April 26, 2012 by amucklow
Annegret of Choolips and some São Paulo street art
Last week, the sustainable fashion brand – and participant on CSF’s business support programme – Choolips, was in São Paulo, taking part in a conference on Creative Economy, Culture and Business.
In conversation with Magna Coeli, from the Brazilian organisation Refazenda, Annegret of Choolips shared the story of her brand, her business model, her thoughts and ideas about sustainability and the reality of her projects in India and Africa. Touching on issues such as direct trade, supply chain transparency and entrepreneurship, Annegret highlighted the cultural importance of fashion and of local knowledge in different communities across the world.
Her presentation was enthusiastically received by the audience, who were interested to hear not only how fashion plays an important role in the development of a creative economy in a city or country, but also how to do this in a sustainable way.
Questions at the end of the presentations included one on the importance of education, particularly at university level, in supporting small businesses and designers in their development of sustainable business models. The work of CSF was mentioned as a trail blazer in the fashion industry.
March 17, 2011 by Cath
Snap up beautiful womenswear from PARTIMI at new Broadway Market shop 69b, which offers a directional edit of contemporary sustainable fashion. Both businesses are on our Business Support Programme
February 14, 2011 by Cath
In Sunday’s Observer the CSF Business Support Programme gets a great mention in a piece by Lucy Siegle about Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge:
As Colin Firth dusts down his tux for this evening’s Baftas, his wife Livia will be highlighting the world of eco couture in an upcycled Gary Harvey dress. It’s all part of her Green Carpet Challenge…
There is a new breed of fashion designer whose aesthetics match their ethics. This is manifested in the materials they use (picked for lowest ecological impact), the way they produce their work, their supply-chain values and even their ambition for the piece after it has been worn. It chimes with those of us who love fashion but are turned off by the industry’s continuous exploitation and oppression of garment workers and appalling record on environmental pollution and waste. In the UK this alternative industry is represented by the Ethical Fashion Forum; a new crop of socially and ecologically aware designers is being trained at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion, and ethical designers are showcased at Estethica, part of London Fashion Week. Globally, ethical fashion has grown in status, too, from a trend into a fully fledged movement.
February 4, 2011 by Cath
CHOOLIPS’ Profile has gone live in the Profiling Business section of the CSF website.
CHOOLIPS is one of the labels on our Business Support Programme which aims to help existing and emerging London based fashion businesses. The next Programme is due to start in March 2011. Find out more and register your interest
by Cath
Lu Flux’s Profile has gone live in the Profiling Business section of the CSF website.
Lu Flux is one of the labels on our Business Support Programme which aims to help existing and emerging London based fashion businesses. The next Programme is due to start in March 2011. Find out more and register your interest
May 21, 2010 by Hatty
Celebrate the glorious weather and check out the many gorgeous fair trade and organic dresses and casuals from Komodo at Rococo, one of the brands on the CSF Business Support Programme, at: http://www.rococoboutique.co.uk/category/news/
This season’s Must-Have’ Maxi Dress from Komodo at Rococo is particularly stunning. The Roxie comes in a tribal print making the essential update for your summer wardrobe.
May 14, 2010 by Hatty
The latest edition of The Times Luxx magazine focuses on design and features an article about the growing demand amongst consumers for luxury items that are both aesthetically pleasing and sustainable. Ethical fashion designer Ada Zanditon, who is enrolled on the CSF Business Support programme, shares her views on making ethical fashion desirable. Read the full feature at: Times Online.
by Hatty
Centre for Sustainable Fashion, Business Support
The Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion is currently offering places on our Business Support programme, aiming to help existing and emerging London based fashion businesses gain access to the growing market for sustainable products.
The programme consists of small group seminars and one-to-one advice sessions and every business chosen to participate will receive at least 12 hours of tailored support and guidance. On completing the programme businesses will be eligible for a variety of showcasing and press opportunities, including profiling work on the Centre for Sustainable Fashion stand at London Fashion Week.
‘The Business advisors and speakers are knowledgeable, friendly and incredibly supportive, offering tailored advice. The experience was inspirational’ Eleanor Dorrien-Smith, Director of Partimi
The next introductory seminar will take place on 3rd June 2010 and a limited number of places are still available.
The programme is fully subsidised for small to medium sized fashion business, registered as limited companies or sole traders and based in the greater London area.
Please visit the Centre for Sustainable Fashion website for further details: www.sustainable-fashion.com
Or contact Hatty at: h.whitworth@fashion.arts.ac.uk
April 13, 2010 by Hatty
One of my favourite online eco magazines,Greenmystyle.com, recently featured two fantastic designers from the CSF Business Support programme. The article examines Eleanor’s and Michelle’s beautiful work and marks them out as ‘designers to watch’ in the future.
Inspired by the idea of creating stunning pieces from unwanted material Michelle’s unique style and love of traditional textile embellishment techniques shines through all of her work. Michelle has been designing for over ten years. View her collections online at: www.lowe-holder.com
Eleanor Dorrien-Smith’s brand Partimi combines strong graphic images with her signature, wearable feminine knitwear. Eleanor is committed to sustainability and ethical production and has recently worked with Greenpeace to develop a range of printed t-shirts created using environmentally conscious materials and low impact inks. Visit the Partimi website to find out more.
Published by Delightful Media, an ethical media business with a fresh approach to sustainable fashion, beauty and interior design, Greenmystyle.com is a great resource which strikes the perfect balance between being entertaining and informative. Visiting the Greenmystyle.com website has become a daily ritual for me and it never fails to make my day a little bit brighter!
So, read the article here and check out the rest of the site while you’re at it.
April 8, 2010 by Hatty
As the countdown to the general election begins our thoughts natually turn to the future and therefore for many of us environmental policies and a comitment to sustainability will play a key role in deciding which party gets our vote.
Think Act Vote is a campaign which aims to inspire us to think positively about our future and the votes we cast, today, tomorrow and forever. Recently involved in working with ethical and eco designers to create cool, wearable clothes that spread the message of the campaign, the Think Act Vote team are now compiling thoughts from people across the UK in a creative anthology of stories and images in the lead up to the election. They invite you to get involved by visiting the Think Act Vote website and answering one (important) question: What future do you choose?
The Think Act Vote image used here was designed by Holly Berry – one of the great brands on the CSF Business Support programme. Find out more about Holly Berry at her fantastic website here: http://hollyberryideasdesign.blogspot.com/
And for more information about how to enrol on the Business Support Programme please visit the CSF website. We’re in the process of recruiting for the next round of workshops offering invaluable advice and support to small to medium sized London-based fashion business so if this sounds like you, get involved!
