To mark Fashion Revolution Day this year, we kicked off ZERRIN’s talk series at The Cocoon Space (an initiative by TaFF) at Design Orchard!
We were so (positively) overwhelmed and humbled with the response (we had around 90 attendees!) and had so many incredible conversations with many of you after the talk. There was such incredible energy in the room and it really made us feel heartened that a growing community in Singapore care and are curious about sustainability.
A huge thanks to Textile & Fashion Federation (Singapore) and THE COCOON SPACE for hosting us in the beautiful TENCEL™ Studio.
Breaking Up With Fast-Fashion
When we decided to plan these talks, we knew we wanted to kick off with something that covered the bases (i.e. what impact is the fashion industry actually having on our planet and people) as well as shed light on more complicated areas like the fashion industries’ human rights infringements, with points like.
So, we chose the topic ‘Breaking Up With Fast-Fashion’ and speakers who would help to highlight all of the above. Our incredible guests were:
Laura Francois
Fashion Revolution Singapore Coordinator and Social Impact Strategist Having previously worked in the not-for-profit and corporate social responsibility sphere, she now consults to social enterprises and brands in the Southeast Asian region on responsible strategy, design thinking and storytelling.
Anisa Johnny
Senior Lecturer in Fashion Marketing and Management at Raffles College of Higher Education Singapore, who has been working in the fashion industry through a buying, designer and now an educator lens over the last 20 years between London and Asia.
Selina Maya
Editor-in-Chief of Honeycombers, a recovering maximalist and recreational shopper, but still has a passion for slow, sustainable fashion. Her mission is to naturally weave conscious consumerism and sustainability into mainstream media through her role as editor in chief at Honeycombers.
Rakhee Shah
The founder and designer of Maisha Concept, a third-generation Kenyan by birth and of Indian origin who became interested in fabrics from a very young age. Born and raised in Nairobi, Rakhee was particularly close to her father, who manufactured and distributed a variety of textiles. Rakhee was exposed to textiles and prints from an early age. Subsequently, from there she started designing and stitching pieces for self-use. Over the years, seeing the world this way through curious eyes sparked her desire to link her African heritage and contemporary design credentials to create something truly unique.
What we learnt
We appreciate sustainability in the fashion industry is a HUGE topic and there’s lots of angles and ground to cover. However, our first talk was really just the tip of the iceberg. Here are a few takeaways from our speakers that we felt really stood out:
– Our relationship with the things we buy is key. We need to say a pledge to new items of clothing. ‘Marry’ anything new that is going to come into our wardrobes and promise that we will wear and treasure it for a long time. – Laura Francois
– If you don’t love it, leave it! Beyond supporting brands with sustainable practices, we need to truly love what we’re buying in order to shop more responsibly. We need a mentality shift! – Selina Maya
– The words ‘ethical’, ‘sustainable’ and ‘conscious’ can mean different things to different brands or people. However, ultimately it’s important to be fully conscious. More so, brands have to look at their impact across the spectrum (human rights + environmentally friendly production practices). – Anisa Johnny
A HUGE thank you again to everyone who attended and came to support our Fashion Revolution Day talks. We hope you left inspired and made some new connections with like-minded individuals who care about the same topic!
Make sure to keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for announcements for our next events.
