

[END] **After winning the International Fashion Showcase Award, Thebe Magugu won the LVMH Prize 2019.**

LFW Highlights

MOTHER OF PEARL SS19 Arguably the highlight of London Fashion Week for womenswear, the Mother of Pearl presentation challenged editors to participate. In order to get up close to the collection, the viewer was required to wade through a see of sustainably sourced plastic pearls.

Speaking to creative director Amy Powney, she explained that her objective was to use the pearls as visual demonstration of the current plastic situation in our seas. Watching grown women fall face first into a ball pit for grown ups was both entertaining and effective in getting the point across.

The facts and figures of fashion’s contribution to global pollution are well documented. But some how it’s impossible to ignore while standing surrounded by plastic pearls in the Fitzrovia Chapel. Yes the collection is beautiful, but if you lose your footing, you’re drowning in plastic ‘figuratively’. Mingling laughter with education is the least stressful way to broach the topic after multiple reports and documentaries on the topic.

Powney’s presentation comes just a week after the Parliamentary Audit Committee released their report on their findings following an audit of the UK fashion industry. Unfortunately, Amy informs me that she has been too busy to read it—(the build up to LFW is all consuming). But, she pauses, the only thing that makes a difference now will be government legislation. “Taxes. Levies. Ban imports that don’t meet requirements” Amy declares.

Mother of Pearl under her stewardship has seen a more vocal, unapologetic approach to reconciling sustainable fashion with luxury. Their newest No Frills collection sits where the high street meets luxury, with none of the fuss or fanfare.

The pearls? “Oh, they’ll be cleaned and recycled, and reused again.” Amy tells me. “It’s all part of the circular economy.” The buzzword of the yea, it seems. But, nothing in the Mother of Pearl presentation is there for mere idle vanity. Everything serves some purpose.

Transparency is the Mother of Pearl way.

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LFW Highlights AW19

MARTA JAKUBOWSKI AW19

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“Designers can only do so much. What we really need is for the government to put this on the curriculum. The best way, the most effective way to change patterns of consumer consumption, is to bring the discussion about sustainability and the environment into the classrooms.�

CHRISTOPHER RAEBURN AW19

Graeme Rarburn, Backstage, Chrstopher Raeburn Show LFWM AW19

London Fashion Week Mens The highlight of the weekend was the Christopher Raeburn show. Celebrating his new appointment as the creative director of Timberland, the long-term sustainable fashion advocate delivered a militant statement.

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Using upcycled/recycled materials Raeburn delivered an articulate demonstration that sustainable fashion was serious affair. It is the epitome of cool, and is what the environment and the industry needs right now. The challenge is no longer designing new clothes, but demonstrating a level of dexterity that enables new things to be refashioned from the old.

#LondonFashionWeekMens Highlights

Priya Ahluwalia

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Adwoah Aboah, Stephanie Phair and Caroline Rush, (British Fashion Council) Announcement of the Institue of Positive Fashion , their new mentorship scheme and their new collaboration with the London Business School 144

#Events

London Craft Week 2019 The design industry is worth £76.9 billion to the UK economy according to the Design Council (2018).

As an industry, it is growing three times faster than banking and technology. London remains at the centre of this growth with it’s ability to attract and retain some of the world’s most innovative designers and artisans. From the Scorched Earth exhibit at the Fitzrovia Chapel to Sacha Lobe discussing Bauhaus at the Conran Shop, from Mayfair to Peckham to King’s Cross, the week was packed with the very best the design community in London had to offer.

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LDF 2019 Highlights Sustainability has officially found its place within the aesthetic of British design.

With the British Fashion Council’s announcement of the launch of the new Institute of Positive Fashion at London Fashion Week, their intention to deliver further investment into innovation into sustainable design practices and low impact materials has been met with the London Design Festival championing the same cause, giving a global platform to a new wave of designers and makers challenging the status quo.

