If 2021 was fashion’s year of raising ambitions - from the COP26 pledges to brand commitments - then 2022 must be a year of realising them. What better pioneer to kick off this collective realisation than Orsola De Castro - co-founder of Fashion Revolution, author and one of the original thought leaders in the space - long before sustainability became 'fashionable'.

For too long the industry has been enabled by low wages and fossil fuels. Many brands now focus on decarbonisation but it cannot be the silver bullet to resolve every environmental challenge, especially when it so often comes at the detriment of social factors. These interconnected challenges are something De Castro has championed for years - from the British Fashion Council's Estethica initiative she co-founded in 2006 to Fashion Revolution, the high-impact global campaign she co-founded in 2013 to mark the Rana Plaza tragedy. Have brands finally caught up? How can their commitments be applied practically?

Her wisdom is just as astute when it comes to our actions as global citizens. Her book, 'Loved Clothes Last' takes the revolutionary stance that repairing and rewearing is the most powerful step we can take. But what does this mean from a business perspective? How does this marry with the commercial model on which the industry was built? Whether an entrepreneur or a director at a long-established profitable brand, how can goals be adjusted?

Join us for an evening with this original pioneer as we deep dive into the revolutionary acts required from both brands and individuals to make 2022 a year of radical fashion change.

With thanks to our sponsor Klaviyo.

CHARITY DONATION

We are requesting donations in lieu of paid tickets for this online event. On this occasion, we will be raising money for Fashion Revolution - co-founded by Orsola in 2013 - which works to secure radical change in the way that our clothing is produced, sourced and consumed.

At present, we do not charge for tickets to our events. Instead, we ask our audience for donations to a charity of the speaker's choice as a way of showing gratitude for the time and expertise they are sharing. Please give what you can. FashMash also makes a contribution to each charity every month.

Students and Young Pioneers are exempt - please email enquiries@fashmash.co.uk for your complimentary ticket.

BIOGRAPHY

Orsola de Castro is a pioneer and internationally recognised opinion leader in sustainable fashion.

In 1997 she founded From Somewhere, a label designing clothes made entirely from pre-consumer waste: disregarded materials such as surplus and production cut-offs. The label combined sustainable thinking with fashion-forward design, bringing quality and craftsmanship to ‘exquisite rubbish’.

From Somewhere (closed in 2014) sold to the some of the world’s best boutiques and its design collaborations include Jigsaw, Robe di Kappa, Tesco, Speedo and Topshop Reclaim To Wear, a series of bestselling upcycling collections which run from 2012 to 2015.

In 2006, she co-founded the British Fashion Council pioneering initiative Estethica, which she curated until 2014. Estethica was London Fashion Week’s showcase for labels designing sustainably:ethics and aesthetics combined. It nurtured new generations of like-minded designers and supported more established brands who are mindful of their supply chain.

In 2013, with Carry Somers, she founded Fashion Revolution, marking the tragedy in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 24 April 2013 when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed killing and injuring thousands of workers. Raising public awareness of the continuing social and environmental catastrophes in our global fashion supply chains, Fashion Revolution has become a global campaign with participation in over 60 countries around the world.

Orsola’s book Loved Clothes Last was published by Penguin Life in February 2021, followed by Corbaccio Editore in Italy and by Edition Marabou in France.

AGENDA

6pm: FashMash interview

6.45pm: Audience Q&A

7pm: Close

ABOUT FASHMASH PIONEERS SPEAKER SERIES

FashMash Pioneers is a programme of monthly talks featuring the world’s brightest minds dissecting the future of fashion. It was launched by Rachel Arthur and Rosanna Falconer with the aim of both inspiring the FashMash community and nurturing the next generation of industry talent. FashMash is sponsored by Klaviyo.