Last week, we attended a panel discussion organised by five students from MA Fashion and the Environment course at the London College of Fashion. Chaired by the dynamic Tamsin Omond from the Suffragettes-inspired environmental action group Climate Rush, the event put forward five ethical fashion experts who were asked to comment upon various issues. Speakers included Amisha Ghadiali, writer of ’12 Rules to Dress by’, three representatives from the sustainable fashion collective Here Today Here Tomorrow and Environmental Justice Foundation‘s Rebecca Attwood.
During the evening it was mentioned that there are two different ways of achieving sustainability. The first option, which is probably the most well-known, is the choice of responsible materials and a transparent supply chain. Although a strategy with great potential, it is too often an extremely difficult path to take, due to the high costs and the reluctance of the fashion industry to change.
The second option is the education of consumers, whether is it through raising awareness, encouraging slower consumption and responsible labelling. Here at Antithesis we find this alternative much more promising. For example, did you know that up to 80% of the environmental impacts of your garments are caused by laundering? Wearing your clothes a few times before washing, choosing cold water cycles and banning tumble-drying are all small actions that have great repercussions. Want to do more? Spread the word!
