SSF Contributor Deborah Barnes reports on her visit to The Fashioning the Future Summit that took place at the Centre For Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion...
The Fashion show last night with student designs was amazing with good tunes and gracious hosts. The show was very professional and a delight with a good soundtrack; we've come a long way from the beige hemp canvas that started it all.
This morning, I caught the underground and navigated to the 'circus' of Oxford Circus. The day started with speakers and then we broke into one of 3 groups. I was in the luxury group and discussed topics like: what is luxury and how do we design it, how it has been appropriated by the likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton who have democratized it with a fast fashion business model, and how now all that needs further debate....thinker's stuff. I have met and will connect back with some great people and a woman from a college in Scotland...who wants to know more of what we do in Seattle and more about fashionRIP! Yahoo! This has been one of the most exciting sustainable related events I have ever been involved with or even attended as a spectator.
The Sustainable Fashion Centre Summit stimulated a slew of lively discussions on fashion as an ethical economic, socially just and environmentally concerned industry while maintaining fabulous design. The three main topics were divided further into 3 groups per topic and lucky me I was in the lively group. It was a joy to be with so many intelligent, talented, caring and responsibly minded people that I am determined to start this kind of support network here in Seattle. Lucky me, I was in the radical group with Orsula de Castro ("From Somewhere") and Kerry Seagen (Junky Skyline") who coined luxserious - the new luxury...where the technique (craftsmanship ousted as a word formerly abused by media!), quality and personality of the designer outrule the license BS and the rest of the evils of the fast fashion curse. My work in recyCouture goes happily along this line as a matter of course! I feel so validated and "hugged" after this expressive, optimistic, mindful, international event!