Manchester Museum of Science and Industry

I visited Manchester at the weekend and popped into the Museum of Science and Industry. They have a Textiles Gallery which is well worth a visit. It was especially relevant for my thesis work as it covers the cotton industry which was so vital for the growth of the area. There were plenty of original machinery to see such as this spinning machine. I also love the piece of artwork - the top made from seed heads, or what I call 'fairies!'.

Survey Update

I have now finished designing the questionnaire for my thesis. My thesis question,

How are fashion companies currently communicating to consumers the environmental and social impacts of producing a cotton garment at the point of sale? has required two main research methods - case study, and survey.

The aim of the survey is to find out what the public know about sustainable textiles, and their priorities when shopping. Choosing the sample was difficult because ideally, it would be representative of everyone in the country, but that's too much work just for me! I chose a sample of 18 to 30 year olds because they are the most likely to shop regularly and buy fast fashion, but also they are part of a generation which is having to think more sustainably and will have to change their habits as time goes by. I'm hoping to get a good couple of hundred responses at least. I'm really interested to see what answers people give, because as this has been my life for the last year, its easy to forget that not everyone thinks in the same way as me, or even cares!

Offset Warehouse

Now, I need not be too disappointed about not finding any fabric at the EFF Sourcing Expo, because a new website solves all of those problems! The Offset Warehouse is an online space which brings together all of the elements to make ethical textile design easy. It is the first online business of its kind, focusing on ethical fabrics and haberdashery for the interiors and clothing market. Tracking down ethical materials is time consuming and confusing for many designers. Offset Warehouse eliminates the hassle by providing a one-stop shop for ethical fabrics and haberdashery, as well as an essential resource for designers, students and hobbyists. Plus I'm featured on the database as a researcher/writer! I will definitely be getting my fabrics from here in the future.

EFF Sourcing Expo

On Wednesday I went to the Ethical Fashion Forum - Ethical Sourcing Expo at Central Hall Westminster. I was helping out as a note taker for some of the seminars and got to have a good look around too. It had expanded greatly from last year's event, there were plenty of ethical fashion brands, accessories, materials and organisations exhibiting. I was hoping to source some ethical fabrics to make my own range, but was a little disappointed. There was not as much choice as I hoped, and the fabric available was generally wool or boring cottons, whereas I want pretty silks and bright colours to make underwear. Nevertheless, I came across a fair few new brands that I would like to shop with in the future and the seminars were helpful.