MSFW Program Announced

This year’s Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is almost upon us!

The City of Melbourne Melbourne Spring Fashion Week events team have outdone themselves this year with a really great overall program featuring some of Melbourne’s best up and coming designers and business leaders of the local and international industry. This morning’s event launch and program announcements caused a little tingle of excitement – at least for me – as sustainability is finally getting some of the spotlight at the Business Series! And for the Business Series golden trifecta – design integrity and customer engagement via online technology have also been given screen time! Hoorah!

Here is a quick summary of my Must See Events for the week:

Business Series

• Talk the Talk - Mon Sept 5, 7am – 8.45am, Savoy Park Ballroom

How to successfully engage consumers using online technology. Featuring designer and blogger Lucy Feagins from The Design Files and Erik Lavoie from cult US magazine VICE.

• The Good Fight – Tues Sept 6, 7am – 8.45am, Savoy Park Ballroom

International Leaders in the sustainability and CSR space – Marks and Spencer – will be represented by their Head of Sustainable Business Mike Barry. Bringing insight into one of the biggest retail sustainability campaigns (beginning initial £200 Million pound investment and expanding to a goal for carbon neutrality), Mike’s insights into the M&S way of doing this will provide a desperately needed reality check to the Australian industry. He will be accompanied by local sustainability superstar John Condilis from cult denim label Nobody who leading the pack in the Australian sustainability game.

• When the Market Gets Tough, the Smart Get Creative, Wed Sept 7, 7am – 8.45am, Savoy Park Ballroom

With the influx of international mega brands into the Australian market comes an opportunity for local brands to differentiate by delivering quality products developed on principles of innovative design and exceptional quality. It is also an opportunity for stores to employ innovative retail techniques and engage with their consumer base in a real way. Featuring UK design consultant Edward Church, Alasdair Mackinnon from Otto and Spike and Thibaud Cau-Cecile from The Wearer’s Right.

Designer Series

• Runway Show #2 – Boutique

Melbourne is renowned for hidden away boutiques stocking innovative designers. Runway 2 shows what’s in store for some of our best boutique labels and the stores that support them in doing things their own way.
Features: Alice Euphemia, Dhini, Fat, Gorman, Green with Envy, Kings of Carnaby, Leonard St, Life with Bird, Megan Park, Nevenka and Obüs.
More information and tickets available here.

• Runway Show #4 – Senso Uniquo

Melbourne is also gaining a reputation for out-of-the-box design thinking and innovative independent designers. Runway 4 has a great list of local emerging designers who are finding favour with fashionable Melbourne shoppers.
Features: Above, Alistair Trung, Alpha60, Arnsdorf, Carly Hunter, From Britten Product Laboratory, Kuwaii, Limedrop, S!X and Trimapee.
More information and tickets available here.

The Entire Emerging Designer Series

Seriously. If you want to see where Melbourne fashion is at – these are the events to get to. RMIT has an amazing reputation for producing some of the best design talent in the country and fittingly, students and alumni alike show their wares in exhibition and runway format. There is also a runway show of 12 hand selected up and comers. The next generation of design quality on display!

Others

• Yoga in the city with Lululemon

As a yoga fanatic I will definitely be keen to get along to this one!
So there you have it! It looks like my calendar will be jam packed! You can view the entire program here.

We will have interviews with some of the very clever folk featured in the program in the lead up to the event.

What are you most excited about from this year’s Melbourne Spring Fashion Week calendar?

Bamboo – An Emerging Sustainable Fibre: Catalyst

Bamboo is a bit of a buzz textile at the moment. The quick growing grass is highly renewable, natural and favoured by ridiculously cute pandas.

It does, however, fall short when it comes to production, requiring chemical and water heavy processes like some other natural man made textiles.

Tonight’s Catalyst Program on the ABC will discuss bamboo in more detail, investigating its eco credentials and hopefully weighing up the benefits and downsides of this so-called environmental “wonder fabric”. Alex Trimmer – Wardrobe Wonderland favourite and designer of Melbourne label SOSUME Clothing will chat about bamboo’s applications to the fashion industry.

