CONSCIOUS CHRISTMAS GIFTING: Alternatives for mass shopping.

It’s that time of year again when we need to give gifts to our friends and family, clients, and pets, and I’m certain you’re looking at other ways to share your love and best wishes for the festive season with those people in your life so let’s have a look at some great opportunities for conscious gift giving.

1. UPCYCLED/RECYCLED GIFTS: As a regular reader of this blog, I’m sure you’re not surprised by this one.  I love to create new fashion from my old fashion, and being able to give these services as a gift is something I would definitely do. Also, to create something new from things that I had before, it’s really quite magical. Many designers are doing this type of work, and it brings some sense of beauty, heritage, love and extraordinary creativity.

2. ZERO WASTE STARTER KIT:  This is an interesting one. Encourage your friends and family to live consciously by giving them this gift, including bamboo cutlery, reusable straws, reusable water bottles and coffee cups. This curated collection really promotes conscious living when you are faced with only plastic alternatives.

3. ETHICALLY SOURCED TOYS and HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: These are beautiful gifts, always with a rich and inspiring story. I have always bought handmade toys for the children in my life; it gives them a sense of something made with love and not made in bulk by a machine. Other ideas include hand-made ceramics, artwork, and lovely craft items. Not only are these memorable gifts, but they also support artists and craftspeople.

4. EXPERIENTIAL GIFTS: Instead of material possessions, consider gifting experiences which promote sustainability. Such as cooking classes with locally sourced ingredients, outdoor tours focused on conservation and memberships to conservation organisations. These gifts are both educational and contribute to important activities.

5. CREATE YOUR OWN GIFTS: I have done this. As an Artist, my Artwork is something friends and family love to receive. There are many other opportunities to learn something new and create beautiful gifts. Other items I have given and received are music, astrology readings, handmade candles, cookies and cakes, curated photos from shared trips, poetry and kombucha.

Through conscious gift-giving, we’re not only sharing material goods but also advocating for a more conscious lifestyle and providing opportunities for educating ourselves in new ways. We are sharing our vision of a mindful lifestyle with others in a gentle and supportive way. We all want to enjoy the festive season and life fully without exhausting everyone’s finances and time. There are lots of opportunities to give consciously. Please enjoy doing just that. 

 As always, love life and enjoy Fashion.

Kate xx

Is Fashion going to destroy the planet?

This blog talks a lot about the future of fashion, sustainability, new ways to be more conscious consumers, and to define how to enjoy fashion without compromising our ethical and moral standards.

However, having worked as a fashion industry senior executive for a number of years, I have experienced that when business gets bad, a lot of that can be (let’s say) deprioritised. Do we ever really face the reality of the “true cost”, or do we just look for the optimal margin and prioritise other costs—a Business rather than a Planet-first approach. Let’s look at a few further examples.

Recently, there’s been quite substantial news on fashion businesses and brands not meeting their sustainability targets and getting up to their old tricks, including a BBC Panorama Documentary reported on Boohoo pressuring suppliers to reduce already confirmed contract prices for products.  

 A recent New York Times article announced:

“SHEIN aims to win over Wall Street and Washington”.  This really had me question whether the fashion industry has made much progress at all when it comes to Sustainability. The article discusses the potential of an IPO for SHEIN in the US and the ways that the company has taken significant measures to detach itself from ties with China, including moving its headquarters to Singapore and opening operations in Ireland in Indiana, as well as hiring a number of lobbyists in the US.

Are consumers and business people so easy to fool, or is it just that they want to be fooled?  There’s one quote that sums it up. “Shein is hoping that investors will welcome an IPO.  Bankers had hoped that the long-moribund market for new listings would reopen this fall…”

A recent article from the “Business of Fashion” asked why big brands are unable to meet the 2030 targets they committed to in “UN Fashion Charter for Climate Action”. Nine of the brands, including Kering, Nike, Puma and Inditex, saw that overall emissions declined between 2018 and the end of 2022 (much of that must have been due to the pandemic), but only Levis, Ralph, Loren and Gap are on a trajectory to reduce emissions enough to achieve that 2030 commitment analysis has found.

“It is interesting to note that fast fashion companies are showing more progress than luxury or athletic businesses with Chanel LV, MH, and Lululemon, all having had increased manufacturing emissions since 2019.” Literally no progress!

Another “BoF” article posed the question, “…are consumers sold on design and price more than sustainability?” It also went on to state that the trend for the reduction in carbon emissions is going in the wrong direction, and the proportion of materials getting a second life through recycling has declined by 20% in the last five years. This takes me back to my question: “Is anybody really interested in sustainability, and should we just forget it altogether?”

So where is all of this going? Are we destined to destroy the planet with all the Fashion we keep buying? I want to wrap this blog up with a nice, positive ending. Guys, I really want to have an answer, but I don’t right now. Let’s keep creating something in the future.

 Love you all and welcome all your questions.

