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Ethical Fashion Resources

This list of resources includes some of the key texts that I have come across over the last two to three years. It doesn’t cover every area of ethical fashion as the selections are based on my own research interests. The main areas not covered are the ethics of wearing fur, and recycling/waste, although these areas are touched upon in some of the generalised books.

Books

Prehistoric Textiles. Barber, E.J.W. 1992, Princeton University Press

Information on early textiles, relevant to explore how textiles have been important in our lives for thousands of years.

Design for Sustainability: A practical approach. Bhamra, T. 2007, Gower Publishing

Covers sustainable design in general, covers the whole life cycle.

Eco-Chic: The Fashion Paradox. Black, S. 2008, Black Dog Publishing

Key ethical fashion text written by London College of Fashion professor, Sandy Black.

Future fashion: White Papers. Hoffman, L. 2007, Earth Pledge

Fantastic resource for ethical/sustainable fashion and textiles. Compilation of detailed academic papers covering most topics.

Sustainable Textiles: Life cycle and environmental impact. Blackburn, R.S. 2009, Woodhead Publishing in Textiles

Fantastic edited book of various journal papers. Extremely detailed and useful information, but book is very difficult to get hold of.

Environmental Life Cycle Analysis. D. F. Ciambrone 1997, CRC Press.

This is a very specific book for LCA, not needed for undergrads but useful for business or professional research purposes. Hard going without background knowledge, but essential for anyone trying to compile a comprehensive LCA.

Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. Fletcher, K. 2008, Earthscan.

Fantastic book by Dr Kate Fletcher of London College of Fashion. Covers whole textile life cycle, really useful read.

The Textile Book. Gale, C.; Kaur, J. 2002, Berg

Puts textiles into a social and creative context. Great final chapter called, ‘Ecology’ which covers ethical issues.

Ecological Intelligence, Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy. Goleman, D.
2009, Penguin Group

A great read on consumption and ethics in general. Detailed discussion on LCA.

Sustainable Fashion, Why Now? Hethorn, J.; Ulasewicz, C. 2008, Fairchild Books

A collection of critical essays, fantastic. Something for everyone.

Ethics in the Fashion Industry. Hillery, J.L.; Paulins, V.A. 2009, Fairchild Books

A slightly different angle on ethics, concerns more the decisions that fashion professionals have to make. Retail/human perspective.

The Apparel Industry. Jones, R.M. 2006, Blackwell Publishing

Not specifically from an ethical angle, but a detailed look at the global clothing industry including a chapter on UK production, labour issues, offshore production and trade barriers.

Eco Chic: The Savvy Shoppers Guide to Ethical Fashion. Lee, M.; Hamnett, K. 2007, Octopus Publishing.

Nice read, good background info but not an academic text.

The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy. Rivoli, P. 2006, John Wiley & Sons

As the title says. Very interesting look at production stage from cotton farms to consumer.

Slaves to Fashion. Ross, R. 2004, The University of Michigan Press

American perspective, history and impact of sweatshop labour. Essential for labour studies.

Explaining Environmentalism: In search of a new social movement. Sutton, P.W. 2000, Ashgate Publishing

Provides theoretical basis to justify ethical fashion perspectives.

Trigger Issues: T-shirt. Wells, T. 2007, New Internationalist Publications

Ethical issues in producing a cotton t-shirt, pesticide use, sweatshops.

Eco Fashion. Brown, S. 2010, Laurence King

A catalogue of ethical designers, great resource for case studies.

Making Sweatshops: The globalisation of the US apparel industry. Rosen, E. 2002, University of California Press

An historical analysis of the US clothing industry and the rise of sweatshops.

Reports

Environmental Assessment of Textiles. 2007, Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Scientific study, only needed for detailed assessment.

Public Understanding of Sustainable Clothing: A report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Cooper, T.; Fisher, T.; Goworek, H.; Hiller, A.; Woodward. 2008, Defra

Defra report, very useful for consumer study data.

Ethical Clothing. Mintel, 2009, Mintel Group

Respected market research, look out for future updated reports.

Are We Well Dressed? Allwood, J.M.; Broken, N.M.P.; Laursen, S.E.; Rodriguez, C.M. 2006, University of Cambridge.

Excellent reference report looking at UK textile industry and LCA for different products.

Fashioning the Future. 2008, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion

Documents the debates raised from a conference, therefore more of a conversation amongst key representatives than an informative report.

Fashioning Sustainability. 2007, Forum for the Future

A useful and very readable summary of all ethical fashion issues.