Picking up from where textile technician, Deakin University PhD candidate and Big Green Conference Speaker Tara Afrin left off, the segment (to be aired on tonight’s program at 8.00pm) investigates the role of science and technology in uncovering new possibilities for sustainability, many of which will have applications in the fashion sector.

The program will also investigate hemp as a viable raw material, and will look also be investigating the next generation of computer technology, natural user interface – sure to be coming to a clothing store near you as the next generation of retail technology.

View the Catalyst Program outline here.

Mainstream Sustainability / Retail World

Recent conversations I’ve had with some very clever people have reinforced for me just how much of a role corporations can play in driving the shift to sustainability, with or without consumer pressure. Coincidentally, I’ve been invited to attend a conference in Sydney next week which will no doubt provide me with some more food for thought in this area.

The conference, Mainstream Sustainability, is part of the 3-day Retail World event to be held at Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and features some really impressive names. Tara Allsop from sustainability consultancy Green For Retail will be chairing the conference and will no doubt present a strong business case for retailers who do choose to head down the path of sustainability ahead of the pack.

The conference will highlight the efforts of international retailers like WholeFoods who have a really interesting policy of creating shared value from sustainability innovation. These international leaders should provide some really interesting learnings for their local equivalents, especially considering Australia is a little way off the pace in most instances.

Local speakers Turlough Guerin from Telstra’s environment team and Armineh Mardirossian from from FMCG giant Woolworths will also present and I’m really interested to see how some of their sustainability principles can be applied to smaller fashion retailers, and what influence they have over their supply chain as two of the largest retailers in Australia. I still hold hope that some of these larger retailers will use their considerable budgets to lead the way when it comes to sustainability and I’m really interested to see who’s already doing it well and making inroads.

 

The fashion sector is represented too with Alexie O’Brien from Lululemon Athletica on the speakers list. I get the feeling there will be some interesting insights from their social sustainability strategy. Though they may be susceptible to criticism on their fabric selection they do have quite active social responsibility policies and an impressive employee engagement record.

Not surprisingly though, the biggest name on the speakers list particularly caught my eye. Following on from a discussion about the arrival of Zara in Melbourne last week, the (recently) ex-CSR manager of the Spanish fashion superpower, Javier Chercoles will be speaking on the measures he introduced during his 10 year stint with Zara. I’m quite intrigued to hear more.

For anyone interested in coming along to the conference and hearing more about how sustainability principles can be applied to retail, you can get your hands on a special discount offer by using the code G4R when booking, thanks to Green For Retail.

Check out the conference agenda in more detail here: http://www.retail-world.com.au/sustainabilityatretail.html

Future Fashion Now

For those of you looking for a something more exciting than post-work drinks – get along to Future Fashion Now at the St Kilda Town Hall tomorrow from 4pm.

The event runs until 7.30 ish and will feature a fashion parade, wardrobe swap, demonstrations and workshops as well as some awesome door prizes from the likes of Hunter Gatherer, Velour Vintage, Frocks and Slacks, South Melbourne Market, Etiko and more!

You can also treat yourself to a makeover with animal friendly MAC products (just in case you are kicking on for drinks), get involved in the I MADE THIS Competition and witness designers in progress.

This is a free event to celebrate World Environment Day. Check out the ad below.

 

The Big Green Elephant On the Runway

This article was first published by Onya Magazine.

Some of the biggest names in global fashion worked their business muscle in a different way at the Runway to Green event presented by Vogue in New York last week.

The list of participating labels reads like a who’s who: Gucci, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger, Jason Wu, Stella McCartney – fashion’s biggest names combining their collective influence to draw attention to what has long been an elephant in the room: the sustainability of the fashion industry.

While sustainability is high on the agenda for many Australian companies this financial year and ongoing, it seems to be a long way from front of mind for local fashion businesses. Though many of the global industry’s biggest names are addressing this issue, the Australian industry is struggling to keep up with the shift in focus.

