FashionConnect Workshops cut it with the industry
April 17, 2024 - April 17, 2024
The six workshops at FashionExpo, the large new trade event for the Fashion and Textile Sector, taking place at The Business Design Centre in Islington on Monday and Tuesday 5th and 6th November, have proved extremely popular with delegates and were oversubscribed within days of registration opening.
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<!–[if !vml]–>PRESS RELEASE 5th Nov 2007
FashionConnect Workshops cut it with the industry
The six workshops at FashionExpo, the large new trade event for the Fashion and Textile Sector, taking place at The Business Design Centre in Islington on Monday and Tuesday 5th and 6th November, have proved extremely popular with delegates and were oversubscribed within days of registration opening.
In an industry where information is often hard to come by, each FashionConnect workshop has been carefully designed based on the findings of the transnational project Cutting IT, funded by the European Social Fund. The findings have been launched today in a Policy Briefing document, Fashioning A Way Forward.
The fragility of the emerging infrastructure that sees designers and production working more closely together led the development of the FashionConnect workshops, providing a hub of information and networking, creating an environment to support collaboration. The workshops bring to FashionExpo the results of three years of research and pilots, developed to address adaptability issues in the fashion and textile sector.
Cutting IT found that the industry is evolving with its own momentum, driven by consumer and retail demand, the creativity of UK designers and the quality of UK production. Their findings called for the development of a single voice to represent the fashion and textile sector in much the same way that the British Film Council represents the Film and Television industry, dealing with issues affecting design and production aspects of the sector from business support and showcasing to informing government policy development.
The initiative also identified a lack of robust and accurate comparative data on the industry that has significant implications when policy decisions are being made to develop the creative industries. The need for national research makes it difficult for policy makers to justify investment in the industry to help develop its economic contribution, with a lack of funding undermining the profile that UK fashion design has internationally.
The impact sustainability and ethical trading has on the supply chain also featured prominently in Cutting IT’s findings, with calls for the standardising the ”˜ethical’ label for example, given that UK expenditure on clothing is increasing and stands at £48billion in 2006; and the importance of reducing carbon footprint, given that clothing and textiles produced up to 2million tonnes of waste in 2006, the majority going to the UK’s landfill sites.
With each workshop at the full 120 delegates capacity, topics covered include the impact of ethical trading and sustainability, secrets of success, boosting impact with buyers, marketing and branding, sourcing supply and production and fundamental survival skills for working in the industry. The workshops have been developed specifically to address issues often faced by both those entering the industry and established businesses, aiming to help both designers and manufacturers to maximise growth.
Featuring advice from over 40 of the fashion industry’s top business people and innovators, including expertise from household names Adili, Peopletree and M&S, top designers, manufacturers and highly regarded fashion industry business advisors.
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For further info
Jo Eckersley
Strategic PR, Evaluation and Policy
Cutting IT
07970 073525