Slow Fashion Consultancy | katefletcher.com For over a decade businesses, education establishments, arts organisations and the research community, primarily in the fashion and textile sector have been commissioning consultancy services from me. The services I offer work at the forefront of the social, ecological and economic agenda; designing ways to foster change towards sustainability. To discuss a project or learn more about the services I offer, please email me. What clients say about my consultancy services: ‘Your work on a sustainability concept for my brand was wonderful, fantastic… it nailed all the primary points’ Sydney Brown Shoes, USA & Germany. ‘Going by the feedback from participants, your session was a real highlight and you had a very inspiring effect on the audience.’ ‘I cannot thank you enough for this report. ‘Thank you for the fantastic work you are providing.
Debating Style, Courtesy of Jeremy Scott and Carolina Herrera Photo Is Jeremy Scott the Donald Trump of American fashion? Not in terms of politics — definitely not in terms of politics — but in terms of positioning? Mr. His success is impossible to ignore, whether or not you liked the extended riff on bouffants, the B-52s, ’60s mod and cartoon caricatures he offered in pastel shades of patent, cotton knit and silk. Continue reading the main story Slide Show At the very least, it has exposed the extent to which many designers like to play it safe, and stick to the familiar party line. , for example, created his usual elaborate set — this time, an entire Caribbean lagoon complete with water, tiki bar and palm tree — for a show of peppy but entirely unoriginal striped crochets, flower-child patchwork prints and silk bombers. Continue reading the main story Slide Show This isn’t necessarily bad: There are plenty of women whose comfort zone is consistency. As was the subtle way Mr. Continue reading the main story Slide Show Photo As was the subtle way Mr.
London Fashion Week 2015: From catwalk to High Street 24 February 2015Last updated at 19:03 ET By Harriet Hall BBC News Inside London Fashion Week Twice a year, London's grand neoclassical Somerset House, welcomes a tumult of fashion designers and their models dressed in their finest gladrags. The courtyard becomes the centre of London Fashion Week - a far cry from the building's sober past as home to the Inland Revenue. This year sees the event's 61st year, during which more than 250 designers will showcase their collections for autumn and winter to a global audience. For those outside the fashion industry, it can be difficult to appreciate why this week is so important. Indeed, watching the crowds teetering on vertiginous heels, heads topped with designer sunglasses, arms toting handbags and hands clutching smartphones, it is easy to understand why. Yet while it may look like a big party to outsiders, the week is a crucial one for the industry. Some catwalk fashions may seem outlandish or frivolous.... Trickle-down trends “Start Quote
About | Slow Fashioned One constant thing about fashion is change. Seasonally, trends change the preferred color, silhouette, fabric and more — artificially dictating the obsolescence of a garment. Over the past few decades, fashion trends have been changing at a greater rate due to advances in production technology, shortening the time from concept to store. The term “Slow Fashion” was coined by Kate Fletcher in 2007 (Centre for Sustainable Fashion, UK). Slow Fashion attempts to slow the rate of change down to a more sustainable pace. When we slow down we realize that we don’t need to buy new trends every 6 weeks as the fast-fashion retailers are pushing them out, we need to step back and reassess what is really important to us. *Check out our Resources page for more about Slow Fashion including articles, books, tips, videos and more. Slow Fashioned is not your typical online magazine. Our mission is to: The Slow Fashioned Pledge is a dedication to slowing down. Sign the pledge now.
Japan's women's magazines ramp up focus on politics amid widespread concern over Abe's security reforms Public anxiety over the security legislation is in the streets — and in print. Even women’s fashion magazines have discussed the topic alongside recipes and hemlines, in a measure of how deeply aware the public is of the changes afoot. An edition of Shukan Josei (Women’s Weekly) published on Sept. 8 focused on women who took part in a massive rally outside the Diet on Aug. 30 in protest at the security bills. “Dear Prime Minister Abe, Do you know why we are angry?” The article ended declaring: “We don’t need a prime minister who doesn’t understand how women feel.” In its July 14 edition, the same magazine carried a major 10-page feature about the security bills, including an interview with Seiichiro Murakami, a Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker who opposes the legislation. “We were surprised by the large number of responses on Twitter and on the Internet,” said Bunichi Terada, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “They have no interest in splits within political parties,” he said.
Is Fashion a Credible Platform for Protest? | Opinion, BoF Comment Vivienne Westwood Red Label Spring/Summer 2015, Jean Paul Gaultier Spring/Summer 2015, Stella McCartney | Photo Collage: BoF LONDON, United Kingdom — Last week in Paris, Chanel appropriated the visual signifiers of feminist protest for its seasonal runway show. In a finale led by Karl Lagerfeld, a bevy of supermodels took to a catwalk christened “Boulevard Chanel” holding signs with slogans such as “History is Her Story,” “Make Fashion Not War,” and “Tweed Is Better Than Tweet.” On the same day in Hong Kong, a genuine protest was underway. Playing out against this backdrop, the “faux-test” staged on Boulevard Chanel rang especially hollow, repackaging political riot as a light-hearted, Instagram-savvy performance. We think it can. Over the course of a career spanning more than three decades, Jean Paul Gaultier has used the fashion show format to address the socially and politially charged issues of female empowerment and beauty.
The Slow Fashion Movement: 10 Brands That Are Doing it Right December is an important month for the fashion and retail industry--and not just because of the ka-ching of the cash register duing holiday sales. You may not know it, but December is also 'Made in America' month. Started in 1985 under Ronald Reagan, Made in America month aims to encourage consumers to purchase items produced locally in the United States. The term 'slow fashion,' coined in 2008 by sustainable design consultant Kate Fletcher, describes an approach to clothing and fashion that is decidedly at odds with the fast (and even faster) fashion cycle. "Slow fashion encompasses sustainable fashion, but it takes a broader view than just supporting organic T-Shirts," said Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. "It's about the consumer becoming aware of the whole process--from design through production through use and through the potential to reuse," Hazel Clark, research chair of fashion at Parsons said.
Can Feminists Like Fashion? - Forbes Céline 2012 Runway Feminism and fashion have always had a rocky relationship, a point hammered home in an article in Ms. magazine’s January issue, “If The Clothes Fit: A Feminist Take On Fashion.” The piece explores the tumultuous role that fashion has historically played in gender politics—both serving as a medium for the advancement of women, and as a weapon of restraint. It’s hard to deny the key role that fashion has played in the women’s movement. That being said, feminist notions that fashion can be destructive, certainly didn’t come from thin air. Fortunately, fashion in recent years does appear to be moving in a feminist direction. Still that damned if you do, damned if you don’t attitude persists in regards to women and fashion. On the other side of the spectrum, women who choose to ignore fashion trends are deemed slovenly and out of touch.
Topshop Gets Called Out For Unrealistic Mannequin Body Standards By now, it seems as if most retailers have been involved in some sort of controversy. And while some have been because of tasteless graphics, or hypersexualized advertisements, one thing we continue to see over and over again—and frankly, we're tired of it—is the ridiculous body standards reinforced by the mannequins that model the clothing. Topshop, the popular British brand that boasts collaborations with stars like Gigi Hadid and Cara Delevingne, has come under fire after a shopper noticed that the store's mannequin had extremely thin legs. The mannequin was wearing the retailer's popular "Jamie" jeans, and the shopper, Laura Berry, voiced her concerns that the figure was not an accurate representation of the average female form. "Perhaps it's about time you became responsible for the impression you have on women and young girls and helped them feel good about themselves rather than impose these ridiculous standards," Berry wrote in a post on Topshop's Facebook page.