CONFERENCE: Fashion Transitions: Ethical Fashion Insights 

Thu 4 November, 10.30am-4pm, at Somerset College of Art and Technology


A pioneering conference organized by the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World nr. Exeter marks a departure from eco-fashion events/conferences that focus solely on fashion. ‘Fashion Transitions’ is designed to expand the notion of what sustainability means in the world of fashion, and offer insights and new approaches for ways the industry can change. 

The conference will include presentations by people already making sustainable changes within the industry as well as people from other disciplines whose work highlights transferrable methodologies and ideas. These ideas include new ways of working, encourage autonomy of design and can empower individuals who are already in the industry or the up-and-coming makers and shapers of fashion to challenge the status quo’s current levels of unsustainability.
 

Conference speakers

The morning presenters will include Alastair Fuad-Luke, author of The Eco-Design Handbook and Programme Leader Masters in Entrepreneurship for Creative Practice, University of Plymouth, Otto von Busch, ‘Fashion Hacktivist’ and visiting lecturer at London College of Fashion, Lee Holdstock, Trade Relations Manager – food and textiles for the Soil Association, Piers Thomas who has worked with numerous outdoor, environmental and fashion brands worldwide; designing innovative performance-enhancing technical products to create positive change to the quadruple bottom line, William Lana of Greenfibres  and Tom Podkolinski from Finisterre, a South West clothing company with a line of clothing exclusively made of rare breed wool from Devon.

In the afternoon, there will be case studies of exciting work being done within and outside of the fashion industry.  They include Julia Crew, on the start-up of her own sustainable fashion brand and company  ‘i-did-nee-ken’, Toby Borland showing how his engineering projects using the practice of production and development within ‘opensource communities’ can be applied to fashion making, Ryan Manton, who works in architecture and focuses on sustainable practice and Lizzie Harrison, creator of community co-design project ‘ReMade in Leeds’, whose work is currently featured in CCANW’s ‘Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches’ exhibition. 


Booking and further information

Please contact CCANW on 01392 832277 or [log in to unmask] for further information or to book a place (prices start at £10). 
 

Conference context

The conference has been curated by Tara Baoth Mooney and Emma Rigby, who are also the curators of CCANW’s current exhibition ‘Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches’.  Emma is a member of the collective Here Today Here Tomorrow which consists of four creative practitioners specialising in sustainable fashion and textiles. Tara has just presented her first collection at the Ethical Fashion show Paris. 

The Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World (CCANW) in Haldon Forest Park, Devon, has created ‘Fashion Footprints’, a dedicated programme of exhibitions and events that examines the fashion and textile industry’s complex supply chain and suggests realistic sustainable alternatives. The central ‘Fashion Footprints’ exhibition runs at CCANW’s Project Space until 21 November, after which it will begin a national tour in 2011 around fashion and textile institutions in the UK. See www.ccanw.co.uk for further information.
 

Further links:

www.juliacrew.com
www.selfpassage.org
www.randomcompany.com 
www.greenfibres.com 
www.fuad-luke.com
www.remadeinleeds.org
www.antiformindustries.com
http://smartlab.uel.ac.uk/?page_id=286