Business Leaders
1. SEMINARS, MASTER CLASSES & MARKET PLACE EVENTS, 2009
Sourcing to sustainable standards is a challenge. It is also the main reason why the Ethical Fashion Forum gets more than 100 requests for information every week.
In response, the Ethical Fashion Forum was running a seminar series throughout 2009 called “Spotlight on Sourcing”, as part of our Fashion+ project, focused on how fashion can change lives.
All events are an opportunity to make valuable contacts to facilitate sustainable sourcing. To support this, we have created a social networking site so that all event participants can make contact before and after events.
Registration for any event will give you an invite to join the online forum specific to the topic of the event.
Sign up for any event to access the Spotlight on Sourcing group on the EFF network, where you will find a summary of panel discussions available to download from all Spotlight on Sourcing events.
2. THE SERIES INCLUDED:
Evening seminars on the 3rd Tuesday of every month (excluding fashion weeks) featuring presentations by leading practitioners and experts, updates from suppliers, sourcing marketplace, and structured networking.
Masterclasses for smaller groups, going into more depth on each of the issues raised by seminars. Run by experts and practitioners. Masterclasses allow you to focus and work through sourcing challenges faced by your business
3. EVENT PROGRAMME
We are currently designing the next Spotlight on Sourcing series. To be notified when the series will commence please sign-up to our newsletter. Alternatively if you would like to be involved in either the Seminars or the Masterclasses as a speak please email us
- All seminars take place from 6pm at RichMix
- All masterclasses take place from 2pm at RichMix
4. MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Fashion + is a DfID funded project aimed at reducing poverty and creating sustainable livelihoods in the supply chains to the UK fashion industry.
The project will do this through:
- Increasing understanding of development issues amongst fashion professionals, in particular the opportunities for poverty reduction
- Providing the tools and resources fashion professionals need to make informed choices in their working roles
The project aims to integrate training on development, poverty reduction and sustainable livelihood creation as a core part of all fashion business training in the UK.
5. PAST EVENTS IN THE SERIES
August 18th 09 Masterclass: Producing Overseas: Assessing & Improving Working Conditions
With an increase in concern by the media and consumers over how our clothes are produced overseas. It has become vital for a fashion business and its employees to have knowledge not only on how to assess factories working conditions but also be educated on how to improve working conditions.
This masterclass looked in depth at the way individual businesses can assess and improve working conditions if producing fashion products overseas.
Facilitated by:
Julia Hawkins, Ethical Trading Iniative
Alex Smith, Ethical Business Consultant
Clare Lissaman, Supply Chain Expert
Case studies: THTC, EDUN LIVE, Panchachuli, Komodo
August 18th 09 Evening Seminar and Marketplace: Spotlight on Africa
This seminar provided an insight in to the specific challenges and opportunities related to sourcing fashion products from a range of locations within Africa.
SPEAKERS:
Colin McDowell, The Chair
Cristina Cisilion, Founder of MADE
Rohit Kuthiala, Senior Consultant- Supply chain at Accenture
Jo Maiden, Founder of SOKO
Claire Hamer, former buyer at Topshop, supply chain consultant
Eric Manu, Founder of Clothes Show Live, Ghana
July 21st 09 Evening Seminar and Marketplace: Spotlight on Brazil and Latin America
An insight into why people source from Latin America, systems to solve & overcome challenges a business may face and how businesses have maximised benefits to communities and minimised environmental impact.
The Chair: Clare Lissaman Ethical supply chain consultant
Expert in supply, auditing, certifications and standards.
Nicholas Watson Founder of Jungle Berry
Discussing how Brazil and Latin America has inspired brand, and how sourcing from Brazil and Latin America can create opportunities for a business.
Aurélie Dumont Communications Manager for Veja
Challenges that brands have faced when sourcing from Brazil & Latin America and how these can be overcome
Andrea Fasanello Founder and Designer of ModaFusion
Discussing how through the apparel industry, social and environmental benefits that have been created for societies and individuals in Brazil and Latin America.
