The growth of the global fashion industry has also meant a growth in the global consumption of clothing. As a result, there is an increasing interest in sustainable and ethical approaches to garment design, production and business. Through exposés on the working conditions of workers as well the environmental impact of mass production, high street retailers are being pushed to consider how to transform the industry through the adoption of more sustainable business practices.
The UK fashion industry has been at the forefront of research and initiatives for pioneering new approaches to sustainable fashion. These ways of thinking are being integrated at a higher education level through university-based research centres such as the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, the Designer-Manufacturer Innovation Support Centre and the Textile Futures Research Centre. Degrees such as the MA in Fashion Futures at the London College of Fashion and the MA in Fashion Enterprise and Society at the University of Leeds are exploring design thinking for a future fashion system. Major retailers are seeking out courses as a means to develop new ideas, such as Nike’s collaboration with the London College of Fashion and Marks & Spencer with the University of Leeds.
Organisations and communities like the Ethical Fashion Forum, Fashion Revolution, the Green Catwalk Challenge, Love Your Clothes and Schwopping give designers and those interested the opportunity to promote awareness and exchange ideas. Major UK designers such as Stella McCartney have become globally known for their ethical and environmentally-conscious brands.
Programme
Our Sustainable Fashion programme comprises:
- a talk / panel discussion
- a presentation of selected and collectible pieces from the Atopos Paper Fashion Collection curated by Stamos Fafalios, Director Atopos Contemporary Visual Culture
- a bespoke workshop for fashion designers.
The discussion and the workshop will be held in English (no interpretation available).
Talk/Panel Discussion
The aim of the event is to raise awareness of the impact of fashion on the environment and to generate curiosity and interest in sustainable fashion. We will share examples of good practice in embedding sustainable practices in one’s relationship to clothing and fashion, as well as information about the Fashion Revolution campaign.
The talk is primarily aimed at fashion designers, editors, bloggers, entrepreneurs, stylists, art lovers, fashion lovers and people interested in environmental issues. Our guest speakers will be:
- Alice Holmberg, Social Entrepreneur and Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins
- Orsola De Castro, Founder and Director of Fashion Revolution
- Stamos Fafalios, Director Atopos Contemporary Visual Culture
- Ζeus+Dione, Fashion Designers.
The talk will be moderated by:
- Efi Falida, Journalist (Ta NEA)
- Elis Kiss, Journalist (Kathimerini English Edition, K magazine).
Attendance is free.
Please note that due to limited capacity in the discussion room, seating will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
| When | Thursday 2 February 2017, 18.30–21.00 |
| Where | Atopos Contemporary Visual Culture 72 Salaminos Street 104 35 Athens |
| www.facebook.com/events/1201682769927274 |
Workshop for fashion designers
The workshop will bring together young fashion professionals already on route to sustainability or just embarking on the journey. We will debunk some of the myths around sustainability and aesthetics, sustainability and consumption, and create a sense of what sustainability means now. For fashion enterprises starting out now, sustainability is not about cutting back, it is about the future of their businesses and this is a forum for formulating it.
The workshop will be facilitated by Alice Holmberg:
Alice Holmberg is an Associate Lecturer in MA Innovation Management and BA Culture, Criticism and Curation at Central Saint Martins in London, and also teaches at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion. She is guest lecturer on design strategy, innovation and resilience internationally, namely at the Berlin University of the Arts, the Estonian Academy of the Arts, Munich Technical University, Aalto University in Helsinki and the Politecnico di Milano. Her professional practice gravitates towards conscious entrepreneurship and she has co-established an entirely new academic institute, Haptic Interface Design; played a key part in building up a London-based charity that involves residents in the decisions on public space and urban planning; and has started a business, Pride & Produce, which connects rural craftsmen to the digital economy.
If you’re a young designer or fashion entrepreneur from Greece and would like to take part in the workshop, complete the application form (MS Word, 85 kb) and email it to office@atopos.gr (Subject: Open Call Sustainable Fashion Workshop at Atopos cvc – Application).
Deadline for applications: Sunday 15 January 2017
| When | Friday 3 February 2017, 10.00–14.00 |
| Where | Atopos Contemporary Visual Culture 72 Salaminos Street 104 35 Athens |
| www.facebook.com/events/1452813001414760 |
Information
For further details about the Sustainable Fashion programme, please contact us:
| British Council | 210 369 2336 | Maria.Papaioannou@britishcouncil.gr |
| Atopos cvc | 210 524 2004 | kika.kyriakakou@atopos.gr | press@atopos.gr |
The Sustainable Fashion programme is organised in partnership with Atopos Contemporary Visual Culture.