The emergence of sustainability focused events in this year’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program, held last month, shows signs of hopeful promise. The Spirit of the Black Dress Runway and Exhibition, now in its third year, again highlighted the work of emerging Australian designers working within a set of sustainability criteria.

There was also the panel discussion (run by yours truly) on the question “Is Fashion Sustainable?” featuring some of Melbourne’s leaders in the field. The discussion was attended by 80 passionate sustainability advocates and key industry thinkers.

One of the event’s key panelists, Kerryn Caulfield, Director of Apical and an expert in textile waste, has provided the catalyst for a shift in industry thinking, guiding the Industries Association Consortium to develop the Big Green Conference – a one day event set to highlight the innovation already underway in sustainable fashion and textiles both locally and internationally.

The event, to be held at The Pier, Geelong this Thursday April 7, will showcase a spectacular line up of local and international speakers discussing the full scope of sustainability in the textiles and apparel industries.

Andreas Streubig from German superbrand Otto will discuss their global sustainability strategy and Swedish scientist Professor Mohammad Taherzadeh will illustrate his research in converting old jeans into biogas and fish food.

Local heroes like Sustainability Strategist Matt Perry from the Republic of Everyone, Lifecycle Analysis Expert Leyla Acaroglu from EcoInnovators and Target Australia’s Jill Moodie will also outline local initiatives.

According to Jo Kellock of the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia, the event can’t come soon enough as Australia is at risk of drastically lagging behind in this area. “Whether we like it or not, we need to be addressing the environmental, ethical and economic sustainability of not just the local industry but the global industry,” she says. “We will be forced to question every aspect of our business. We can either come to the table willingly or begrudgingly. The smart thing to do would be to take the initiative.”

Though the introduction of a carbon tax poses a new challenge for businesses, it also presents a great opportunity for Australia to lead the way. Thursday’s event will highlight this potential and help businesses navigate their way through this field of innovation.

The conference will be held on Thursday April 7th, 2011 at The Pier, 10 Western Beach Foreshore Road, Geelong. The program runs from 9.30am to 5pm and will be followed by a dinner for attendees from 6.30pm.

For further details and to register for the event please visit: www.biggreenconference.com.au

 

Playing Fashion Matchmaker

In keeping with a promise to try and help make it easier for people to reduce their negative environmental impact, we’re happy to announce yet another event in the Wardrobe Wonderland Calendar.

This one will be of a more practical nature, and as many of you will be delighted to know – it involves shopping! Its the best kind of shopping though, the kind that guarantees you’re buying secondhand, extending the lifecycle and keeping items from landfill. Its a little lesson on how we can all have gorgeous things – but how to minimise the environmental and financial cost of excess consumption. Hooray for Collaborative Consumption!

It is an event we’re calling Fashion Matchmaker – a different spin on the idea of a clothing swap as done very excellently by great friends of Wardrobe Wonderland – The Clothing Exchange. We get together a bunch of stylish girls at fantastic South Melbourne hotspot Honey Bar, they bring the items from their wardrobe that just aren’t getting the love they deserve, which are sold to friends (and friends of friends) and are given a whole new lease on life.

Its like shopping your best friend’s wardrobe. You’re getting the best cast offs around – designer duds, vintage treasures, gorgeous jewels, shoes and bags – without having to trawl eBay for hours and with the added bonus of getting touch, try and veto things before you take them home. Most things will be in the $50 to $200 price range so come along with your cash in hand and snap up some gorgeous treasures.

Tickets are $25 (for both those looking to sell and those looking to buy) and includes bubbles, nibbles and a chance at some great giveaways thanks to Lydra, Sosume, Sarah Dingwall and more. You can get your hands on one through Eventbrite.

So if any of these listed below sound like your cup of tea – you best get yourself a ticket quick smart because its on Tuesday April 12 from 6-8pm.

Scanlan and Theodore silk dresses, Chloe shoes, vintage fur jackets, Ginger and Smart silk skirts, Carla Zampatti velvet blazer, Mimco bags and much, much more up for grabs!

