April 22, 2019 |
Every week is a fashion revolution week when you work at Ten Towers. Constantly trying to move the conversation forward, it does often feel like the never-ending cycle of our industry makes it difficult to stop and think about it. But this week is a different fashion revolution – the 2019 edition of the Fashion Revolution Week, an annual global campaign calling for a fairer, safer and more transparent fashion industry. This year, the focus is on “highlighting how the future fashion industry must respect both people and planet with fair and decent work, environmental protection and gender equality.” From Brazil to Australlia all the way back to Uruguay and then to Vietnam – there’s over 1000 official Fash Rev events happening, with more than 275 million expected to take part. From today until Sunday 28th April – take every day, another opportunity to make the world a better place. And after that, continue doing so. Fashion Revolution Week is just an opportunity to educate and get inspired – these are all things we should be doing 365 days a year.
Since there’s oh, so much happening, we cherry-picked 10 things to do this week to celebrate Fashion Revolution Week.
FASHION OPEN STUDIOS
Fashion Open Studios are back, with more names than ever taking part this year. Winner of the H&M Prize, Priya Ahluwalia will be in conversation with (our good friend) Tamsin Blanchard about how she came to discover Indian garment recycling capital, Panipat, whilst Phoebe English will be opening her Deptford studio once again, this time for a quilting-from-waste workshop. Dame Westwood is sinking her teeth in too – she will give an insightful talk about her eco-friendly design ethos at the World’s End store. There’s plenty going on, so get yourself off the couch and into a studio. Book individual tickets here, free of charge. PT
POLO RALPH LAUREN X PROJECT 0
Thanks to initiatives like Fashion Revolution Week, the idea of sustainability has gone beyond niche brands and emerging designers. Even the big guys are doing it now. Launched on April 18th, it’s the first ever sustainable project to come out of Polo Ralph Lauren – the Earth Polo. The American classic – that well-known unisex shirt with a popped collar and a horse emblem embroidered on the chest – has now got its environment-friendly alternative. Its thread is derived entirely from recycled plastic bottles and dyed in a high-tech waterless treatment process, each shirt being produced out of 12 bottles. Available in green, white, navy and white blue, both in men’s and women’s sizes, this is a new classic bound to stay. And if you’re not up for shopping, you can just pass by the Polo Ralph Lauren store on New Bond Street and tap your card to donate £3 to the Project 0, working to clear up the Oceans. Shop here. DB
RENT-À-PORTER AT HIGHER STUDIO
Have a taste for the finer things in life but still want to help save the planet? Renting clothes is the way forward. And we’re not talking about taking your mum’s old bag. Higher Studio is a highly innovative scheme which allows subscribers to rent contemporary luxury offerings as well as archived staples. The company aims to “provide a rotating wardrobe free from a consumer hangover”, where the works of Phoebe English, Patrick McDowell alongside Comme and Junya Watanabe classics are all available to rent on a weekly basis. What better way to impress your office colleagues with a brand spanking new wardrobe each week? Rent now online. PT
LET US NOT DIE FROM HABIT BY SHAN PURDY
An easy way to extend a garment’s lifestyle is through customisation. To illustrate this photographer Shan Purdy sent the same pair of jeans and white shirt to a number of subjects over the course of several weeks, giving each individual a week to alter the outfit as they saw fit. The resulting series which captures the dramatic changes the outfit underwent throughout the process shows just how much creativity and resourcefulness can make a simple, everyday outfit into a unique look. Hail to Sheffield and check out Purdy’s upcoming exhibition Let Us Not Die From Habit to see for yourself. Find out more info here. MO
SUSTAINABILITY AS A CULTURE
For the forth edition of the critically acclaimed Study Hall conference series, Slow Factory are coming to the UK. Holding the first international edition at Central Saint Martins on April 27th, it’s a day set to be jam-packed with enlightening discussions and activities. Wilson Oryema will open the day with a spoken word piece, moving through to Sarah Mower who will interview Fashion Revolution founders Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers. All in all – this is not to be missed. Book event here. PT
MAYAMIKO
Mayamiko is out to prove that yes, you can be radically transparent, sustainable and empower women, all at the same time. This Fashion Revolution Week, the UK fashion brand which supports a women trust in Malawi will launch its SS19 collection featuring a wide selection of summer basics – from a floral oversized blazer and matching bum bag to a puffy sleeved crop top in strawberry red. With a zero-waste policy in place, Mayamiko ensures that all scrap fabrics are repurposed and turned into something useful; this includes using leftovers to create sanitary pads for young girls in the community, in addition to those living in refugee camps. Every piece comes with a QR code so you can get to know more about the woman who made it. Shop here. MO
FASHION QUESTION TIME
Curious how innovation in sustainability will impact the future of fashion? Email it over to the Fashion Revolution team! They’ll select from the submissions and pose them to the panel of leading experts from academia and fashion who will then discuss their respective takes at Fashion Question Time. If you’re wondering how high street views the future, be sure to RSVP soon to hear from featured panellist Hendrik Alpin, manager of sustainability engagement at the H&M Group. Find out more information and book your place here. MO
NIKE’S PLANT COLOUR COLLECTION
Need some colour injected into your summer wardrobe? Look no further than Nike’s Plant Colour Collection. Two variations of the Nike Blazer Lows and the classic Air Max 95 design now come in muted pink, blue and cream colourway, alongside a stripped-back sandy hue also. Each shoe has a reworked canvas upper that has been coloured using plant-based dyes. Whoever said that hype can’t be environmentally conscious was obviously wrong. Shop now online. PT
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE BOOK CLUB LAUNCH
Leave your 50 Shades Darker at home – this book club is something different. As an initiative started by Sancho’s, an ethical clothing and lifestyle store in Exeter, this Tuesday April 24th will mark the start of the Sustainable Future book club. Discussing literature that promotes ideas of a better tomorrow, the project will kick off with talking about Sacred Economics: Money, Gift and Society in the Age of Transition by Charles Eisenstein. Taking place in Exeter, the event is only a train ride away from London. But in case that’s not on your route, take this as an opportunity to get your reading list updated with some very important titles. Admission free – book here. DB
CLOTHING SWAP PARTY
Since grass is always greener on the other side – why not swap houses? The only true way to be 100% sustainable is taking things that are unwanted by some and giving them a brand new life. With clothing swap parties seem becoming the next big thing, and Fashion Revolution Week has many of those included in their extensive itinerary. Just search “clothes swap” within the your country of choice and swap away. We will be heading to the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, where each item of clothing brought will be exchanged for a token. Those tokens can be then exchanged back for the exact same amount of items. No math knowledge necessary. Long live circular economy. DB
