The United Kingdom sends $42 million worth of second hand items to Kenya every year, but unfortunately many of them are ending up in landfill. As Kenya attempts to open up its own manufacturing capabilities for local fashion designers, one of the greatest challenges has been the sourcing of fabrics. So what if we employed African creatives to re-fashion these unwanted clothes into new items to sell back to European markets?

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Fashion Roundtable are saddened to learn that the French fashion giant Pierre Cardin has died at the age of 98.

Fashion contributes more to UK GDP than the fishing, music, film and automotive industries combined. Yet, the fashion sector has not been widely considered an industry of national importance throughout Brexit and other trade negotiations. This is inexplicable and inexcusable.

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Catch up with our selection of feature articles and opinion pieces published on the Fashion Roundtable Informer this year…

Exploiting people of colour to make their clothes, selling racially insensitive clothing, discriminating against models, displacing indigenous peoples, and cultural appropriation are the norm in the fast fashion world. Social media posts in support of relevant social issues are also the norm nowadays; what’s missing is the action that reflects these positive sentiments. How can we spot performative activism? Let’s take a quick look at the language behind the facade.

Photographers, stylists, make up artists (and so on) perform virtually identical roles and the sector also relies heavily on international talent. The UK fashion industry makes over 10 times what film does for the UK economy, but this is severely at risk if we are not operating on a level playing field.

GET A LIFE is an arts publication lifting the lid on sickness through the lens of young creatives and patients. Issue 01 contains content centred around cancer and coronavirus from over 30 contributors, all working from locked-up locations around the world.

When it comes to sustainable development in the fashion sector, education equals empowerment. The current fashion landscape is experiencing pervasive greenwashing where ‘sustainability’ has become a buzzword used by marketeers to tout supposed ‘ethical’ credentials. But what do these words really mean?

AMMA Natural Textiles is a sustainable fashion and textile business located in Nuwara Eliya, a tea estate region in Sri Lanka. This innovative business empowers women by employing them to make handmade zero waste garments and accessories. AMMA’s new collection is now live on Kickstarter— we can’t think of a better Christmas gift idea!

As we head into the festive season, at the end of the most difficult of years for so many, Eden Loweth discusses the the emotional power of chosen family. Within the queer community, the importance of chosen family can be vital in providing stability, safety and comfort to many who find themselves alone in a city, often discovering their true selves along the way.

Please see below today’s updates for your business/members and supply chains.

A joint statement from UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Update covering wider transition topics, in addition to the most recent Covid bulletin.

“One of the most prominent issues with Topshop’s business model was that they didn’t shift their values to match what Gen Z were demanding as consumers. Unlike my generation, where your identity was largely reflected by what brand you wore, fashion for this particular generation has been more about aligning with brands that reflect their own identities and less about buying the latest It-bag. These shoppers are value-oriented and are far more open to alternative fashion systems…”