Karen Webster

Just when you thought we were done…

You’ve heard about our 5 panelists for “Is Fashion Sustainable?“, but there is one more (very special) person to mention.

Karen Webster really needs no introduction.

A legend of the Melbourne fashion industry, Karen heads up the Program Director of Fashion at RMIT, playing a huge role in the development and thinking of future generations of designers and influencing what the industry might look like in the future.

Having taken a 5 year break from RMIT to direct the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival (from 2005 to 2010), Karen steered the festival to new heights, growing the cultural program to include more than 140 events and increasing attendance to unprecedented levels. Under Karen’s directorship, the festival found a new wave of support from audiences and sponsors, making it a landmark event on the Melbourne cultural calendar.

What some people may not realise, is that complementary to her work at RMIT and at LMFF, Karen campaigns tirelessly for positive reform of the fashion industry. Passionate about seeing the fashion industry working on positive self image for women, she uses her influence to engage with interested parties on all levels, shifting thinking and focus.

Alongside this, Karen has been working for many years on improving social and environmental sustainability in the industry, even undertaking a PhD on the question of social conscience and responsibility in a notoriously cut-throat industry. A true visionary, Karen sees these issues as critical to the future evolution of fashion and works to communicate with the industry, the media and the public to move toward a scenario where these issues are front and centre.

Karen will be moderating the discussion and will share insights from her many years working as one of Australian fashion’s most influential leaders.

By now, we hope you’ve all locked in your tickets for tonight’s event as we have only a handful of pre-sale tickets left! There will be some extra’s available on the door but numbers are limited and there is a chance you’ll miss out if you haven’t pre-registered. The discussion will commence at 6.30 pm but we encourage you to arrive a little early so you can nab a good seat. No need for you to print your ticket unnecessarily as we have your details and can simply check you off!

The lovely Steve from Honey Bar has some great food and drink specials for attendees so head along early, grab some food and drink and settle in for a night of great industry insight.

Just in case you haven’t booked yet, the registration page is here. See you all tonight!

Kerryn Caulfield

One day out from the “Is Fashion Sustainable?” event at South Melbourne’s Honey Bar, we feature our final panelist and technical textiles expert Kerryn Caulfield.

For many in the fashion industry, the question of where garments end up once they’ve been worn, washed and disposed of is one that is never considered. In other sectors, textiles are used in filtration to capture pollutants with little regard for their eventual disposal. For Kerryn Caulfield, this is a serious issue, one that has huge social and environmental impacts that is not receiving the attention and consideration it deserves.

With a background as a fashion designer and textiles technician and now working on examining textiles at the end of their lifecycle, Kerryn has experienced the fashion industry from all perspectives. She is passionate about developing initiatives and alternatives for the disposal of garments, looking at initiatives around textiles recycling and working with charities to ensure the disposal of unwanted garments is handled in a manner that is socially and environmentally sustainable.

Kerryn is also involved in further research of composite textiles, textile recycling facilities and involved in developing environmentally responsible alternatives for textile use in various industry sectors including mining, large scale industrial and agriculture.

Kerryn has a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of our mass consumption of fashion. She works to engage and promote the sustainability agenda to everyone in the textiles industry (across clothing and footwear, but also the carpet and industrial textiles industries) through initiatives like the Big Green Conference.

The Big Green Conference is a one day event to be held in Geelong on April 7th, 2o11. It will feature fantastic local and international speakers from the clothing and textiles industries. Leaders and innovators like Lifecycle Analysis Expert Leyla Acaroglu from EcoInnovators, Scientist Mohammed Taherzadeh who is working on creating renewable fuels from old jeans, Sustainability Consultant Matt Perry from Republic of Everyone, John Bull Manager of Export for the Smith Family and many more will all share their experiences working towards sustainability in the fashion and textiles industries. You can find more information on this fantastic event, the speakers and the program at the website.

Kerryn is a fantastic resource for the fashion industry and will share insights from her work in this area.

To hear more, get along to “Is Fashion Sustainable? An Open Discussion” presented by Wardrobe Wonderland as part of L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. The event will be held at Honey Bar on Tuesday March 22 from 6pm. Tickets are free but bookings are essential. Head to www.isfashionsustainable.eventbrite.com to book.

