EFF & Sustainable Sourcing

 

by Deborah Miarkowska

Last night with excitement I attended the Ethical Fashion Forum’s Fashion+ Spotlight on sourcing event at Rich Mix, London.The evening highlighted how Fashion can change lives.

The panel included Abi Rushton, Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing Manager for Tesco, Ben Ramsden, Zameen and Pants To Poverty, Rani Patel and Lucy Jones from RaniJones, Jackie Andrews, Consultant, Luxury Textiles with eighteen years experience as a designer and buyer at leading fashion houses from Lanvin to Christian Lacroix and last but certainly not least Kirsten Samuel, Mumo and the Chair CSR Consultant, Clare Lissaman.

Abi Rushton illustrated how Fashion can change lives through the power that a stable income has on families and communities and how many people you can touch in this way. She looked at the Green Factory and how it is not about building new but that there is mileage in working greener in existing production sites, with lower environmental footprints and lower running costs it all about “working smarter” she added. When asked for her top tips on sourcing sustainably she said she had one big one… “be transparent, with tracking systems that are open and honest”.

The delightful Rani Patel and Lucy Jones introduced their brand RaniJones as being passionate about slow fashion, fashion that has been progressively designed, is socially responsible and focuses on quality throughout and working to ethical practices with a social conscience at every stage of the production process. Both stressed the value they placed on their code of conduct and an open business model. The RaniJones designs use organic cotton, merino wool, bamboo and chrome free leather. All of their weavers and dyers who handmade their garments received a fair and guaranteed price. What is clear with a small ethical brand is the difficulties faced when revenues are tight and minimum order levels demanded are high.

Kirsten Samuel energetically introduced us to her business Mumo, that is a platform for designers to source fabrics that are ethically produced and sustainable. Kirsten believes that in working with established brands to change the way they practice can create permanent and positive change in the Fashion Industry. She posed the question: “How do we create a supply chain that is ethical in its entirety when looking at a combination of fair trade and organic certification of fabrics?” Kirsten illustrated how we need to build structures so we know where our fabrics come from using traceability and audit tools of which she mentioned string and the Fair Labour Organisation. It is exciting times as the market is changing rapidly in this direction.

Jackie Andrews gave an interesting overview of how the large brands like Stella McCartney are working at putting sustainability into practice. She argued for a localised ethical conscience, especially in the climate of a global crisis. She passionately talked about the need to be focusing our practices as designers and buyers to be ethical all the way through the supply chain, from reducing our carbon footprints, to looking at grey water pollution and the pressure on processes. The problem she argued as many leading ethical brands do is that we are the ones with the problem in the West and need to look at our global consumption and waste. She finished with a powerful statement: “Be innovative and encourage people to buy and produce with a conscience”.

Ben Ramsden from Pants To Poverty thrilled the audience when Clair Lissaman suggested that he may reveal his underpants, but went on to discuss with passion how it is vital that we change the way cotton is brought to market. He argued with vigour for a change in trade patterns stating that “it is fundamentally important to rid the world of bad pants, in other words cotton”. Ben highlighted the tragedy of 5000 cotton farmers killing themselves each year through the pressure and exploitation of unfair trading systems. He argued that Fair Trade is fabulous but it could go even further by enabling cotton farmers to be independent as there are currently 500.000 children in forced child labour in India.

Zameen is a success story and 6500 cotton farmers are gradually moving towards organic farming methods with a 10%+ price on conventional cotton. Pants To Poverty are demonstrating how partnership working changes lives. Pants To Poverty argues for the fundamental importance and move towards poverty eradication.

The evening made it very clear that we all by buying responsibly and with a conscience we can change lives through ethical and fair trade fashion.

With thanks to the panel and the EFF for putting on a great evening.

Take a look at their site: http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/13.html

Deborah Miarkowska, Founder, EcoChic.

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