Record attendance at the UK’s leading festival of fashion, Pure London, allowed the continuation of their education scheme in which consumers are encouraged to take responsibility for their purchasing decisions.
The spotlight was on sustainability, with a heavy emphasis placed on pushing for suppliers and consumers to encourage ethical and clean processes throughout the fashion world. Julie Driscoll, the UK Regional Director at ITE Group, said, “We aren’t preaching, but if we all do one small thing, then we will make a difference. We want brands to tell their story, let us know their small steps, build communities to enter into this dialogue together.”
“This is the best show in many years; we’ve welcomed more visitors than ever before. There is a palpable energy and excitement here that so many of the exhibitors and visitors have commented on,” commented Driscoll.
In an interview with Lucy Siegle, Mary Creagh MP revealed, “The audit into fashion has been a real eye-opener for my colleagues, they can’t believe the carbon and chemical footprint and the stories they’ve heard. We’ve mainstreamed something that wasn’t mainstream. We’re relying on future technology that hasn’t been invented yet, and the clock is ticking—we need to bend the curve of consumption. We’ve had the slow food movement, and I am trying to get together the slow fashion movement.”