FASHION ROUND-UP - What's happening now…

Welcome back to another blog on the interesting and varied activities in the fashion world. This week, I'm trying this out as a direction for this newsletter, and I am interested in seeing how it works and how much you, as an audience, appreciate it.

New Luxury Trends

The luxury world has seen some recent changes and some new beginnings. We saw the return of the phenomenal Phoebe Philo in the luxury world. The highlights of that are: it was launched quietly, with no social media, just a link to a website, and within hours, it was sold out. The stand-outs were that this is an aesthetic and a level of luxury that people have really wanted, with many of her former fans saying they would only buy something after the launch. The netizens had varied complaints and discussions regarding the high price point, but clearly, there is an audience for that kind of intelligent women's fashion and the welcome return of an industry favourite.

In a similar vein, "The Row" has seemed to grow and grow due to its association with quiet luxury and definitely not the celebrity status of its owners (the Olsen twins). This brand has been a "slow fashion" version of high-end luxury with quiet branding, an absolute wild card focusing on quality, and a sense of "if you know, you know" branding and anti-social media. This is very interesting and very reassuring.

These three women are at the pinnacle of luxury goods, independently owned brands not part of one of the mega luxury goods companies. However, sadly, one of our favourite female designers, Sarah Burton, stepped down as Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, ending a long-established connection with the extraordinary founder. Let's see what happens at McQueen and what the future looks like now that his protégé is no longer a part of its creative vision.

Louis Vuitton Men’s Show in Hong Kong

Talking of luxury and those big mega-luxury groups, Louis Vuitton is collaborating with Hong Kong group K11 and the billionaire Cheng family. They had a Harbourfront Louis Vuitton men's Pre-Fall fashion show with the relatively newly appointed Pharrell at the end of November. Hong Kong has long been associated with luxury goods and luxury tourism. Sadly, the harsh COVID-19 curbs have been a huge deterrent for tourists and travellers from overseas. Clearly, the city is trying to claw back some of its earlier fame. I'm sure the city will be awash with celebrities, and it would be good to see that vibe being present once more in the city.

Fast Fashion M&A

From luxury goods to fast fashion, recently, there have been a lot of mergers and acquisitions of fast fashion players; as the "Business of Fashion" called it, "fast fashion's M&A frenzy". Shein has acquired Misguided from Frasers Group, and ASOS has, apparently, been looking to sell Top Shop. ASOS and Boohoo Group are facing a lot of investor pressure. ASOS has seen a fall of 10% year on year with $39 million in losses, and its stock price has been trading a 14-year loan. These challenges have also been faced by the Boohoo Group. Shein is basically taking over with the mega-low prices and speed to market and making other fast fashion brands obsolete. Oh dear! TikTok and Shein are a lethal combination for any competitor to them.

The Future of Sustainable Fashion

This brings me to my final topic, the future of fast fashion. Sadly, last month, there was a rather depressing article from the Guardian, "Fashion’s efforts to go green cancelled out by shopaholics" - stating that a WRAP report notes that the 12% reduction in carbon impact was negated by a 13% rise in textiles produced and sold. Companies that have reduced the carbon impact of their textiles have basically been overwhelmed by the increase of fast fashion, including our friends from the previous point. Shein, among others, but not just them.

So, there's a lot in this newsletter; it covers the significant topics currently at play in the industry. Where does that leave you? Are you uplifted, inspired, depressed or wondering what's next? Nevertheless, fashion is a global expression for all of us, including those who say they opt out of every communication. Every action is communication, and whatever happens, adds another dimension to life on this planet.

Thank you for reading.

And as always, have fun and enjoy fashion.

Kate x

The Impact I Am Committed To Having On The Future Of Fashion

An extraordinary Future of Fashion is something I am committed to creating.  Let’s have a look and explore what that could be.

The Future of Fashion certainly holds great potential for innovation and creativity.  My fundamental direction for the Future of Fashion would be around a massive drive to Sustainability and reduction in waste.  Firstly, there would need to be a fundamental shift in how people shop and consume fashion.  Be aware and conscious of their choices; once that is addressed, we can create something amazing.  

How do I want the future of fashion to be?  I want it to be collaborative, creative, powerful and beautiful.  Somewhere genuinely inspiring and a place with opportunities for those who want to create them.

Let’s start with the elimination of low, low-price, fast fashion.  How would we do that?  Could we eliminate the vast amounts of polyester and plastic products by repurposing them for other means?  Is there a way that we can get rid of those from the face of the planet?   

As we look at the luxury sector, how do we deal with that?  Surely, there are enough items on the planet to be resold, upcycled, reused and re-purposed in so many magical ways.   

What if we want newness; the individual need for newness needs to be addressed.  How do we address that?  Do we have to have a solution for how we treat those items at the end of their - life after we’ve consumed them? 

Is it all about responsibility, creativity and creating a future where fashion is art, a creative art, rather than a depletion of the environment and the lives of people making it?  That is a question worth asking and one that I’m really inspired to find solutions for.

