Eco Fashion World

If you are a fashion designer - anywhere in the world, you have great designs and you are considering the environment and the people behind your product, Ethical Fashion Forum wants to put you in the spotlight! This season The Fairtrade Foundation has teamed up with the Ethical Fashion Forum. For the first time the competition will run a Fairtrade cotton category sponsored by Tesco, which will be judged by fashion model Laura Bailey. The winning entrant will be invited to work with the F&F brand at Tesco.

Do you want to learn more about what is going on in terms of sustainability in Canada? Then EPIC is the place to go! EPIC is the Sustainable Expo in Vancouver, Canada and we were there to spot the latest trends for you. Whether people came for the fashion, the tasty treats, or to sit in the latest electric car, it was sure the place to be for people wanting to learn more about how they can do their part to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Creating new products from waste materials or used items has three distinct benefits for manufacturers: it gives them access to free or inexpensive materials, it lends their products an aura of sustainability, and it provides embedded stories that sellers can share with consumers, and that consumers can share with their friends. Five examples of upcycling we recently spotted:

Located on 5th Avenue of the 1930s Brixton Village arcade in South London, is a new brand of concept store. Think Urban Outfitters but everything you buy makes you feel good. Circus, owned by Tabitha Rout and Binki Taylor, is filled with ethical fashion, original art, upcycled accessories and thrift shop goodies, all displayed on a honeycomb cardboard interior. The cardboard shelving and boxes are all fully adaptable, compostable and recyclable. And you can have your own cardboard dining table, lamp or mirror should your heart desire.

Good news on the policy making front: several governments have issued guidelines to produce fashion in a sustainable way.

In London, the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has launched a consultation process to update the Green Claims Guidance often used by UK apparel brands, retailers and manufacturers. Defra‘s current Green Claims – Practical Guidance was issued in 2003 to assist businesses in making clear and accurate environmental claims in their marketing and advertising. Since that time, however, marketing about the environment has changed in response to increasing public awareness about sustainability and climate change and although the broad principles are still useful, Defra admits that the content of the current guidance is behind its time.

London June 7-13

At the heart of Treasure 2010 there is Essence, the Ethical Jewellery Pavilion. Hosted by CRED jewellery it is the first collective show of the emerging ethical jewellery movement. From fair trade and recycled materials to cutting edge production, Essence draws together designers creating jewellery with soul that makes a difference to both people and planet. CRED will be showcasing their stunning designer collections made from Oro Verde Fair Trade gold and platinum and recycled silver! They will be joined by other ethical designers and there will be seminars exploring the definition of Ethical Jewellery and presentations by the jewelers about the social and environmental benefits that are being achieved by creating beautiful ethical jewellery.