Events

Ethical Clothing Australia will be at DESIGN: MADE: TRADE 21 - 24 July at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Melbourne

Growing Ethical Fashion

(6pm-8pm, Wednesday 17 March 2010)

Are ethics simply fashionable or can fashion be truly ethical?

This was the question that Ethical Clothing Australia assembled a team of leading futurists, branding and sustainability experts to discuss at an interactive forum held as part of the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program. Melbourne’s fashion community was challenged and entertained about the ethical qualities and potential of Australian-made fashion.

Check out some of the photos from the night:

Karen Rieschieck talks about her experiences of running Alice Euphemia - a boutique retail store stocking only Australian made and designed clothing and jewellery.The TFIA’s Andreas Schimkus touches on the many challenges the fashion industry faces in regards to waste management and consumer safety.Cameron Neil talks about the growing market for Fairtrade productsEthical Clothing Australia's Emer Diviney explains how accreditation can help business tap into the growing ethical market.One of the lucky winners of the many door prizes
The TFIA's Jo Kellock and her 'tweeting' friend get proceedings underway.TCFUA National Secretary, Michele O'Neil, discussing the extremely low rates of pay recieved by many home-based clothing workers in Australia.Nic Bez from the Mobium Group discusses a survey of more than 25,000 Australians aiming shed light on what motivates Australians to make healthier, more sustainable lifestyle choices.Alasdair Mackinnon talks about how the international market embraced the localised story of Brunswick-based label Otto and Spike.Patricia Brien points out that the ‘fashion with meaning’ movement has already arrived at the local knitting groups and more and more people are looking to the industry to slow down the waste cycle, treat people with respect.Steve Tighe, from Chasing Sunrises, discusses the shift in community thinking that is altering the types of questions consumers are asking about products and services.

Speakers included:

Emer Diviney (National Coordinator, Ethical Clothing Australia), Steve Tighe (Futurist & Director) Chasing Sunrises, Karen Rieschieck (Owner, Alice Euphemia), Sue Thomas (Lecturer, RMIT Fashion), Andreas Skimkus (Senior Industry Advisor, Council of Textiles and Fashion Industries Australia), Nick Bez (Director, Mobium Group), Cameron Neil (Operations Manager Australia, Fairtrade), Alasdair MacKinnon (Consultant Brand Developer, Otto & Spike), Michele O’Neil (National Secretary, Textile Clothing & Footwear Union of Australia) and Patricia Brien (Teacher, Fashion in Sustainability, RMIT University).

Contact Ethical Clothing Australia's media coordinator, Tommy Clarke, for an transcript/audio file of the event.