Looking at new values for the future of sustainable fashion and design
Crafting the Future is a two-day programme that brings excellence and expertise in crafts together with innovation and new technologies as applied to fashion and design, paying particular attention to the issue of sustainability.
Crafting the Future will showcase inspirational speakers and a panels of experts, raise the right questions and advance potential solutions, as well as provide opportunities for everyone from young professionals to absolute beginners to explore the art of making, altering, repairing and caring for our clothes.
The growth of the global fashion industry has also meant a growth in the global consumption of clothing and, as a result, there is an increasing interest in sustainable and ethical approaches to garment design, manufacturing and business operations. Greater consumer awareness of the working conditions of supply chain workers and the environmental impact of mass production has led fashion brands and retailers to consider how to transform the industry through the adoption of more sustainable business practices.
Crafting the Future will critically explore sustainability, innovation and the use of sustainable materials in fashion, technology as a means to increase transparency in the supply chain, design solutions to environmental challenges and, in particular, the role of crafts in the complex landscape in which the fashion industry operates.
A key element of the Crafting the Future programme is connecting cultures in order to facilitate knowledge sharing. By bringing together expertise from the UK and many other countries, the programme aims to provide fertile ground for the exchange of ideas and experiences in the field of innovative and pioneering sustainable practices.
With a focus on crafts as a means to innovate, the two-day event will explore the importance of artisans in the modern-day fashion supply chain, the relationship between crafts and culture, as well as the need to protect skills and natural resources. Innovation is not just about technology but also about looking back in order to move forward, embracing past wisdoms, updating and adopting them as modern values and practices, and modifying them so that they form an integral part of our future.
Keynote speakers
- Orsola de Castro, Founder and Creative Director of Fashion Revolution
- Marina Spadafora, Fashion Designer
- Tamsin Lejeune, CEO at Common Objective
- Brigitte Stepputtis, Head of Couture at Vivienne Westwood
- Rebecca Earley, Design Researcher at the University of the Arts London
- Christos Petridis and Venediktos Adipas, Designers at Maison Faliakos
- Stavros Karelis, Onassis Creative Consultant, Founder and Buying Director Machine-A
Lightning Talks
- Mareva Grabowski, Founder of Zeus+Dione
- Angeliki Giannakidou, Director of the Ethnological Museum of Thrace
- 3QUARTERS, Upcycling fashion and accessories brand
- Christopher Brellis, Designer
- Shedia Art, Chris Alefantis, Editor in Chief of Shedia Street paper
- George Kalivis, Project Director at the Victoria Square Project, and Maria Juliana Byck, Artist and reFashion Designer
Film Screening
Crafting the Future, in collaboration with the 1st Athens Fashion Film Festival, will present Lorna Tucker’s documentary Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist. The film documents the story of one of the world’s leading fashion designers and icons, and her struggle to keep her brand clean, addressing issues of prestige and morality. Nicole Alexandropoulos will present the Athens Fashion Film Festival before the film screening.
Admission is free. Entrance tickets will be available an hour before the screening on a first come, first served basis.
Workshops
The second day of the programme focuses on hands-on experience for fashion students and professionals, offering a range of workshops on issues of transparent supply chain, circular design and upcycling.
Workshop applications will be reviewed and participants will be selected based on the relevance of their responses to the subject matter of the workshop. Successful applicants will be notified by 28 January.
DiscoMAKE Party
DiscoMAKE is a party for people who love fashion, styling and are makers at heart. How do you purchase, use and dispose of your clothes?
We invite you to come along and:
- bring an old garment you don’t wear anymore or pick one from our denim and t-shirt tables
- choose pins, threads, patches or other available materials
- go to the maker corner and – with help from designers – remake your item into a new favourite
- style your new creation and give us your best snapshot, wearing your old new clothes!
Join and explore the art of making, altering, repairing and caring for your clothes.
The DiscoMAKE Party is family friendly and admission is free.
Clothes available for upcycling at the party are the kind contribution of Fabric Republic.
Registration
Participation is free following online registration.
The Agenda and Workshop descriptions are available in the ‘Documents’ section below.
Information
For further information, please contact us:
| Maria Papaioannou | Maria.Papaioannou@britishcouncil.gr | 210 369 2336 |
Crafting the Future is co-organised in partnership with Onassis Culture and the programme is curated in collaboration with Fashion Revolution.