Transparency, ethics and sustainability is very much on the agenda.

Granbyware Granby Works, a Liverpool based workshop and design studio launched their kickstarter campaign at their installation at Coal Drops Yard on 18th September 2019, in order to make their new core tableware range ‘Granbyware’ available to scale. ‘Granbyware’ is made from 100% recycled waste materials.

Their products are made from a combination of ceramic, glass and stone waste reformulated into a clay body and a line of glazes that are 100% recycled, food and dishwasher safe.

The range offers a use for millions of tonnes of ceramic, glass and stone waste that goes straight to landfill each year. www.granbyworkshop.co.uk

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Floor_Story Making design accessible is a core part of the current sustainability movement, it’s also a key element of Floor_Story’s aesthetic and brand narrative. Described as ‘East London’s friendliest rug dealers’ , Floor Story’s recent collaborations with artists Camille Walala and John Booth were the headline acts of their exhibit at the London Design Fair this year. Their made to order hand knitted rugs are made in Nepal and they are GoodWeave certified retailers.

Brompton Design District With this year’s theme being ‘Nature/Nurture’ and ‘Brompton Biotopia’ being the headline installation, it’s impossible to ignore the extent to which nature has permeated the thoughts and conscience of designers the narratives that have emerged throughout the London Design Festival.

Curator Jane Withers commissioned three design practices: Marlene Huissoud, Goldsmiths’ Interaction Research Studio and Material Architecture Lab to create a collection of animal habitats designed to support urban biodiversity. This is a real time example of design being a solution provider to society’s problems as research published in the Biological Conservation last year revealed that 40% of insect species are undergoing “dramatic rates of decline”.

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#Events

Top: Berthold launch with Sabine Zetteler, Paradise Row Collaboration featuring Nika Diamond-Krendel And Venetia Berry. FT Women At The Top Conference , key note speech on diversity delivered by Dame Vivienne Hunt, Managing Partner of Mckinsey&Co, HEAD Geneve 2019: Peghah Maleknejadm Leanne Elliot-Young, YJH, Sandra Mudronja (Head of Communicationas at HEAD Geneve)

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Interiors Supplement & #WLookbook2019

Sustainability Made Simple Akojo Market, IntoArt The New Craftsmen, IKEA & SubjectMatterArt

What Do Millennials Want?

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In Defence of Millennials

By Yasmin Jones-Henry “Listen up Baby Boomers: Millennials care about lifestyle.

We care about interiors.

We care about design.

We love the aesthetic too.�

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I don’t even know where this misinformation came from or who decided that because we were raised in a century that brought with it wi-fi and instant messaging, that as a result of our association with tech we have no aspiration for the finer things in life.

This topic is a source of irritation for a number of reasons. But mostly because it’s the epitome of #fakenews.

Some old person, filled with resentment for all that is young and new, sat in a darkened room, and invented that wretched label – and proceeded to assign a profile to everyone born after 1982.

Standing at a colleague’s leaving do last year, a friend (who is 7 years older than me and born in the 1980s) turned and began to vent. “You know I really don’t get why they bunch us all together in the same age bracket. You were born in ’92.

A totally different decade to the 80s.” Fair point. “Also, I graduated in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008. The world looked totally different for me, than it did for you.”

Taking another sip of my drink I raised an eyebrow to show that I had taken her point. “Also...” there was more... “I’m in my thirties. I have (no offence) a higher salary and more disposable income than you.

You rent. I just purchased my first property...”These words have been gnawing away in the back of my conscience ever since.

This is an epic oversight by brands and publications. With every magazine, brand and ad agencies that fails in its attempt to relate to Millennials, they only show us, just how little they actually know us.

Drawing from a demographic that spans such huge strides in technology and social engineering, is a big deal. It’s the difference between having an i-pod or cassette player and vinyl.

It’s the difference between going to the arcade, and having a PSP. It’s the difference between posting your prom pictures in a photo album on Facebook or sticking them into an actual photo album.

