The only international fashion sourcing platform of its kind in the UK, Source Fashion launched at Olympia London yesterday. Suzanne Ellingham, director of sourcing Source Fashion opened the inaugural show, said: “When we launched, we wanted to create a platform where any buyer could buy from any of the manufacturers with the knowledge they were ethically driven. Responsible sourcing is not just about large-scale manufacturers producing responsibly, it is about how we can support smaller manufacturers who are able to produce something special that supports their makers. Source exhibitors represent over 20 countries, each showcasing their unique story and will play an important role in moving the industry forward.”
The show floor was alive with positivity as audiences and leading retailers including All Saints, Asos, Bella Freud, Fred Perry, John Lewis, Matalan, Monsoon, M&S, Stitch Fix, Tesco, Very group and many more, discovered the hundreds of Sedex audited designers, producers, and manufacturers representing countries from around the world, from Peru to Cambodia, Pakistan to Portugal, Hong Kong to Italy and Greece all the way back to the UK, plus industrial powerhouses like China, India and Turkey.
Madushi Kochhar from Hasiroo commented: “We make footwear out of fallen palm leaves which are treated with a biological solution, so that the material becomes soft, almost like leather, it’s a very natural process. This is my first time exhibiting commercially and I’m here to gauge how the UK/European market feels towards sustainable products. So far, I’ve received a lot of interesting inquiries, people are trying to become more eco-friendly and, after touching and feeling our shoes they love the collection!”
Natalie Farbey from Walter Reginald: “We are leaders in world leather, everything we sell is a by-product of the meat industry, no animal is killed just for its skin, all the material would go to a landfill if we didn’t use it. We do innovative things with leather and work with small artisan tanneries all over the world, to help bring their product to the UK market. Source Fashion has been fabulous, we had a great day yesterday and we’ve had a good mix of people come to our stand; existing customers, people who have already heard of our brand, and new people passing by who want to know more. We’ve also had people we’ve sold to previously but never met in person, so it rekindles and grows those relationships further.”
Dinesh Kumar Thapa from Yes Helping Hands said: “Our company empowers people with disabilities, they make the product and we sell it – the profit that we generate is given to our charity, Yes Helping Hands. Our organisation stands to support and offer free learning for those who need help. We use all-natural materials and people are really drawn to this as well as our purpose, so the show has been really good for us. The more orders we get, the more people we empower.”
Louise Shore from V Fraas UK said: “Source Fashion has been brilliant, interest has been fantastic and we’ve made contact with lots of young and emerging brands. The industry is challenging suppliers to be more transparent and the opportunity to meet people face to face, show them what we can do and explain our story is incredible. We are a German company that has been going for over 143 years and we have invented a new super soft polyester. Our Factories are ISO certified, environmentally friendly with the key mission of sustainability. Our product offers GOTS, GRS, Woolmark, RWS and many more.”
The Source Catwalk Show has proved a must-see for visitors featuring cutting-edge new materials, textiles, forward trends and innovative designs plus the work of Fashion students from a Redesigning Fashion collaboration with the Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL) and Winchester School of Arts. Fashion designer and pioneer of sustainable fashion, Eirinn Hayhow, closed the show with her latest collection which pushed the boundaries of innovative material production. Using natural resources and her own dyes and plant inks from foraging, the collection is a masterclass in different techniques and unique finishes.
The Source seminars have also drawn crowds with its series of thought-provoking seminars from leading industry names discussing the latest trends and topics in sustainable fashion. Richard Lim, CEO from Retail Economics opened with his insight on the industry today: “We spoke to the 40 largest retailers in Europe who together are worth £100 billion of sales in the UK. The biggest issues these retailers are looking at are diversifying suppliers, diversifying the countries that supply to them and bringing these suppliers closer to the UK.” Addressing the barriers of bringing supply to the UK, Lim continues: “Close to 88% of retailers questioned said it is too expensive and it is not an option in terms of choice or the UK having the skills required to do it on a commercial level.”