July 21st 09 Masterclass: Certification and Standards
A more in depth introduction to Certification and Standards
Tamsin Lejeune Director of Ethical Fashion Forum.
Overview of various certifiers and introduce case studies of brands that have experience in certification and standards
Tom Smith Marketing Manager for Sedex.
Introducing Sedex’s work and discussing how Sedex can be used as a tool for smaller businesses.
Heidi Ellis Historic Futures
Introducing String and examples of how String has helped retailers with certification.
Clare Lissaman Ethical supply chain consultant
Clare will be introducing various certification and standards through a case study of Adili
June 23rd 09 Evening Seminar and Marketplace: Certifications and Standards
The Chair, David Loyn BBC’s developing country correspondent
Carol Wills Executive Director of World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO)
Allanna McAspurn UK General Manager for Made-By
Lee Holdstock Soil Association and Representative for Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS
Vanessa Parr Fairtrade Foundation
June 23rd 09 Masterclass: Funding and Finance
Identifies specific challenges and opportunities for funding for small to medium enterprises in the ethical fashion sector.
Tamsin Lejeune Director of Ethical Fashion Forum
Funding Options for social enterprise and best practice case studies
Chris Powles, Expert in receiving funding
Raising funding from private investors
Ben Ramsden, Founder of Pants to Poverty
Hitting the headlines with your brand- to generate traffic to your website and increase sales
Cyndi Rhoades Founder of Worn Again
Partnerships – how to approach big brands and open doors for your brand.
May 19th 09 Evening Seminar and Marketplace: Spotlight on Asia
Sourcing from Asia is inevitable for most fashion businesses. This seminar explains how garment workers continue to be exploited within Asia and provides an insight into changing this through examples of best practice.
SPEAKERS
Abigail Petit, Gossypium
Clare Lissaman Ethical Supply chain consultant
Sury Bagenal Head of Design at Adili
Bernice Leppard Code of Practice Manager at Next
Julia Hawkins Ethical Trading Initiative
May 19th 09 Masterclass: Working with Cooperatives
A more in depth introduction to working with cooperatives
FACILITATORS
Mo Tomaney, Ethical Consultant
Tamsin Lejeune, Director for Ethical Fashion Forum
April 21st 09 Evening Seminar and Marketplace: Working with small cooperatives
Identifies how fashion businesses, from small designer businesses to the largest high street retailers, as well as the luxury sector, have built effective partnerships with small co-operatives.
Safia Minney, PeopleTree
Lance Clark, Soul of Africa and Clarks shoes
Richard Stubbs, MADE
Christina Archer, the Body Shop
Judith Condor Vidal,Trading for Development
April 21st 09 Masterclass: Sustainable Manufacture Masterlcass
A more in depth introduction to sustainable manufacturing
FACILITATORS
Prama Bhardwaj, Marketing Director for Mantis World
Paul Yiulle, THTC
Responsible manufacture in China, India and Thailand
March 17th 09 Evening seminar: Sourcing marketplace: Sustainable manufacture
ON THE PANEL
Prama Bhardwaj, Mantis World
RE Fashion Award winning factories in Tanzania
Fiona Gooch, Responsible Purchasing Initiative
Examples of best practice
Paul Yiulle, THTC
Responsible manufacture in China, India and Thailand
Catherine Whitehead, Páramo Directional Clothing Systems
Changing lives in Columbia
Fiona Sadler, M&S
At the cutting edge: Sustainable production and complex supply chains
Mark Bloom, Komodo
Designer Womenswear brand and MADE BY member
PANEL CHAIR: Claire Lissaman
Ethical Fashion Sourcing Marketplace and networking, featuring:
Manufacturers
Kibotrade, Bet-On Design, Mantis World, Paramo
Suppliers
Loop, Zameen, Mumo, Fairly Covered, Class
Agents, Certification and Support Organisations
MADE BY, Organic Exchange, EJF, World Fair Trade Organisation, Fairtrade Foundation
March 17th 09 Masterclass: Sustainable fabrics
A more in depth introduction to sustainable fabric sourcing
FACILITATORS
Jocelyn Whipple
Founder and director of Loop Fabrics and Element 23, as well as experience in sourcing and supply for several large retailers
Sarah Ratty
Founder and director of Ciel. Has 20 years experience in sourcing sustainable fabrics for designer fashion
Kirstin Samuels
MUMO
January 20th 09 evening seminar: Sustainable Fabrics and Components
A practical introduction to how a range of practitioners have sourced fabrics and components, and input from suppliers. Followed by networking/ marketplace of sustainable fabric suppliers.
