Author Archives: Mary Hanlon

READ// Kate Fletcher, Matilda Lee, and Sandy Black

The ‘Open Space’ at the FEI conference featured celebrated authors Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys, Matilda Lee, Eco-Chic: The Savvy Shoppers Guide to Ethical Fashion, and Sandy Black, Eco-Chic: The Fashion Paradox. You can find these texts and others in our reading section.

FEI set the stage for the Open Space format as an opportunity for conference participants to network, strategise, learn, share, challenge, be inspired and stimulate one another in a supportive environment. Fletcher, Lee and Black each presented their own discussion question, and participants were also given the chance to create posed further questions and create discussion groups.

Here is what they came up with:

1. How can we communicate providence to consumers?

2. International cooperation on ethical fashion

3. Raising awareness of organic cotton, and the impact on farmers

4. How do we get youth more involved?

5. How do we encourage behaviour change amongst consumers?

6. Scale-how big, how much? (Kate Fletcher)

7. How to get the media to be a driver for sustainable fashion? (Matilda Lee)

8. Design education-encouraging designers (Sandy Black)

9. How to bring ethics into fashion education internationally

Participants could move around and exchange ideas for a period of over two hours. To close the Open Space, a representative from each ‘talk’ presented key insights.

For those of you that weren’t following along on twitter, here are a few edited highlights that came out of the discussions.

What would happen if we could control scale in fashion?

What about considering ‘Post-fashion stress disorder’?

Fast fashion, can we raise awareness, similar to smoking bans?

Can we change the discourse of fast fashion?

How can we communicate providence to consumers??

Changing the discourse depending on who you’re speaking with:

In some circles fashion is a bad word, so talk garment and apparel and clothing etc…

How to connect consumers to the cotton farmer?

Spread the word, tell stories and stay focused.

Design educators encouraging designers:

Make the experience real

Connect the designer to the factory

Make it exciting w/ different design strategies: design for disassembly, for example

What are your thoughts on these issues and questions? Feel free to leave a comment below!

WATCH// Nadira Lamrad on CSR in China’s Apparel Supply Chain

SA’s Nadira Lamrad presented her research, “CSR Trends in China’s Apparel Supply Chain,” at the FEI conference on March 2nd.

The workshop, titled “New Approaches in Education and Industry,” was chaired by industry consultant Maggie Burns, and speaking alongside Nadira was Dr. Matilda Tham, professor of fashion at Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm. Tham’s presentation was titled “Lucky People Forecast Approach: How can education support engagement with systemic sustainable fashion futures?”

The workshop generated some interesting questions and concerns surrounding education in CSR, and we’re hoping we can keep the conversation going here, so be sure to leave any comments and questions below.

CSR Trends in China’s Apparel Supply Chain from Social Alterations on Vimeo.

A Message from the NLC

Yesterday we posted a link on our Facebook Fan Page on the tragic factory fire in Bangladesh on Feb. 25th that killed 21 workers (mostly women) and injured 31 more.

Below is a message today from the National Labor Committee (NLC):

Urgent Action Alert

Please help. No more needless and tragic deaths!

On the night of February 25, a fire broke out at the Garib & Garib sweater factory in Bangladesh, leaving 25 to 30 workers trapped in the pitch darkness on the 6th floor. The emergency exit was locked and the other staircase was cluttered with bales of yarn and boxes. The workers, 16 of them women, died of smoke inhalation. Thirty-one workers on the lower floors were also injured.

The factory produces for H&M, Mark’s Work Wearhouse (Canada) and, according to H&M, Terenora of Italy and Zemman of Spain.

The workers are asking us to support their demands to the companies (attached) in order to guarantee the health and safety standards and labor rights will finally be respected.

For more information and photos go to the NLC’s website

Please help! Send a letter to the companies

Source: NLC

WATCH// Social Alterations @ FEI

Here are just two of the videos we took at the conference. We have more videos to come, so stay tuned for those.

The first video is of my Pecha Kucha talk. I’ll be posting the slides and my notes a little later on. Please contact us if you have any questions on the works cited in the presentation.

Social Alterations @ FEI from Social Alterations on Vimeo.

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) held the table next to ours during the Market Place on day two of the conference. We asked them what exactly responsible fashion meant to the EJF, and for their thoughts on why designers should care.

FEI Conference 006 from Social Alterations on Vimeo.

