London - International fashion sourcing platform Source Fashion, which takes place from 12th – 14th February at Olympia London, has announced a line-up of internationally renowned speakers, designers, industry professionals, experts and brands for its comprehensive seminar programme.
The speakers, including Alice Temperley, Safia Minney, Boohoo, F&F Clothing, and The Woolmark Company, will discuss and explore trends, next-generation textiles and alternative fibres, recycling and the circular economy, plus all the latest topics relevant to responsible and sustainable fashion sourcing.
With demand pushing companies to a more flexible, demand-driven sourcing model, Richard Lim, chief executive of Retail Economics opens the stage on Sunday 12th, looking at how to safeguard business in the face of economic recession in his seminar, Trade 2.0: Apparel sourcing in a time of fragile global trade recovery.
James George, strategic adviser at Pyrexa Global will be moderating a panel conversation answering the question, Circular Economy: What is it and why should you care? George also moderates a panel discussion on Biosynthetics: Fast tracking next-gen textile fibres, inviting visitors to discover the biomaterial revolution. Sustainable innovation has been made possible with biofabricated materials and the market has grown significantly over the last few years seeing an increase in plant substitutes for leather and fabrics. George will investigate, with Damien Pommeret, regional manager Western Europe at The Woolmark Company, what some of the most advanced fabrics are today and where are they being used.
Ethical supply chains will be explored with Angela Gaskell from N Brown Group in her session Ethical supply chain: Go green with fashion’s favourite colour. The trend of developing a green supply chain is gaining immense popularity now, and businesses are focusing more on improving their supply chain visibility, efficiency, and costs. It’s a long-term commitment for a business but adopting a green supply chain strategy will prove vital to spearhead the growth of a business in the long run.
Kate Hills, founder and chief executive officer of Make It British, will discuss Micro factories: Fashion's reshoring rush looking at why companies moving back home and what the drivers of location choice are in the UK apparel industry.
James George from Pyrexa Global returns on Monday morning for Circular economy: What is it and why should you care? Jane Mossman, project manager for Better Futures+ Programme, West London Business and Annika Bosanquet, co-founder and director of Sustainability at Wrapology follow with Eco apparel: Earth friendly packaging. Although packaging represents a relatively small portion of the overall impact of a garment’s lifecycle, it is highly visible to consumers and signals a brand’s commitment to sustainability. Garments still need some form of protection—something lightweight, durable, waterproof, and cheap. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for sustainable packaging, each company has to balance the benefits and trade-offs, but this session will uncover the positive steps to take.
At 12.45pm the stage welcomes British fashion designer Alice Temperley MBE for a keynote interview about the conscious consumer. Temperley founded her eponymous label Temperley London in 2000, a year after graduating from the Royal College of Art. She continues to head up the creative direction of this British independent brand, which currently operates four standalone stores, including its flagship store on Bruton Street in Mayfair-which now houses the Bridal Boutique, as well as stores in Dubai and Qatar.
Alice is a member of the British Fashion Council Advisory Board and is also involved with several charitable organisations, including recently becoming Ambassador for Women for Women International. Alice was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to the Fashion Industry. In 2018, Temperley London was awarded the Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury for a commitment to responsible practices across innovation, social good, environment, philanthropy, and governance.
At 3pm, Safia Minney MBE, founder and executive director of Fashion Declares and founder of People Tree for Sourcing at scale – possibility or distant dream? will discuss alternative fibres, value chain collaboration, and turning supplier relationships into strategic partnerships.
On Tuesday, Lianne Pemberton, head of Sustainability; Hannah Williamson, head of Quality and Product Compliance; Samuel Cliff, group head of Ethical Trading; Sophie Rycroft, group head of Sourcing; and Laura Callcut, head of Wholesale, from Boohoo Group will present Fashion’s new ‘must have’: Ethical clothing starts with industry collaboration.
Purpose in practice: Nationwide reuse and repurposing schemes will be explored by a panel from SATCoL, the Salvation Army’s Trading Company, alongside Michelina Filocco from F&F Clothing. They’ll be looking at the different ways donations are used, corporate donations, take back schemes, and how textiles are recycled back into the supply chain.
Across the three days, there will be a series of trend seminars with Terrie Isaac and Gwyneth Holland of BDA London. The Evolution of Trends session explores the ever-changing speeds of production and consumption which demand a more considered approach to trends. Consumers are looking for brands to balance newness with longevity, making sustainability a more important part of the value equation. Protopia: Key fashion directions for SS24 will explore key commercial messages across colour, materials and form.