POSITIVE FASHION

In 2019 the British Fashion Council continues to focus on its Positive Fashion initiative, a platform designed to celebrate industry best practice and encourage future business decisions to create positive change.

Sustainability

Ethics – Focuses on social, environmental and business governance to drive a more sustainable fashion future. Positive Fashion champions the long term sustainability of the fashion sector which contributes £32.3 Billion to the UK economy in GDP and supports 890,000 jobs. Through the power of collective influence, the Positive Fashion committee of global brands, designer businesses and industry stakeholders gather thought leadership and drive change.

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY

People – Represents the people, from the product makers to the staff, students and models who pioneer our brands. The BFC takes the lead in setting the standards for an industry that strives to represent equality and diversity on the global stage. Championing the importance of every person in the sector as a vital and valuable part of our industry entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.

CRAFTSMANSHIP & COMMUNITY

Community – Supports the community of talent, skills and craftsmanship that make up our unique industry. Our initiatives are designed to develop connections and understanding between designers and manufacturers taking a holistic approach to the long term viability of the sector. We celebrate the wealth of talent and capability that is unique to British designer businesses.

Bethany Williams

Made from recycled tents and along with dead stock yarns from Italian mills, this look is hand woven by the women of San Patrignano; an education and rehabilitation programme for people with drug and alcohol dependency that teaches traditional Italian craft and a sense of community. This programme is known for producing high quality and traditional crafts such as furniture making, weaving, leather products.

Eftychia

A suit consisting of a single-breasted jacket, basic lea trousers and a shirt are the core pieces for EFTYCHIA. An outfit present each season, revisited and updated. This leather version with the knitted polo is the new take on it for AW19.The brand’s approach and inspiration are drawn by traditional men’s tailoring, and the workplace environment, but also by societal and gender stereotypes. It is a comment on equality and what unnecessarily divides the sexes.

Charles Jeffrey

For AW19, Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY partnered with Locharron, a Scottish tartan mill that has been operating continually since 1892, to produce a new tartan design, based on combining their previously designed “LOVERBOY” tartan with a traditional shepherd’s check design. LOVERBOY worked closely with the designers to ensure that the design was true to the Scottish craft and a real reflection of the message of the season.

Stay Wild Swim

Stay Wild Swim was launched by Natalie Glaze and Zanna van Dijk. They both grew up scuba diving, snorkeling and exploring the depths of the open water, developing a connection with marine life, so are both passionate about protecting our oceans.

Not only are their pieces created using regenerated ocean plastic through the most sustainable practices possible; they are made into beautiful, clean and minimalist styles which flatter every woman.

“We feel a responsibility to give back to the ocean and Stay Wild Swim is our way of doing that. It is our passion project; one we pour our hearts and souls into. It gives us the opportunity to not only fight the marine plastic problem facing our oceans, but actively contribute to the solution. From our factory to our labels all the way through to our packaging; at every stage we have looked to support local start-ups and sustainability leaders.”

Ancuta Sarca

Ancuta Sarca, a Romanian-born, Londonbased designer, has quickly gained international recognition by up-cycling old trainers with vintage heels.

Sarca is passionate about eco-friendly alternatives to fast fashion, and her reworked kitten heels tick that box. Sarca buys secondhand heels and old Nike trainers from charity shops, car boot sales and the likes of eBay and depop, before merging the two to create a quirky hybrid shoe in her North London studio.

“I like, and I think a lot of people like, the clash of masculinity and femininity,” she explains. “I love the idea that the kitten heel feminises the sportswear and the sportswear lends the kitten heel a more masculine edge.”

The Sustainable Sequin Company

The Sustainable Sequin Company was launched in 2018 by Rachel Clowse, who says she ‘discovered a high level of waste, in the form of inactive special occasion wear, within women’s wardrobes.’

The sequins have caught the attention of designers across the world. Last year, the recycled PET sequins were used in a custom Gucci dress by Alessandro Michele for Hari Nef at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards.

At the end of October this year, The Sustainable Sequin Company posted a sneak peak of their first biodegradable bioplastic sequin. Working with the BioComposites Centre at Bangor University, they have developed commercially viable, biodegradable non-oilbased sequins. These sequins will be machine washable and completely biodegradable at end of life. Rachel commented, “We think these could spell the end for plastic sequins when we launch early 2020!”