Websites

http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/

A fab source for resources, designers and events.

http://www.fashioninganethicalindustry.org/

http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/

http://www.pan-uk.org/

http://www.forumforthefuture.org/

http://www.sustainable-fashion.com/

http://www.waronwant.org/

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/products/cotton/default.aspx

http://slowtextiles.org/

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/fur.aspx

http://www.trackmyt.com/

http://www.soilassociation.org/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/thread/

http://www.ecochiccollection.co.uk/magazine/

http://www.ecofashionworld.com/

http://www.offsetwarehouse.com/

http://www.peopletree.co.uk/

I haven’t included a list of journal articles because I would only be able to list specific papers that I have used, missing many out. Newspapers, magazines and trade magazines also have helpful news stories, especially Drapers.

If you know of any other key resources please let me know! Leave your additions as a comment below, this list certainly isn’t exhaustive.

BIC Pen Dress

Here’s an idea – next time the ink in your pen runs out, don’t chuck it in the bin, get creative with all of those tubes of plastic. Take inspiration from Annette Carey who has designed this dress made from the humble BIC ball point pen barrels. To celebrate BIC Cristal pen’s 60th anniversary, the dress was designed to appear in an exhibition at the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising for one month from 1st April.

The dress is made from 1,200 BIC barrels, 2000 Swarovski crystals, and weighs 8lbs. Talk about upcycling! Basic pen to stunning dress in just 640 man hours. . .

Earth Hour: Climate change

Tonight, Sat 26th March, is Earth Hour. Are you joining in? Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007 when 2.2 million people turned their lights off to make a stand against climate change. Last year was the biggest Earth Hour ever with 128 countries taking part. Organised by WWF, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and China have already turned off on mass to recognise Earth Hour, and I plan to do the same at 8:30 this evening.

I have to say, I’m pretty good at turning lights off. In fact it really annoys me when I see lights on unnecessarily, once you start to give it more thought it just becomes habit to switch them off. Obviously turning off lights for just an hour isn’t going to make a huge amount of difference to climate change, but the publicity around the event aims to make people continue to think about the issue after the hour is up. Climate change remains an issue for debate. World temperatures reached a global high in 1998, but fluctuated in the following years, leading some people to believe that climate change ‘stopped’ in 1998. In early 2011 the World Meteorological Organisation announced that 2010 was the joint hottest year on record along with 1998 and 2005.

There is no doubt that the temperature of the Earth has been steadily rising for decades, but I do understand where the sceptics out there are coming from. Some scientists and members of the public alike, argue that ‘climate change’ is a natural change in the Earth’s life cycle, having been through a number of dramatic climatic changes over the last 4 billion years. This may be the case, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that human activity is now intervening. Atmospheric chemist, Paul Crutzen, coined the term ‘anthropocene’ in 2000 to explain the affect that human activity is having on the world. He stated that we are entering a new geological era (the anthropocene era) due to the affect of human activity. If humans destroy the Earth by using up fossil fuels and causing global warming, they are destroying themselves as a species, the Earth, however, will live on as it has done in previous millennia. Of course, some say that the Earth does a good enough job causing disasters itself, just witness the terrible earthquake in Japan.

I often think, hey, it will be ok, the human species will adapt. Advances in technology and science will allow us all to live a carbon neutral life. Or will they? I don’t know. What I do believe, is that humans don’t have the right to mess with nature and our current way of life has become unsustainable.

Textiles: New Research Strategies

On March 19th 2011, the Textile Society held its first research symposium. The event aimed to facilitate the exchange of research within textiles and I went along as an audience member. I had hoped to speak about my carbon footprinting research but in the end they were overrun with speakers, so I have written a piece for their journal TEXT instead.

As textiles have become a growing academic area of research, the topics under its umbrella are far and wide. The morning session included papers on textile histories, something I have only little knowledge about but am learning. There was also discussion on the way in which textiles are exhibited in museums, and exciting news about the Clothworkers’ Centre for Textiles and Fashion Study, which will open in 2013 as part of the V&A.

The afternoon looked at more contemporary issues and critical thinking behind fashion and textiles. Although thought provoking, there were times when it felt a little ‘wishy washy’. Nonetheless, there were some great ideas for the future, including the use of concrete on clothing to absorb pollutants in the air. Hopefully the event will happen in future years, it is always great to belong to these societies but the value of community is heightened when you have a chance to meet like minded people and swap ideas.

Oscars Dress

It’s a bit late, but after my post about Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge in Jan (she set herself the challenge of wearing ethical clothes to every red carpet event through award season) I have to comment on the Oscars dress. She chose ethical couture designer Gary Harvey and the results were stunning. A floor length corseted creation in ivory, it was upcycled from 11 vintage frocks!