Pesticide Action Network (PAN) was also there, asking participants “what organic cotton means…..to me”. Pictured above is Nadira Lamrad (right) with her answer.

Create Sustain Ability ADM-HEA Annual Forum 2010

Here we are at the beginning of day 2 of the FEI conference. Nadira and I have some tables set up for virtual tours of the site (and we even have candy to offer!)

The Art Design Media Subject Centre, which is part of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), is here at the Market Place, and I just wanted to provide you with a quick link to a call for abstracts, as the deadline is fast approaching (March 29, 2010).

______________________________________________________________________________________

ADM-HEA Annual Forum 2010
Friday 14 May 2010
Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, WC1B 1AD

Call for Abstracts

The Art Design Media Subject Centre’s (ADM-HEA) 2010 Annual Forum will focus on the subject of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

In 2005 the UK Government’s paper ‘Securing the Future’ outlined its strategy for Sustainable Development. It defined ‘sustainable development’ as a goal to ‘enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life for future generations’ (DEFRA p.6).

This goal has since gained momentum in higher education, more recently with the publication of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills ‘Investing in our Future: Sustainable Action Plan 2009’ and The Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) ‘Sustainable Development in Higher Education’, 2008. Both these documents articulate the major and central role of educators and researchers in higher education and stress that fast-changing socio-economic and environmental conditions will demand a different set of attributes from graduates, for example, new skills, capabilities and knowledge to deal with climate change.

To assist and support institutions and art design and media subjects to develop curricula and pedagogy that will help students develop the skills and knowledge to live and work sustainably, this year’s Annual Forum will aim to:

Develop awareness and understanding of Education for Sustainable Development and relationships to art, design and media higher education.
Enable the exchange of information and ideas and practice for embedding sustainability issues and concepts in art, design and media curriculum, learning and teaching
Bring together those who are currently or have in the past undertaken research in the area of ESD to assist in the generation of further ideas and interactions.
Generate opportunities and support for those wishing to collaborate to develop new and existing projects and initiatives.

Arran Stibbe, who is a National Teaching Fellow, author of The Handbook for Sustainable Literacy and Senior Lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire, will open the day with a keynote to be followed by a number of facilitated discussion groups based on the papers received.

If you are a higher educator tutor, we would be interested to hear about projects, learning, teaching initiatives and research exploring the following:

What do we mean by ESD and what are its implications/impact for art, design and media subjects?
How is, and how might, ESD be incorporated into art, design or media curricula?
What are the pedagogical implications of ESD and how might these be addressed?

If you would be interested in presenting your work as part of a facilitated discussion group, please submit a 500 word abstract as a Word document accompanied by any visual material to Alison Crowe at: a.d.crowe@brighton.ac.uk by Friday 29 March 2010. Enquiries: 01273 642321.

If your abstract is accepted it will be published (verbatim) on the ADM-HEA website: http://www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk

If you would like to register to attend this event, please visit: http://www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/events/create-sustain-ability-adm-hea-annual-forum-2010 on or after Monday 1 February 2010.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

(Directly Source via: The Art Design Media Subject Centre)

Hacking Fashion w/ Otto von Busch

One of the headliners at the conference was Otto von Busch (Haute-Couture Heretic – critically hacking and re-forming the operating system of fashion and the industrial modes of production). The presentation “Hacking Fashion” was absolutely fabulous, and when it came time for Otto to close his presentation, nobody wanted it to end!

Investigating ‘rituals of fashion,’ Otto discussed the role of fashion in activism and asked: are we still open to invest emotionally in fashion?

With fashion week, we celebrate the arrival of spring, and then when the new season comes into play, we ritualistically slaughter off the old to celebrate the new.

According to Otto, designers believe in intelligent design, meaning that what they do is extremely unique.

He asked some interesting questions:

Why do we slaughter fashion at the end of fashion?
What does this repetitive ritual mean?
Has the emotion been lost?

Other questions surrounded the consequences of the democratization of fashion, and so much more.

This is just a small reflection on Otto’s presentation. Stay tuned for a full roundup of Hacking Fashion: How can we participate in fashion differently to build an industry that nurtures both maker and wearers?

In the meantime, check out >self_passage<, a project that explores empowerment, self-development, and personal growth through fashion.

