From left to right: Venetia Falconer and Professor Rebecca Earley, Amy Powney and Orsola de Castro
Professor Rebecca Earley spoke of her journey from being a textile designer producing and printing her own textiles and prints to better understanding the toxic effects of the chemicals and processes she was using were having on the planet. Now a researcher on circular economy and part of an academic group within the University of the Arts London, Centre for Circular Design, Rebecca spoke of her hopes for the industry’s future, focusing on the whole loop and an industrial symbiosis - the concept of one person’s waste becoming another person’s raw materials.
Fashion Revolution’s social media campaign ‘Who Made My Clothes’ earlier this year encouraged Instagrammers to consider where their clothes were coming from, asking big fast fashion brands to be more transparent about their supply chains. Orsola de Castro explained the origin of the hashtag as “being the simplest yet most complicated question” they could think to ask. She detailed how the campaign highlighted the importance of celebrating the people making our clothes and the power of honesty within the industry. Perhaps Orsola’s most poignant comment was about encouraging people to find what fits, trusting your gut with what feels right and aligns with your morals.