New Eco Fashion Book

'Eco Fashion' by Sass Brown was published late last year. It joins a quickly expanding topic area of books with vastly varying qualities. This book is great overview of the industry, but is not an academic text. Sass Brown is a Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and the book takes an American view, which is a slight downside, just because many of the designers are based in the US.

After a short introduction, the bulk of the book profiles around a hundred designers, including lots I hadn’t heard of! It is split into 5 chapters showcasing brands that are ethical in different ways, such as fair trade and slow design. It’s a lovely shiny book, easy to read and a nice addition to the book shelf.

Survey Results

I got my MPhil survey results back months ago (how time flies!) and I’ve been busy analysing and drawing conclusions from them. The online survey was the second part of my MPhil methodology for the communicating ethical fashion project and I targeted individuals within the age range of 18 to 30 who either work or study at the University. Choosing the sample was hard enough because ideally I would have liked to have had a sample representative of the whole of the UK, but of course that would be near impossible for just myself to complete. The reason for choosing the sample I did was because I had easy access to this group, young people generally shop regularly, and they have a whole lifetime of shopping ahead of them. They can more easily be moulded perhaps . . . the new ‘sustainable’ generation.

I had 89 responses which I was slightly disappointed with, however that changed when I began analysing! I had to get to grips with statistical testing for the first time, something I am keen to get better at if I want a career in research. I coded qualitative answers into themes, worked out means, medians, calculated scores and compared variables. Although I had touched on many of these areas before, it was still a steep learning curve.

As expected, it is difficult to draw significant conclusions from a fairly small sample; there were certainly no statistically significant points to variable changes. However, it was encouraging to see a strong ethical agenda and environmental awareness. When it came to shopping for clothes, the majority were regular and engaged consumers. There is definitely potential there to lead them to greater tools of communication. I was surprised how many respondents had heard of a number of ethical brands, not just People Tree but the smaller brands too. That said, not many had shopped with these ethical brands. A fair number of respondents described ethical fashion as bland, unfashionable, expensive, or hippie-ish, not an unusual connotation but still frustrating as there are so many beautiful/cool ethical garments out there. There was a reasonable awareness of terms like ‘organic’ and ‘fairtrade’ which was great, but a lack of specific responses.

To be honest, consumers shouldn’t have to be the ones making sacrifices, all garments should be ethical.

More LFW

More of my highlights,

Peter Pilotto

Sass & Bide

House of Holland

Betty Jackson

Aminaka Wilmont

LFW A/W '11

Its crazy to think that I was at the last London Fashion Week six months ago! It feels like yesterday. I didn't go this season due to having to get on with my thesis, plus its so much easier to catch up with the shows online! I was a bit tentative about skimming my mind past summer back to winter fashion but here are some of my fave A/W ’11 looks.

First I love everything at Mulberry, everything! Its totally wearable, beautiful textures and autumnal colours.

I also adore everything at Temperley London, much for the same reasons, just look.

Fairtrade Fairmined Gold

People involved in mining gems and metals don’t generally get as much press as the banana or cotton growers, but serious problems exist in these industries. With the world market price of gold soaring, fair treatment of the miners is a particular concern as hundreds of thousands of workers are lured to the industry. An estimated 15 million people work in artisanal and small scale mining, risking disease, serious injury and even death. Six times as many accidents occur in small scale mining as in large scale.

However, there is hope as February 14th saw the launch of the first Fairtrade certified gold. It seems odd that it hasn’t come sooner, but 20 jewellers have embraced Fairtrade gold in their products. This includes the world’s oldest jeweller Garrard, ethical brand CRED and luxury jeweller Harriet Kelsall. The Fairtrade Foundation website has a full list of brands to stock Fairtrade and Fairmined gold, and its not all super expensive (although it makes the perfect choice for engagement and wedding rings). This ring from CRED is made from recycled silver wire, covered in Fairtrade gold, handmade in Nepal, and it costs £85.

Bring Back UK Manufacturing

On the One Show tonight they did a piece about UK manufacturing and how a number of firms were moving production back from overseas. They covered a Yorkshire textile mill and explained how there just isn't the staff to keep up with the production they need. It is certainly true that more mid market brands are choosing to manufacture here, because of issues with quality and time delays. The 'Made in Britain' label also has a lot of weight in our ultra modern era where provenance is key. Yes its still cheaper to produce in the Far East, but the trend for heritage has improved the position of the UK industry greatly. The Made in Britain label is particularly popular in Japan and the US.