“The selfpassage projects try to bend the power of fashion into a force to achieve a positive personal and social condition with which the Everyperson is free to grow to his/her full potential by means of engaged fashion practices” (>self_passage<)

Social Alterations @ FEI

So here we are in London for the Fashioning an Ethical Industry Conference: Fast Forward. Today, Nadira and I will both be presenting at the conference, and with Katrine in attendance, this will mark the first time the SA team is all together in the same place at the same time!

We will be doing lots of blogging and twitter (ing?) from the event, and will have our presentations uploaded later tonight for you to check out, so be sure to tune in.

Follow on twitter via @maryhanlon for that feed.

Wish us luck!

Take action on Philippines labour rights abuses‏

A message from Maquila Solidarity Network (MSN):

Last fall, a high-level International Labour Organization (ILO) mission went to the Philippines to investigate “serious allegations of the murder of trade unionists, death threats, arrests of trade union leaders in connection with their trade union activities, widespread impunity relating to violence against trade unionists and the militarization of workplaces in export processing zones (EPZs) and special economic zones”. Their report is due to be released next month.

Unfortunately, violence and judicial persecution of trade union leaders and activists is continuing. Below, we urge you to support workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining by taking part in two action campaigns by labour and human rights promoters that highlight the continuing pattern of abuse of worker rights in the Philippines.

Karnation Industries: Twenty workers at Karnation Industries were arrested during a 2007 strike against the illegal dismissal of union members, the non-payment of holiday pay and night bonuses, as well as a salary that was only half of the minimum wage at the time. They have spent two and a half years in prison, during which time two workers died from tuberculosis contracted since their incarceration. 14 workers were temporarily released on bail in November of 2009. Four of the workers remain in prison. All of the surviving workers are still facing charges, and the company has filed a motion to reverse the bail decision and return all of the workers to prison. Join the Asia Human Rights Committee in protesting the continuing judicial persecution of the Karnation 20 here.

Dole Food Company: Managers at a Dole pineapple plantation in the Philippines have worked with the military on an intimidation campaign against an independent workers’ union and their democratically elected union leaders for the past four years. Workers who met recently with an International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) representative have been fired or suspended. Join the ILRF in protecting the rights of Dole workers to freedom of association and collective bargaining here.

Join the Maquila Solidarity Network and support the continuing efforts of labour and human rights workers on the ground.

Source: MSN

Fashion Futures

Fashion Futures, a new report out of Forum for the Future in partnership with Levis Strauss & Co., has predicted 4 scenarios for the future of the fashion industry (see below).

Here is an excerpt from the Executive Summary:

“Fashion Futures is a call for a sustainable fashion industry. We want companies in all sectors to wake up to the immense challenges that are already shaping our world, to address the serious risks and seize the rich opportunities they present. It’s designed to help them take action which will safeguard their future, protect our environment and improve the lives of their customers, workers and suppliers around the world.” (Fashion Futures, pg. 5)

Slow is Beautiful

Slow is Beautiful from Alex Johnson on Vimeo.

Community Couture

Community Couture from Alex Johnson on Vimeo.

Techno-Chic

Techno-Chic from Alex Johnson on Vimeo.

Patchwork planet

Patchwork Planet from Alex Johnson on Vimeo.

Community News

A roundup of some of the stories, headlines, and updates you may be interested in from in and around the community of socially responsible fashion design.

Staple Design via Hiphonest, "How a tweet became a bag.."

Commerce with a Conscious

World Class: Slowmo by Shopfair

Core77

Tire sneakers from Japan, tread intact

European design policy bulletin released

Impact! Design For Social Change: SVA’s six-week summer intensive in New York City

Parsons launches new MFA program in Transdisciplinary Design

ecorazzi

“Corporate sustainability is like teen sex. Everybody talks about it. Nobody does it very much. And when they do it, they don’t do it very well.” (Joke by Joel Makower, Greenbiz)

MSU Student Wins Suzy Amis Cameron’s ‘Red Carpet Green Dress’ Contest

Ecotextile News

M&S: Plan A is ‘profit positive’

Planet Textiles line-up confirmed (click here to see more on our Events Calendar)

OE responds to organic cotton ‘fraud’

Ecouterre

Made-By defines Eco-Fashion Terms with New “Jargon Buster” Calendar

Check out this video and article, Emotion-Sensing Dress Emits Mood-Enhancing Aromas, Pheromones, re: ‘Emotional Fashion’