It’s the difference between being in a group chat with your school friends, and actually having to go to a park or a ‘place’ to play with friends.It is true, as a result of camera phones, social media, 3G internet – theMillennial’s social experience as an impressionable child walking into teenagehood is a very different experience to their elders...

But the fundamentals seldom change. When selling anything, it a cardinal sin to presume. What do people want? Yet, when it comes to my brethren, the elders do it all the time. What do Milllennials want?

Has anyone actually asked us?

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Well, I’ll tell you. We want to live well. It’s that simple. For those of us who were in our early teens when the world plunged into the financial crisis of 2007 -2008, many of us would have been embarking on sitting exams in the hope of future employment – without any security that there would even be a future, as we watched footage of grownups in suits, walking out of offices with boxes containing all their earthly belongings.

In London, property prices came crashing down.

In England, we have a saying, ‘an Englishman’s home is his castle’ – well with the castles were under siege, we were left feeling vulnerable, unsafe and uncertain as to how long this instability would last. Then of course let’s not forget climate change...

I was 11 when my cousin was shipped off to Iraq. When I think back to 2000-2010 I reflect on the transition from an 8 year old to an 18 year old, trying desperately to make sense of a world that was evidently going through an existential crisis.

So is it any surprise that now, this same demographic have entered the job market, can vote and have some measure of consumer power, they are using their power to champion the very essence of stability itself.

Veganism is a symptom of a growing conscious and awareness that if we, the next generation do not break with the toxic habits of our predecessors, we will have no planet to call home. The dietary revolution is part of a wider movement often referred to as #wellness on Instagram. Wanting to live well, to have good mental health, pleasant surroundings and and nothing but positive vibes - amounts to an industry estimated to be worth 26 billion Euros in the UK (Wellness Institute, 2017).

So whoever keeps touting that line that ‘Millennials don’t care about lifestyle’ clearly has no relationship with reality or no internet access to research the data.

Sitting amongst my peers last week, this topic came up over coffee. One friend laughed as she confessed she picks restaurants and venues based on the decor and the ‘vibes’. We might not be able to furnish country homes, but interiors – the aesthetic is still a big influencer when it comes. `to our senses and our spending habits.

It’s true, the actions of our parent’s generation, the state of the economy and job market we have inherited means we will be poorer than the Baby Boomers. But, that doesn’t equate to being poor.

Strap yourselves in folks! 2019 will see more ethical and sustainable luxury lifestyle brands and designers featured on @WorkinFashion.me and in the next edition of #TheCollective. If they won’t give the people what they want... then I will.

[End]

CARALARGA

MARIKA-VERA

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MAKUA

ALMA

ATELIER FOLKLORE

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IKEA + NextGen The times are indeed changing. As IKEA looks to the future , they have also taken steps to future proof their business model by adapting and evolving their services and product range to better suit the taste of their Millennial and Gen Z audiences.

Hege Saebjørsen Country Sustainability Manager, IKEA Group, explains the ways in which IKEA is incorporating the philosophy of the circular economy into their wider brand narrative.

The first major seismic shift she notes, is the change in buying habits between the previous generationand their Millennial counterparts. As the Millennials socioeconomic standing means, they will become serial-renters, IKEA have responded to their needs in favour of access over ownership.

Already using 100% sustainable cotton that is GOTS certified.

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Investing in innovative textiles for their new products . For the past year and a half they have also integrated recycled polyester into their material mix.

As the younger more environmentally conscious consumer, looks for products to fill their personal spaces with—they are also search for an option that brings with it fewer environmental and socio-economic challenges.

Knowing your curtains were woven with cotton that is sustainable and ethically sourced; knowing that the recycled polyester has ensured virgin plastics haven’t gone straight to landfill to be incinerated, should help us all to sleep a little easier at night.

