The Centre for Sustainable Fashion has compiled and released a collection of student and tutor resources. Signposts features a responsible design reading list (undergraduate and postgraduate level), alongside projects, people and networks. That’s not all, however. The compilation also includes a guide to responsible sourcing, showcasing initiatives such as Shared Talent India. We’re honoured to have SA listed within the Matrix of Support Organisations – and what a strong group of organizations it is! The future for responsible fashion and apparel is bright! Happy learning!   Source: CFS

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You may already have read about the California Transparency in Supply Chain Act (SB 657) that went into effect on January 1st of this year (2012). There is no question that slavery and human trafficking run rampant in the global textile/apparel industry. Thanks to the University of Delaware and The Cahn Group, a short online course is here to help. “When companies explore the extent of these tragic abuses in their supply chains in depth, what they are likely to find may be revealing and more than a bit sobering.” (Doug Cahn and Marsha Dickson) Risks of Human Trafficking and Slavery: A Short...

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With 2012 already here in Hong Kong, here’s a look back at ten of our more popular posts from 2011: Learn// Greenpeace Targets Dove for use of Palm Oil: The true cost of real beauty Nike’s ‘Better World’ will make you want to “puke” Suzanne Lee’s BioCouture grows clothes Read// Let’s Clean Up Fashion 2011, Labour Behind the Label reports Fun Find | Vintage Chinese Fashion Magazine Kalpona Akter calls on Wal-Mart shareholders to stand-up for garment workers internationally Where Are These Child Labourers Working? New York Fashion Week vs. the Ready Made Garment Sector in Bangladesh: whose interests...

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Sasha Duerr, founder of Permacouture Institute and author of The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients, will be teaching a series of courses and workshops at California College of the Arts devoted to slow fashion/textiles and natural dyeing this upcoming winter/spring 2012 session: FORAGING FOR FASHION PERMACOUTURE: SLOW FASHION & TEXTILE WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS SLOW TEXTILES: INTRODUCTION TO FIBER & DYE GARDENING SLOW TEXTILES: THE PLANT DYER’S PALETTE Click here for information on course details, schedules and fees.

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Kate Fletcher, author of Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, and Lynda Grose, assistant professor at California College of the Arts, have a new book coming out in April 2012, Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. With a forward by Paul Hawken, the book is divided into three parts: PART 1: TRANSFORMING FASHION PRODUCTS Materials / Processes / Distribution / Consumer care / Disposal PART 2: TRANSFORMING FASHION SYSTEMS Local / Speed / Needs / Adaptability / Services and sharing / Hygiene and laundering / Optimised lifetimes / Biomimicry / Engaged / Distribution PART 3: TRANSFORMING FASHION PRACTICE The...

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Back in September, with support from Tides Canada, the Google Earth Outreach team selected Social Alterations to join nearly 50 social justice and environmental security organizations from across Canada for a three-day intensive workshop. The specialized training provided insight on how to harness Google Earth and Google Maps to deliver cutting edge education on social justice and environmental security issues. At the end of the week, Dr. David Suzuki joined Google Earth Outreach founder Rebecca Moore as guest speaker in an intimate reception to mark the official launch of Google Earth Outreach in Canada. In his speech, Dr. Suzuki...

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The Fairwear Foundation (FWF) has just launched Wage Ladder, an online tool and resource to assist brands, factories, trade unions and NGOs in their efforts as they work towards establishing and mainstreaming living wages for garment workers. What exactly is a ‘living wage’? Click here to learn about recent developments on a living wage  from Nadira Lamrad. Wage Ladder is currently programmed with data from Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, India, Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam, but for all other countries, users may enter their own data into the system. “While global garment supply chains generate enormous...

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