Sustainable Fashion Centre Receives BFC Backing

Centre for Sustainable Fashion Receives Backing from the British Fashion Council

 

 

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) set up at London College of Fashion (LCF) and now in its second year of operation, has today received backing from the British Fashion Council.  Harold Tillman, Chairman of the British Fashion Council, spoke at the Estethica launch party during London Fashion Week:

 

“It is wonderful to see the work being undertaken by the Centre for Sustainable Fashion supporting the fashion industry to transform the way it does business.  It is especially apt given the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week that we should be looking to the future and safeguarding our industry for future generations.”

 

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion has rapidly gained an international reputation for connecting research, education and business to support, inspire and create innovative approaches to fashion that balance ecology, society and culture.

 

Ambassador for the CSF Caryn Franklin commented; “The Centre for Sustainable Fashion is a trailblazer, helping all of us to a better understanding of why the pursuit of sustainability must be on par with the pursuit of business building and design innovation.”

Over the past year the CSF has worked across education, research and industry to establish networks and develop capacity within the fashion industry and produce graduates who are fully equipped to effect positive change.  Just one of many successful initiatives includes the Shared Talent India project that is funded under the Defra led Sustainable Clothing Roadmap and the Indian Government through the UK:India Sustainable Development Dialogue.  Born out of a collaboration between UK and Indian designers, LCF, Pearl Academy India and Amsterdam Fashion Institute, the project explored and promoted the design applications of a range of sustainable Indian textiles; outcomes from Shared Talent India are displayed on the Monsoon Stand in Estethica at London Fashion Week and will go on to be displayed at Indian Fashion Week in October 2009.

 

The CSF has also launched its new website www.sustainable-fashion.com which provokes, challenges and questions the fashion status quo. This will be an invaluable resource for the fashion industry, showcasing transforming design concepts that balance ecology, society and culture.

 

For more information about the Centre for Sustainable Fashion and its activities, including Shared Talent India, please contact Rebecca Munro in the Press Office:

 

Rebecca Munro

Media Relations Manager

020 7514 2998 / 07974 715 102

r.b.munro@fashion.arts.ac.uk

 

 

 

Notes to editors:

 

Shared Talent India Team:

 

Through partnership between the Defra led Sustainable Clothing Roadmap and the Indian Government under the UK:India Sustainable Development Dialogue, the Centre for Sustainable Fashion explored and shared knowledge on sustainable design practice. Those involved include 12 designers, based in both the UK and India, suppliers of Indian textiles, buyers and undergraduates from London College of Fashion, Pearl Academy of Fashion Delhi and Amsterdam Fashion Institute.  The initiative aims to innovate towards improved ecological, ethical and cultural criteria in selecting and creating collections and to connect designers and buyers to more sustainable textiles in India. A look book of all of the designs is available from the press office including high resolution images of the work.

 

Bevan Ofosu Agyemang (London College of Fashion), Nitin Bal Chauhan, Samant Chauhan, Saurabh Chauhan, (Pearl Academy), Kritika Dawar (Pearl Academy), Eleanor Feddon, Dhairya Gautam (Pearl Academy), Katharina Grube (Amsterdam Fashion Institute), Gaurav Gupta (AKAARO), Varun Gupta, Sahil Jaisingh, (Pearl Academy), Anjana Janardhan, Jattinn Kochhar, Juanita Koerts, (Amsterdam Fashion Institute), Padmaja Krishnan, Gunjan Kumar (Pearl Academy), Pratyush Kumar (Pearl Academy), Ester Miles (London College of Fashion), Charlotte Moore (London College of Fashion), Jaisheel Nishad (Pearl Academy), Anne Prahl, Holly Pressdee, Nieves Ruiz Ramos, Shazia Saleem, Monalisa Saran (Pearl Academy) Annemaria Ven Der Van (Amserdam Fashion Insitute), Ruta Zabraskaite (London College of Fashion)

 

Defra – sustainable clothing roadmap and action plan

 

Defra launched its Sustainable Clothing Action Plan at London Fashion Week in February 2009. The roadmap process and action plan aims to encourage sustainable processes throughout the lifecycle of products, from design to manufacture to end of life use and recycling. The roadmap process has brought together over 300 organisations, from high street retailers, to designers and textile manufacturers to tackle the environmental and ethical impacts of clothing.  Companies and some of the biggest names in fashion have signed up to take actions under the Roadmap’s Sustainable Clothing Action Plan. More information about the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan can be found at:www.defra.gov.uk 

 

Centre for Sustainable Fashion

 

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) has been set up at London College of Fashion (LCF) to be an internationally recognised and globally connected catalyst for change, fully integrated with industry to create better lives through a sustainable fashion economy. The CSF works across education, research and industry to establish networks and develop capacity within the fashion industry and produce graduates who are fully equipped to effect positive change. DEFRA are supporting the CSF to run Shared Talent India project promoting Indian sustainable textiles. The project will incorporate three strands of activity: Research & Development, Shared Talent Project and a series of Dissemination Activities in and around London Fashion Week September 2009.

 

London College of Fashion

 

London College of Fashion has an international reputation as a leading provider of fashion education, research and consultancy. The unique portfolio of specialist courses range in level, from Foundation to Postgraduate. The subject range corresponds to the process of the creation, production and promotion of fashion and the management and marketing of those activities. Many of the College’s courses are unique to the UK and offer students an experience unmatched by even a handful of specialist colleges worldwide.

 

Alumni include Jimmy Choo (shoe designer), Harold Tillman (Chairman of British Fashion Council), Joseph Azagury (shoe designer), Jacques Azagury (fashion designer), Linda Bennett (LK Bennett), Angela Buttolph (journalist & TV presenter), Lindka Cierach (fashion designer), Patrick Cox (shoe designer), Sarah Harris (journalist), Emma Hope (shoe designer), Ashley Isham (fashion designer) and Andrew Ramroop (tailor).