These are the value added traits sustainability brings to the ’lifestyle experience. https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/

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Birdsong, London

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#WorkinFashionPresents

#Interiors

Catherine Lock

Mark Henderson

Founder & Creative Director, The New Craftsmen

Co-Founder & Executive Chairman The New Craftsmen

Prior to founding The New Craftsmen, Catherine spent 15 years as a product, trend and brand developer for British high street brands such as Sainsbury’s and Habitat .

Her global travels exposed her to a colourful array of making, and makers, within workshops and homes which fuelled her fascination for the human and cultural aspects of craft, whilst merging it with that for her love of beautiful, well designed objects.

In 2010 Catherine shifted her focus, touring the British Isles to meet regional craftsmen and traditional manufacturers.

Having built her knowledge of materials, processes and provenance, she now works with craft makers to develop exclusive collections and bespoke products.

Mark has worked in luxury goods for most of his professional life. He is Chairman of Gieves & Hawkes, No 1 Savile Row, Chairman of the London Luxury Quarter (Mayfair & St James’s), and a Director of Walpole (the UK luxury industry association). In 2004 Mark established the Savile Row Bespoke Association.

His commitment to encouraging and nurturing emerging makers is renowned throughout the sector, and he is also a trustee of Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) and a patron of the Heritage Crafts Association (HCA). Mark firmly believes that craft makers and making can be enhanced by dynamic exhibitions and the cross germination of skills and experience. www.thenewcraftsmen.com 34 North Row, Mayfair London W1K 6DG

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Adam Ross

Cameron Short (Printmaker)

Catarina Riccabona

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Bristol Weaving Mill

#WorkinFashionPresents

#Interiors

Into Art

In Conversation with Ella Ritchie, co-founder of IntoArt YJH: What inspired you to launch Intoart in 2001?

ER: Myself and Sam Jones founded Intoart in response to a lack of high-quality arts education and limited opportunities for artists with learning disabilities. We had both just graduated from Central St Martins in Fine Art Printmaking. Alongside studying in my third year of the BA course, I had been working on summer projects with people with learning disabilities through recreational activities but when it came to the arts activities the resources being made available and expectations of people were very poorly invested in.

Determined to challenge preconceptions and overturn prejudices, we set up the first 8week Intoart project in Peckham in 2001, with a commitment to working with adults with learning disabilities for whom there was limited access to the visual arts and art education.

We have remained committed to our founding values and expanded to work in the design field.

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Intoart aims to provide a platform for people with learning disabilities to become both visible and equal in the art and design world – not merely applauded for participating, but recognised and respected as creatives in their own right.

Over the past 18 years Intoart has grown to become a permanent, full-time programme and studio space, moving into our new space at Peckham Levels earlier this year. We support the work of 21 artists and designers, working across a range of media including painting, print, illustration, fashion, ceramics, product and graphic design. Intoart have realised exhibitions, commissions and research projects with contemporary art galleries and museums in the UK and internationally, including to date, V&A, Tate, Southbank Centre, Whitechapel Gallery and Studio Voltaire.

YJH: Describe what Intoart offers in 3 words ER: Ambition / Craftsmanship/ Integrity

#WorkinFashionPresents YJH: What are your long-term plans?

Where would you like Intoart to be in 5 years time?

ER: For more people with learning disabilities to be recognised and seen as artists and designers in their own right. We will continue to develop innovative programmes and new partnerships.

In five–years’ time we would love to have a number of new and exciting high profile collaborations under our belt that align with our practice and are experienced by many people who had never previously heard of us and what we do.

YJH: What advice would you offer to anyone looking to launch a social enterprise/initiative of their own?

ER: We have built up the organisation incrementally and had a close eye on maintaining the quality of our practice whilst increasing the ambition. We have always valued our partnerships, collaborations and working with individuals who contribute ideas, widen networks and opportunities – it’s really important to nurture new relationships and invest in long-standing ones.

YJH: What can projects #W readers look out for next from Intoart?

