The Devil Wears Fast Fashion
The fashion industry currently stands as the second most polluting industry globally, after the oil and gas sector, using 5 times more CO2 than the aviation industry. We all love to get dressed up, so how can we do so sustainably?
In this session we talk charity fashion, the rise of thrift and upcycling, and why it’s down to world leaders, corporations and influencers to squash fast fashion and cultivate a sustainable closet.
University of Salford – Lecture Theatre
Sunday, 11:45am – 12:30pm
Suitable for: All ages, step-free
CHAIR
Charlotte Instone
Founder, Know the Origin & Business Development Manager, The Sustainability Show
Charlotte Instone is founder of Know The Origin, a sustainable fashion marketplace and one of Ethical Consumer’s top rated brands. Before exiting last year, she scaled the brand to 7 figures and worked with Fairtrade producers across India and Bangladesh. She has been recognised for her work in sustainability and was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Retail list.
Charlotte now curates brands for The Sustainability Show, the first consumer show on sustainability, taking place in Manchester Central in July and London Islington Design Centre in October. Charlotte is passionate about creating a more just and sustainable fashion industry and empowering consumers to make informed choices.
PANELLISTS
Jade McSorley
Co-founder, Loanhood
Jade is the Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer of LOANHOOD, a fashion rental app that is all about renting personal style over trend-led fashion. She is also a PhD Researcher at the University for the Creative Arts, exploring identity within online worlds achieved through digital fashion and avatars. Formerly a fashion model for 14 years and previously worked at the Fashion Innovation Agency at UAL, she uses her experiences to help shape a fashion future that is both sustainable and innovative.
Kemi Gbadebo
Founder, Gbadebo
Kemi Gbadebo is a 23 year old fashion designer and founder of luxury, sustainable, streetwear label ‘Gbadebo’ and winner of BBC3’s fashion design competition show, ‘The Drop’. Taking old damaged or unwanted textiles and transforming them into new, fresh streetwear pieces, she specialises in up-cycling and promoting a cleaner future for the industry. Advocating for the implementation of more sustainable practices and encouraging the re-education of consumer habits in fun and interactive workshops. Working with major brands such as; The North Face, Adidas, Ellesse and Samsung to name a few.
Alison Carlin
Co-founder, Manchester Fashion Movement
Originally from Derry, Alison moved to Manchester 28 years ago to study Media Performance at University of Salford whilst immersing herself in the city’s arts & culture scene. Alison went on to carve out a successful career in sales and business and developed a wealth of experience in connecting people and businesses together. Using this passion and my creativity Alison wanted to make my own mark and play a role in encouraging people to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Merging the worlds, the Sustainable Fashion Party and MFM were born. The movement is to create a world that works for everyone and to spark valuable conversations on sustainability with varying audiences.
Fashion and style have always been very personal to Alison as it relates to the skin condition eczema. Always feeling the need to cover up Alison used fashion, styling and customising to detract from the condition over the years. This is the spark that caused her own revolution, creating unique outfits was a way for me to have a place on the dancefloor and not have to shrink back into her skin. Her journey has taken her from spreading the sustainable spotlight on the dancefloor to spreading the MFM message “future-proofing our world thru’ fashion” and she’s fully dedicated to making a difference for our collective future.
If you would like to find out more on this particular subject or another weekend topic, follow this link to the Open University’s dedicated We Invented the Weekend Open Learn page – We invented the weekend! – OpenLearn – Open University