IMPACT HUB, BREEDING GROUND FOR SOCIAL INNOVATORS TO EXPLORE SUSTAINABILITY IN FASHION

Impact Hub King's Cross, the breeding ground for social innovators, in collaboration with Ashoka Changemakers, The Lissome, and Ecosophia will host 'Threads: Rethinking Fashion', a series of three events exploring sustainability in the apparel and textile industry, launching this month in line with London Fashion Week.

The first of the series will take place on Tuesday 23rd February. Charlotte Turner of The Sustainable Angle & Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Christopher Stopes of Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) will lead us in uncovering the social and environmental issues around early stage sourcing measures in 'From fibre to fabrics: Sustainable sourcing practices to procure raw materials'.

The three Threads: Rethinking Fashion events will focus on different stages of the supply chain journey, from sourcing of raw materials and manufacturing through to consumption, exploring the related issues and highlighting best practices.

“Fashion and apparel affect each and every one of us, as wearers, makers, designers, and more. They also have long, complicated, and convoluted supply chains, within which a myriad of negative impacts could be reduced or even removed, replaced by positive actions and effects. It's therefore, essential that we interrogate the existing fashion system with its wide reach and influence, exploring and developing ways to create a more sustainable industry.

At The Sustainable Angle, we have chosen to explore material innovation by researching and sourcing diverse sustainable materials from around the world, which is just one of countless ways we can work towards creating a better industry.” Says Charlotte Turner, The Sustainable Angle and speaker at the first Threads: Rethinking Fashion event.

Nancy Johnston, Impact Hub member and founder of Tengri, a prestige fashion brand and technology specialist in sustainable luxury yarns will moderate the evening and be one of a number of live case study exhibitors. The handpicked exhibitors, including Ecosophia, a social enterprise specialising in organic and handwoven textiles, will each demonstrate an aspect of the fibre sourcing process and show how they are incorporating innovative thinking into creating sustainable value-based practices.

“The fashion industry is experiencing, first-hand, the detrimental impact that economic and environmental challenges are having on the root source of fibres, whether it is the sourcing and processing of natural materials like cotton, or luxury woollen fibres like cashmere. The current landscape is unsustainable and to the detriment of people, wild animals and the environment. I'm pleased to be collaborating with fellow innovators in facilitating this much-needed dialogue on best sustainable practices in the fashion supply chain during London Fashion Week," says Nancy Johnston.

Arianna De Mario, Ashoka Changemakers said: 'The apparel industry touches the economic social and environmental lives of over 25 million people and the issues are complex. According to the World Bank, textile production is ranked as the second greatest contributor to global water pollution and uses in excess of 1.5 trillion gallons of water a year.

Our hope for 'Threads: Rethinking Fashion' is all in its title: for social pioneers and industry practitioners alike to share knowledge and seek to inspire new connections and innovations that can be embraced to the benefit of those who work in the industry at all levels and reduce the negative environmental impact.

Threads: Rethinking Fashion is open to industry professionals, fashion students, social innovators and those with a keen interest in sustainability. The venue is Impact Hub King's Cross, Tuesday 23rd February, 6.30-9.15pm. Tickets are available in advance for £5.

To join the conversation and be kept up to date on Threads: Rethinking Fashion events, join the London Sustainable Fashion group on Facebook or contact Alessandro Palmieri@hubkingscross.com 020 7841 3450