ER: This November, we launch a new capsule collection Intoart X John Smedley of nine garments designed by Intoart artists.

The collection will be launching in John Smedley stores on 15 November in time for their flagship Christmas window displays. It’s the first collaboration of its kind for both Intoart and John Smedley, as well as the biggest commercial impact that Intoart has had on the design industry to date. We are really excited to work with a major design brand to realise the potential of Intoart’s artists and designers, and hope that it will lead to further opportunities and collaborations.

The collaboration came about through renowned designer and creative director Holly Fulton, who, alongside her partner, illustrator James Lambert, have had a relationship have enjoyed a long-standing collaborative relationship with both John Smedley and Intoart.

Three artists from the Intoart studio have each produced three designs for the collection, which includes unisex jumpers, woollen dresses, a scarf and a shawl.

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#Interiors

Andre Williams’ knits feature his attentiongrabbing typographical style and wry wit, using Azure Blue to add emphasis to his high-impact comical messages.

Yoshiko Phillips draws on mythical creatures and animal imagery to create a series of eye-catching patterns in Blaze Orange that evoke the notions of predator and prey. With accents in Cerise Pink, Ntiense Eno Amooquaye’s designs explore the iconography of fashion and its embodiment in the image of the fashion model.

It was important to us that the original lines drawn by each artist, and that their distinctive styles are prserved throughout the transition from paper to wool. The resulting nine garments have been successful in achieving this and we look forward to seeing the public’s response to the collection.

The collection will available to buy from johnsmedley.co.uk and John Smedley shops on Brook Street, Jermyn Street and New Cavendish Street, London, from 15 November 2018 Social media Instagram: @intoart_uk

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JOHN SMEDLEY KNITWEAR

RÆBURN DESIGN

This t-shirt has been RÆMADE from original air brake parachute, an iconic material part of our tenth anniversary collection, overlaid onto an organic cotton base and crafted at the RÆBURN Lab. Every t-shirt differs slightly depending on the placement of the parachute fabric.

Part of our RÆMADE in England collection, this t-shirt is one of a maximum of 50 in existence, and individually numbered.

Please note RÆMADE items have been created taking existing surplus materials, products and artefacts and reworking them into completely new products. As a result of this upcycling process, no two RÆMADE products are identical and may include some inherent faults and/or characteristics of the original materials, products and artefacts used to make them. www.raeburndesign.co.uk

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Ahluwalia Studio

The New Collection by Ahluwalia Studio is now available via Browns Mens Fashion

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Priya Ahluwalia, takes elements from her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage fused with her London roots and explores the life of vintage and dead stock clothing through her label Ahluwalia Studios. Embodying a nostalgic tinge, the brand is an amalgamation of sportswear, knitwear, and fine tailoring. Each piece, is unique with jackets, hoodies, sweaters, lounge pants, and shorts featuring panelled and asymmetric constructions, mismatched fabrics, and juxtaposing pattern combinations.

This SS20 the designer seeks inspiration from the 1990s and features family imagery and prints covering psychedelic trousers and backpacks.

I.N.D.O.I

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The Demi Shirt is made in a beautiful deep black organic cotton. With a minimal slim collar, neat pleats in the sleeve draw to an elegant cuff fastening with three small corozo buttons. Tie at the waist for an easy elegant look.

ALICE EARLY WWW.ALICEEARLY.CO.UK

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100% Organic Cotton Black Corozo buttons Designed and Made in London Machine Washable

The Freya Dress is fitted at the waist and features bold raglan sleeves cut to fit neatly at the wrist. A chic collarless dress with large pockets made in a soft organic cotton, it can easily be worn as both a dress or open as a shirt.

