Fashion Revolution 2015: The Arts and Speakers Tour
By Orsola de Castro, Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution on behalf of the Arts and Speakers Tour 2015.
'This month, Fashion Revolution has been travelling across 5 UK universities to galvanise student support over pressing issues regarding sustainable practices in the fashion industry, hoping to engage young individuals and the student community to become an active and creative part of a global movement, looking for solutions and hoping to start a long term conversation that will redefine the way we look at the clothes we wear.
The Arts and Speaker Tour focuses on different thematic areas impacting the fashion supply chain in the global south. Topics include inequality and human rights; the role of women and girls in the fashion supply chain; climate change, including water, chemicals, carbon footprint; decent jobs and sustainable livelihoods.
The programme includes an overview of the European Year of Development’s 2015 programme, which informs the panel discussions, ideas about how to get involved in Fashion Revolution, and ways to inspire young people to take part and design a new future.
Each event includes documentary film screenings (The True Cost, Traceable and Udita), discussions and a photographic exhibition on the subject of sustainability in fashion and the important role of development cooperation in the textile and fashion industry.
Exciting and compelling new images for Fashion Revolution by fashion photographer Stephanie Sian Smith and styled by Novel Beings on the theme of #whomademyclothes encourage attendees to think differently about the clothes they chose.
The exhibition also includes images of garment workers saying ‘I Made Your Clothes’, as well as photographs of celebrities and key opinion formers in fashion to ensure that the visual link between makers and wearers will follow the thread between fashion lovers and the people who make the clothes we buy.
With the new global developments goals hot off the press, 2015 is decisive year when we can make our mark on history and young people’s voices need to be heard. We want the Arts and Speakers Tour discussions to be inclusive, encouraging the audience to suggest ways in which they and their peers can help to bring about much needed change within the global arena.
Young people will inherit this planet, and fostering a sense of ownership and the permission to become agents for change will go a long way towards showing brands and governments that changes matter, that fashion can be a key instrument for positive action, leading the way to a more transparent approach.
Nietzsche said 'Invisible threads are the strongest ties', and connecting young people to the people who make their clothes is the first step towards creating relevant, life changing and enriching new human connections.'
Remaining dates are as follows:
November 18 @ 2pm to 5pm: Nottingham Trent University. Theme: The role of women and girls in the fashion supply chain
November 24 @ 6pm to 8pm: University of Essex Theme: Inequality and human rights
November 26 @ 1.30pm to 4pm: Manchester Metropolitan University Theme: Fashion and Climate Change – including water, chemicals and carbon footprint.
Book online at http://www.fashrevtour.eventbrite.com
#fashrevtour #EYD2015