Many UK manufacturers have reported around 30% growth in orders over the last year and see that growth continuing through this year. This must be fantastic news for our economy?! Unfortunately it is not the first time that I've heard concern over the state of our workforce. manufacturing skills have died out and people just don't won't to do those jobs. I think this is such a great opportunity for us to help ourselves out of the recession, perhaps the Government can step in to support training and apprenticeships. Watch this space I guess, I certainly plan to do some more investigations.

Charity Shop Drapers Review

A first for fashion trade magazine, Drapers, as they featured a charity shop in their weekly double page shop review. This is a HUGE development. Charity shops have for far too long had a stigma attached to them, especially amongst the youth. There will always be people who won't step foot inside a charity shop perhaps because they think they are for old people, poor people, or they simply don't want to wear second hand clothes. Personally I think charity shops are the ultimate in guilt free shopping - you are recycling and diverting textiles from landfill, giving money to a good cause, and spending out less money than you would for a brand new item.

Charity shops have benefited from the upsurge in demand for vintage pieces no doubt, and as the article in fact says, the best charity shops should feel more like vintage boutiques than dowdy charity shops. Mary Portas tried to change the fortune of charity shops around in her series Mary Queen of Charity Shops, and her influence can now be spotted in shops up and down the country. The shop review in Drapers is a Mary Portas/ Save the Children collaboration. Positioned in Primrose Hill, it should attract donations from the well heeled types living and working in the area. They also rely on donations from the big brands, next month hosting a Rigby and Peller event.

Charity shops cannot meet all needs, they don't suit the time poor or those looking for a particular item, but if you do find a gem in your size it does leave you feeling a bit smug.

Partimi - Dieu Bleu

I came across Partimi at London Fashion Week last September, where the brand was showing in Estethica. Founded by Central St Martins graduate Eleanor Dorrien-Smith, 'Dieu Bleu' is Partimi's first full collection for S/S 11. The designs are striking but simple, and perfectly wearable for modern urban living. US retailer Anthropologie spotted Eleanor at her graduate degree show and immediately commissioned Eleanor to create a six piece capsule collection for their stores.

The new collection has been designed in homage to costumes that the designer’s

Grandmother collected from a sale of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes costumes at Sotheby’s in the late 60s and 70s. The PARTIMI collection shows digitally printed organic silks and cottons that are inspired by the worn texture of hand painted decoration, simple graphic patterns and the movement of the dancers themselves.

Green Carpet Challenge

Livia Firth, eco-fashion pioneer and wife of Colin Firth, has started the ‘Green Carpet Challenge 2011’. Basically the idea is that whenever Livia has a red carpet event to attend with Colin, she will only wear ethical outfits. It’s a fantastic idea as it proves that ethical fashion can be just as glamorous and special as mainstream fashion. For the premiere of ‘The King’s Speech’ Livia wore a Junky Styling creation, a stylish black tailored dress up-cycled from one of Colin’s old suits! She will be wearing a Tussah silk Prophetik gown to the Golden Globes designed by Jeff Garner, but we will have to wait until Sunday to see what it looks like. It’s well worth following Livia’s vogue blog http://www.vogue.co.uk/blogs/livia-firth/default.aspx.

Talking of challenges, I have set myself the goal of not buying any brand new clothes this year, unless completely necessary. This will mean making use of what I have, and scouring the charity shops (which is great fun anyway). Time will tell as to how I define ‘necessary’!

If I do need to buy anything, Eco-Age the Chiswick store founded by Livia Firth, Orsola de Castro, Lucy Siegle and Jocelyn Whipple will no doubt relieve any feelings of guilt.

New Year

Firstly, happy new year! I've been busy with work and family etc for the last couple of weeks, but should be getting back into things more now. Sadly, the year hasn't got off to a good start with a death in the family and having a few days of illness, but I'm looking forward to 2011! There are two major goals for this year - one is to get a PhD studentship, two is to start my own small business - a lingerie fashion label (quality, ethical of course). If I have started one by the end of the year I'll be super happy. I hope to continue my research into sustainability and work towards making a real difference to the world in some way. I think one of my key achievements for last year was boosting my confidence when it comes to public speaking, and that's something I want to build on this year too. I will start each day saying 'Today I will be the best I can be!'

Also, I want to share these pictures with you. I'm still cataloging needle work tools at the museum, and I came across these this week. The pictures don't really do them justice, but they are delightful needle work boxes, one full of ivory bits and pieces, the other mother of pearl. They are from the 18th and 19th Century. This would have been a prize possession for the lady of the house and its lovely that they have survived as two sets.