ALICE EARLY WWW.ALICEEARLY.CO.UK

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100% Organic Cotton Black Corozo buttons Designed and Made in London Machine Washable

HAMAJI THE NOMAD

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PALA EYEWEAR Pala Eyewear’s goal is to create a business that puts people and the planet before profits and ethical and sustainable practices at the forefront of their operations. Pala gives grants directly to eye care projects in Africa: Projects might include building a new Vision Centre; or dispensary, purchasing equipment or supporting an outreach programme – all sustainable, long term solutions that facilitate eyecare, eye-tests and provision of spectacles.

640 million people are unable to access potentially life-changing eyecare. A pair of spectacles is an invaluable economic tool providing empowerment for the wearer. They enable reading, learning and access to better education. They provide a chance to operate a machine, or to thread a needle and improve overall job prospects.

Pala also makes its unique glasses cases using recycled plastic. Plastic waste is collected, washed, melted and re-purposed into the plastic that is then woven by hand by traditional weavers in Ghana, made in partnership with the NGO organisation CARE 4 Basket.

For Further information visit @AkojoMarket 171

Founded in 2015 by Diana Ejaita, ethical fashion brand Wear Your Mask mixes African textiles with minimalistic design. With a background in illustrating and textile design, the designer applies her experience to the brand, relying on a repetitive series of symbols as its iconic motif. Born in Italy to an Italian mother and a Nigerian father, Ejaita studied in France before moving to Germany, where Wear Your Mask is based. Just like the designer herself, the brand is a mix of European and African roots, and each piece works to create a dialogue between tradition and modernism; and between the east and west.

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FREE AS A HUMAN Fashion Designer and social activist Anyango Mpinga created Free As A Human in 2018 to raise awareness of human trafficking and in particular the issue of forced labour within the fashion industry supply chain.

All profits from Free As A Human sales are donated to HAART Kenya’s shelter for young female survivors of trafficking.

For further information visit: @AkojoMarket

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GABRIELLE SWIMWEAR Gabrielle Swimwear is a luxe swimwear label based in Cape Town, South Africa launched in 2012 by fashion designer Gabrielle Kool. The brand’s signature botanical and nature inspired prints stem from a strong environmental background and all prints are created and designed by Gabrielle and are exclusive to the label.

Following a “green strategy” from start to finish – the fabrics, printing and production are all sourced locally and selected for their quality and ethical foundations. Supporting other local businesses, minimising carbon footprint, empowering woman and providing sustainable, quality pieces are all priorities in the ethos of the label.

For further information visit @AkojoMarket

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LILABARE Kenyan-based fashion brand Lilabare was created in 2017 with a vision to create comfortable clothing and jewellery that is sustainable in every aspect.

The majority of fabrics Lilabare use are selected from postmanufacturing waste materials. Jersey fabrics are made in Kenya and dyed in neutral colours to reduce it’s water footprint and the brand’s signature brass beads are hand-crafted by artisans in Nigeria.

Lilabare avoids using any heavy-duty and therefore heavy-pollutant machinery. Every button, pendant and bead is created through a process of up-cycling metal sourced from old machinery, locks and other high-quality metal detritus. All of Lilabare’s jewellery pieces are vegan and handcrafted.

Semi-precious stones are ethically mined, extracted in small blasts which allows the rock to regenerate.

All of Lilabare’s artisans, farmers, boomers, weaver and tailors are paid above average for their work.

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For further information visit: @AkojoMarket

ZII ROPA

Enter: 85XWIF at checkout to receive 15% discount. www.85Paris.com

Zii Ropa was born in the desert of Baja California Sur, Mexico, where the Vancouverite creative director settled to develop a design studio based on the principles of longevity, art and balance.

The line uses natural fibre fabrics to create minimal modern silhouettes inspired by muted landscapes and soft textures.

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The clothing studio evolves around the principle of finding what empowers a woman and makes her feel good, comfortable and style driven.

Each piece is hand-tailored in small women-run workshops and an in-house studio in the Roma and Condesa Districts of Mexico City. MADE IN MEXICO

AYNI A Peruvian brand that specialises in ethically sourced knitwear.

