Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches

I thought I would add a post about what some of the graduates from MA Fashion and the Environment have organised with the Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, Fashion Footprints: Sustainable Approaches.

The exhibition is set against the backdrop of Haldon Forest Park, Devon and explores the overlapping of fashion and textiles with humankind and the environment.

The exhibition is being staged for four months and includes free events aiming to educate the public about the issues within a garment's lifecycle, from dying to washing. An Eco-fashion show was held within hte forest on the evening of Sunday 15th August. For the hardened eco-fashionistas out there, there are plently of in depth workshops (inc. indigo dying, vegetable dying, upcycling) as well as a conference including presentation from Orsola de Castro, Otto von Busch and William Lana.

We would like to show our appreciation and say 'well done'. We hope to visit soon.

Follow this link to see the programme:
www.ccanw.co.uk/assets/files/CCANW_Aug10-Feb11.pdf

Some information about us...

As we have all been quite busy and distracted from our group blog, I thought it best to use this blog as a directory to find out about our projects individually. Please see below and links to our own independent websites and blogs:

Julia Roebuck - http://upcycle-fashion.blogspot.com

Saida Bruce - http://adiaryfromsaida.blogspot.com/

Sara Pleavin - http://the-geographies-of-footwear.blogspot.com/

Zoe Fletcher - http://www.zoegracefletcher.com/

Kate Wakeling - http://tangledthreadsweweave.blogspot.com/

Katie Ledger - http://www.shedmeclothes.com/

Beth, Kate, Saida and Zoe's blog about their Sri Lanka trip Summer 2010 - http://connectsrilanka.blogspot.com/

Camden Green Fair 2010

The popular fashion area at Camden Green Fair returned this year organised by us the Fashion and the Environment MA students from the London College of Fashion.

The area consisted of drop-in craft workshops where people learnt new creative skills including Knitting, Crochet, Quilting, and Customising.

The new feature this year included the SWAP SHOP. We saw people enjoy the new way to shop. Swap! As you can seee from the photos, this was a buzzing area, that proves you can find 'new to you' clothes you will love, without actually having to go out and buy them brand new from the high street.

We had a Beths cakes stall which proved to be a massive success raising money for the fair but also for her mamouth bike ride to Paris, raising funds for the Environmental Justice Foundation. Along with Aimans lemonade stall raising money for an Indian charity.

And finally… the ethical catwalk show which exhibited Annie Greenabelle, Nancy Dee, Monkee Genes, Terra Plana and Komodo and one of our own Julia Roebuck.

Visit to Kew’s Economic Botany Collection 29th of January 2010

The morning was spent wandering around the beautiful gardens, glasshouses and current exhibitions at Kew, followed by an afternoon tour of Kew’s Economic Botany Collection lead by Dr Mark Nesbitt . Kew holds an incredible archive of plant fibres, plant dyes and beautiful examples of garments and textile artefacts made from various plant fibres from all around the world. This incredible collection, supported by Dr Nesbitt’s animated enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge of each specimen, made for a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Inside the archive, and looking at a jar of Idigo plant dye.

The archive is open to researchers and groups by appointment , if you do get the opportunity to go, we would highly recommend it!

http://www.kew.org/collections/ecbot/

http://www.kew.org/news/kew-blogs/fashionable-fibres.htm