Looking to the future of the industry Richard said, “70% of retail brands have changed the way they source because of ESG goals and sustainability. They are looking at recycled, repurposed, circular products and closed loop to be sold back into the industry and partnerships to highlight responsibility. Sustainability is up on the agenda because of the increase in consumer awareness. Consumers have started to make purchases and show loyalty based on ethical criteria. Retailers are at risk of being boycotted if they are not ethical or transparent with sourcing and production.”
James George, strategic advisor at Pyxera Global moderated an insightful session with Damien Pommeret, regional manager Western Europe at non-for-profit, The Woolmark Company and Serkan Yarar, co-founder at Y&B Group Textile A.S on biosynthetic materials, the innovation in natural-fibres and how the two industries could collaborate. Pommeret said: “85% of customers worldwide have no idea what their garment is made from. New fabrics and innovation in natural fibres are making it possible to manufacture without micro-plastics – 35% of micro plastics in the ocean come from the fashion and textile industry. There is a huge change coming across Europe with new footprint labelling on any textile garment”.
British fashion designer Alice Temperley MBE’s keynote interview with Gabriele Dirvanauskas, deputy editor at Drapers covered the move from her London Showroom to Somerset, changing the wholesale and sales model, global sourcing and the challenging retail climate today. Alice explained: “To survive the pandemic we stopped wholesaling, I believe the wholesale model is crippled. We are now, with a few exceptions, selling direct to the consumer, putting us in control of the sale model. We create freshness being season specific, with two collections rather than four a year. Why should something you spend two weeks making be deemed three months later to be bad? We put something like this in the Alice Temperley archive and everyone is drawn to it, says ‘this is amazing!’ These products should be treasured and not marked down or listed as in sale!”
On sustainability, “We keep everything as local as prices allow and there is no plastic in any of our packaging, we produce less and focus on what we want to produce, you need to do it as best you can. Make less and hold onto those things.” Looking at the year to come Temperley advises: “The biggest challenges will be the unpredictability of the world, the effects of war and energy prices, building the website and having to move the warehouse again. Everything needs to be simplified and focused and you need to be aware of exactly what you are making and exactly what it is costing. Don’t do anything quickly, the world is too unpredictable.” Temperley delighted the audience by finishing the session alluding to an exciting new lifestyle project to come in March.
Safia Minney MBE, founder and executive director of Fashion Declares! hosted an insightful talk on the Source Catwalk; ‘2023 sourcing for a regenerative fashion business – now or never?’. “Sustainability and climate action should be framing everything we do.” Says Safia: “One of the biggest dysfunctions of the fashion industry is that we don’t have transparency, and we don’t, within our governance structures, bring the workers voice into the room where we’re designing product. Leadership is really key in this decade – we as leaders need to be role models for the kind of change that we need to see, our growth mindset needs to be about authenticity. It’s about walking the talk and becoming carbon literate; we need to understand that whilst fashion is a highly creative, highly collaborative industry, it needs to be framed in social inclusion. We can’t talk about decarbonising our offices and websites if we aren’t looking at decarbonising our supply chain. We must take a multi stakeholder approach involving everybody that the business touches with these solutions to really understand the injustices of the climate collapse.”
Forthcoming highlights include Boohoo Group panel discussion on ‘Ethical clothing starting with industry collaboration’ with Lianne Pemberton, dead of sustainability; Hannah Williamson, head of quality and product compliance; Samuel Cliff, group head of ethical trading; Sophie Rycroft, group head of sourcing; and Laura Callcut, head of wholesale moderated by independent consultant Cheryl Chung.
Purpose in practice: Nationwide reuse and repurposing schemes will be explored by a panel from SATCoL, the Salvation Army’s Trading Company, alongside Michelina Filocco from F&F Clothing. They’ll be looking at the different ways donations are used, corporate donations, take back schemes, and how textiles are recycled back into the supply chain.
Source Fashion continues at Olympia London until the 14th February, for more information visit Source Fashion | 12-14 February 2023 | Olympia London (source-fashion.com)