The ‘fabiana’ Jacket (left) is made from the Peruvian alpaca, it is hand knitted by communities in the Cuzco region in Peru, under ethical conditions.

Enter: 85XWIF at checkout to receive 15% discount. www.85Paris.com

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Enter: 85XWIF at checkout to receive 15% discount. www.85Paris.com

CARALARGA 178

Paradise Row www.paradiserowlondon.com/

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Heritier Freres

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Featured Art/Stockists/Social Ahluwalia Studio https://www.ahluwaliastudio.com/ Instagram: @Ahluwalia_Studio

Hanna Fielder www.hannafielder.com Instagram: @hannafielder

Akojo Market https://akojomarket.com/ Instagram: @Akojomarket

Lalla (rugs) www.akojomarket.com

Alice Early https://aliceearly.co.uk/ Instagram: @AliceEarly Ayni https://85paris.com/search? q=Ayni&type=product&submit_search=Se arch Instagram: @AyniUniverse Bethany Williams http://www.bethany-williams.com/ Instagram: @Bethany_Williams_London Birdsong, London https://birdsong.london/ Instagram: @birdsonglondon Bottletop https://bottletop.org/ Instagram: @bottletoppers Burberry https://uk.burberry.com/the-econylcapsule/ Instagram: @burberry Caralarga https://85paris.com/collections/ caralarga Instagram: @Caralarga_mx Christopher Raeburn https://www.raeburndesign.co.uk/ Instagram: @Raeburn_design Everlane https://www.everlane.com/ Instagram: @Everlane Heritier Freres https://heritierfreres.com/ Instagram: @HeritierFreres IKEA https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/ Instagram: @IKEAUK i.n.d.o.i www.indoi.co.uk IntoArtUK https://intoart.org.uk/ Instagram: @IntoArtUK

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Guy Morgan Apothecary www.guy-morgan.com Instagram: @GuyMorganApothecary Lakwena Maciver (‘The Future is Gold’) https://www.subjectmatterart.com/ search?q=Lakwena Instagram: @Lakwena Laura Ironside https://www.lauraironside.com/ Instagram: @LauraIronsideStudio Mashu https://mashu.co.uk/ Instagram: @Mashu Mother of Pearl (AW18) https://motherofpearl.co.uk/ Instagram: @MotherofPEarl Paradise Row London https://www.paradiserowlondon.com/ Instagram: @ParadiseRowLondon RAEBURN Design www.raeburndesign.co.uk @Raeburn_Design @Raeburn_Retail Subject Matter Art https://www.subjectmatterart.com/ Instagram: @SubjectMatterArt Sdress Fashion https://sdress.com/ Instagram: @SDressFashion Sourcemap https://www.sourcemap.com Instagram: @sourcemap The New Craftsmen https://www.thenewcraftsmen.com/ Instagram: @TheNewCraftsmen Venetia Berry https://www.venetiaberry.com/ Instagram: @VenetiaBerry Zetteler PR/Design Can https://www.zetteler.co.uk/ Instagram: _Zetteler_// @_designcan__

With Special Thanks Priya Ahluwalia Akojo Market Jessica Alderson Yannick Aellen Katie Barker Venetia Berry MJ Contreras Patrick Duffy Kitty Dinshaw Izy Dixon Romain Casella Orsola de Castro Veronica Chou Nika Diamond-Krendel Tara Donovan Katie Evans Everlane Hanna Fielder Natasha Fish Yelena Ford Heritier Freres Jacqueline Jones-Henry Errol Michael Henry Bella Hignett Myfanwy Kramer Mashu Natalie Massenet Olivia Mansoon Nina Marenzi Sarah Mower MBE Sandra Mudronja Alice Ratcliffe Sofia Pandolfo Nene Parsotam Grace Probyn Grace Ridley Christpher Raeburn Graeme Raeburn Fabiola Di Stefano Sanja Vukelic Sabine Zetteler 85 Paris

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