ON THE PANEL
Abi Rushton, Tesco Clothing
Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing, Sustainable fabrics for the mass market
Ben Ramsden, Zameen (organic cotton fabric suppliers)
A golden supply chain for cotton
Rani Patel and Lucy Jones, RaniJones
Sourcing sustainably as a new business
Jackie Andrews, Consultant, luxury textiles
Fabrics for the luxury sector
Kirsten Samuels, MUMO (Sustainable fabric suppliers)
Fabrics and techniques from Brazil
PANEL CHAIR: Claire Lissaman
Followed by introductions to:
Loop fabric
Tammam, fabrics from India
Environmental Justice Foundation, Uzbekistan cotton
New Entrepreneurs, Sustainable business advice days
24th September 08 Evening seminar: Fashion Leaders Speak
Fashion leaders and pioneers talked about what they have done, how and why they have done it.
This session was an introduction to the Fashion+ project. The focus of Fashion+ is the positive potential impact of fashion. It aims to go beyond the discussion of the sustainability challenges that face the industry, to give practical examples of how fashion professionals and businesses have found ways to address them.
ON THE PANEL
Designer label
Christine Driscoll, Edun
Manufacturer
Amy Benstead, Stirling Group
Pioneering small business
Ben Ramsden, Pants to Poverty
Large retailer/ Buyer within large company
Claire Hamer, Topshop
ITC/ UN
Simone Cipriani, Africa Inspires
PANEL CHAIR: Joanna Yarrow
Steering Group: Engaging Fashion Business Support Organisations
Working with fashion business support organisations and training bodies across the UK is an important part of the project. Round table and one to one meetings are being held on an ongoing basis and a project steering group will meet annually, to steer the project over a three year period.
Training and Resources Training events and resources are being developed around the following key themes:
Buying Practices
The ways in which fashion professionals can influence development through their purchasing practices
Suppliers
The global nature of the industry, fashion supply chains and opportunities for adding value for communities through supply chain choices
People
Empowering the people behind fashion – Creating sustainable Livelihoods
Systems
Standards, Certification, Codes of Conduct, and auditing, in relation to fashion & textiles
6. FUNDING
The Fashion+ project was launched by the Ethical Fashion Forum in May 2008 after receiving 3 year funding from the UK Department for International Development.
The Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) is a network of designers, businesses and organisations focusing upon social and environmental sustainability in the fashion industry.
The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain’s aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty.
7. FASHION+ PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS:
Centre for Innovation and Partnership (CIPS, Newham College)
Designer Forum
Eco Design Network
Environmental Justice Foundation
Ethical Trading Initiative
Fairtrade Foundation
Fairwair Foundation
Fashion Capital/Fashion Enter
Fashioning an Ethical Industry
Foundation Agency
Impactt
London College of Fashion
Made By
Make your Mark/ New Entrepreneurship Programme
Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS)
Organic Exchange
Own It
PAN UK
Portobello Business Centre
Skillfast UK
If you would like to learn more or get involved with the project please send an email to fashion+@ethicalfashionforum.com
Spotlight on Sourcing
Sustainable sourcing is not just essential for the future of the environment and the people behind fashion- it also makes commercial sense.
The Ethical Fashion Forum is running a training series called “Spotlight on Sourcing”, as part of our Fashion+ project, focused on how fashion can change lives.