Having said all of this, my primary motivation is to educate.  Only through education will we be able to change the minds and actions of people.  Change the minds of current generations, and undoubtedly future generations, to have them present and aware of what their consumption means.  To have them present and be mindful of what their creativity and contribution means.  It’s important to have them understand collaboration, partnership and the impact of their actions on the lives of others and the environment.  To make the Future of Fashion more than an opportunity for a few people to get very rich at the cost of others.

This is something very important to me.  You know that - you have read these blogs for some time.  So here is my declaration to the Future of Fashion.

In the coming months, I will launch an extraordinary community with a signature programme where we can all learn about the Future of Fashion and create it together.  This is an extraordinary opportunity and something I’ve spent a long time developing and creating.  I look forward to inviting you all to join me in the incredible opportunity to create this future.  Watch the space!

And as always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.

Thank you.

Kate  x

My Excitement For The Future Of Fashion Education.

As someone who writes frequently about THE FUTURE OF FASHION AND SUSTAINABLE FASHION, I am very interested in the future of FASHION EDUCATION.  

My own education in fashion was the fulfilment of a dream.  Going to fashion college was something I could never have believed was possible for me, a girl from the northeast of England, where unemployment was very high.  To pass your education in a creative industry was something way beyond what I thought or considered available to me.  Nevertheless, I got there and graduated from Fashion Knitwear with BA honours at what is now Trent University with a First Class Degree.

This summer, I had the pleasure of having an intern from the UK, Hepsi, a student in Fashion in Leeds.  Spending time with her and discussing the future of fashion really made me consider more and more about education and how it was preparing future designers for the industry.

Here are my reflections. 

What is important for fashion education now is probably very different from when I studied.  The industry has changed significantly, as you will have explored in my previous blogs.  What we learned about was how to design, how to knit, how to sew, how to draw, and technical aspects.  We were taught very little about the business side.  In my course, we were fortunate enough to have a good connection with the industry, including industrial placements, both in the UK and overseas.  These opportunities equipped us to be able to obtain jobs after graduating.

MACROECONOMICS AND GLOBAL AWARENESS: I would propose that it’s essential to understand macroeconomics and global awareness.  The world has changed and is constantly evolving.  There are so many different aspects of the fashion industry; it is a vast global business.  As a fashion student, do you want to belong to that? Do you want to work in price entry, fast fashion, mid-tier, luxury or bespoke?  Where are those areas you are so interested in designed, produced, sold and marketed?

WHICH JOB: What kind of position do you want to hold?  Do you really want to be a designer or textile expert?  Somebody involved in a sustainable fashion industry, a technician, an influencer, a social media marketer, or a journalist.  On reflection, I didn’t have much idea, and I purely went by my gut.  I have always gone between being super creative and very business-focused.  It’s something I still am constantly balancing; my focused and pragmatic side is all about business and making things work -  enabling businesses to grow.

Meanwhile, my creative side pursues beauty, creativity and magic with a little concern for building a business.  Art for art’s sake, fashion for fashion’s sake.  This is an area each fashion student really needs to understand, which is all about themselves.

SUSTAINABLE FASHION: The next subject, which is so important for the future, is sustainable fashion.  As a future fashion person, I ask: is sustainability fundamental to you? Are you an aware consumer,  and do you want to make an impact on the future of the industry?  Have you considered your own buying patterns, and why are you getting into this industry?  After years in a fashion career, watching the monumental growth of fast fashion and other aspects of fashion, I’ve seen the impact of this from all ends of the spectrum, including the growth and success of the fashion industry.  I’ve also experienced the impact on the planet, on human rights and the wastefulness of the industry.  What part do you want to play in that?

BUSINESS: The next part is the business of fashion and entrepreneurship.  This is critical for anyone going into the fashion business. You really need to understand how to create a business for yourself.  I would recommend that every fashion student start some money-making enterprise during their time in fashion college.  Whether they get a part-time job, work in social media, create a micro brand or just start selling T-shirts.  This is incredibly relevant and critical to your success and fulfilment as a future member of the fashion business.

ONLINE LEARNING: How we learn is very relevant. I went to a fashion college, and I’m very pleased that I did, and yet now the cost of going to college is pretty high, with student loans being long-standing friends.  

I have also learned a tremendous amount through online learning, which is an essential part of your own development as a designer, businessperson, entrepreneur, or someone who can make a significant impact on the future of fashion.  This provides the opportunity to learn things outside of a university degree.  If that’s where you go, it can give you the opportunity to be mentored by teachers who operate online, the opportunity to gather a cohort of other fashion students from all aspects of the industry, whether they are also university students, people pursuing fashion part-time, people in the industry.  The beauty of online and digital learning is it brings the world together.

This brings me to my next point, which is to introduce my fashion community, my online platform that I will be launching imminently.  This is a free online community where you can learn so much about the future of fashion, connect with other like-minded people, make an impact, and really enjoy the Future of Fashion.

Stay tuned for more information.

Take care, and enjoy fashion; love life.

Kind regards, 

Kate