Juliette Anich

Our next “Is Fashion Sustainable?” panelist Juliette Anich is passionate about sustainability and corporate responsibility.

With a background in Design and Ethical Consumer Behaviour, Juliette is well placed to comment on the role of design in determining future environmental impacts.

Juliette is the Director of The Clothing Exchange, an organisation that facilitates clothing swaps to encourage swapping instead of shopping, helping garments and accessories find new owners, extending their lifecycle and keeping them out of landfill. The Clothing Exchange runs monthly swaps throughout Australia, enabling shoppers to constantly update their wardrobe without buying new items and keeping their own goods circulating instead of disposing of them. I’ve been along to several events and written about how it works here. You can also read a little bit more about Collaborative Consumption here.

Juliette also lectures on the role of design in environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility as part of the Industrial Design School at RMIT. Her interest in using design to change patterns of mass consumption and in sustainability theory has led her to explore counter cultural movements which respond to the issue of mass consumption.

Juliette is also working on a project providing connections between produce and people by mapping where food is grown over or on public land. Urban Food Maps aims to minimise our dependence on large-scale agribusiness and petroleum, which are being increasingly put under pressure thanks to population growth in dense inner city areas. By mapping where food is grown in urban areas and encouraging the simple act of sharing (meaning taking some and giving some) an alternative food system will be supported that will lighten these pressures and dependencies.

With her holistic view of the sustainability of our current patterns of consumption, Juliette’s insights into the role of consumers in preventing huge social and environmental damage is balanced and compelling.

To hear more, get along to “Is Fashion Sustainable? An Open Discussion” presented by Wardrobe Wonderland as part of L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. The event will be held at Honey Bar on Tuesday March 22 from 6pm. Tickets are free but bookings are essential. Head to www.isfashionsustainable.eventbrite.com to book.

Cameron Neil

The panel for Tuesday’s “Is Fashion Sustainable?” event is so chock-full of amazing people we had to spill over into the weekend to tell you all about them… Have a read about our next panelist, Cameron Neil.

Cameron is a genuine social advocate.

So much so that he has worked as a member of the founding team of Fairtrade Australia for seven years, establishing Fairtrade as a central body for the growing global movement of socially conscious consumption. Working initially with the things we really love in the developed work – coffee and chocolate, anyone? – he and the Fairtrade team have continued to draw attention to the social impacts of the luxuries we enjoy on a daily basis.

Fairtrade works to improve the imbalance of opportunity for the poorest and most disadvantage primary producers in the world. Working with companies to ensure they are providing these workers with financially, socially and environmentally sustainable livelihoods for individuals, families and communities in these areas.

More recently, Fairtrade have also began focusing on the cotton industry. Thanks to a raft of environmental problems – such as inefficient water usage, chemical and pesticide usage – the impact of cotton production is often discussed but the human element can be overlooked. As a globally traded commodity, cotton production impacts on producers in many parts of the world. By purchasing garments made from Fairtrade certified cotton, consumers can be assured that the proceeds of that garment are being distributed correctly, providing support and opportunity for workers all throughout the production process.

Fairtrade have seen on a regular basis how fast turnover fashion creates a wealth of issues for producers in the developing world, undermining the security and sustainability of the income their families and communities rely on. They are dedicated to the development and growth of ethically sustainable clothing.

Cameron also highlights just how important it is that we consider the sustainability of cotton production (financial, social and environmental) in a global market place. Cameron, like many others, is optimistic that by looking at the big picture and considering each step of the supply chain – beyond shipping, beyond manufacture, beyond dyes, all the way back to the primary producers – the fashion industry can work towards a sustainable future.

To hear more, get along to “Is Fashion Sustainable? An Open Discussion” presented by Wardrobe Wonderland as part of L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. The event will be held at Honey Bar on Tuesday March 22 from 6pm. Tickets are free but bookings are essential. Head to www.isfashionsustainable.eventbrite.com to book.