Source Fashion, Europe’s leading responsible sourcing show, opened its doors on Tuesday, the 8th of July, at Olympia London, to record-breaking visitor numbers.
Buyers, retailers, and sourcing professionals from across the globe gathered at the highly anticipated event, with representatives from major industry players.
United by a shared commitment to driving meaningful change in the fashion and retail sectors, attendees explored pioneering sustainable solutions and formed powerful new connections that will shape the future of the industry.
This year’s show features an exceptional line-up of 250 responsible manufacturers from around the world, from over 22 key sourcing regions, including the UK, Portugal, Morocco, India, Nepal, Italy, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Türkiye, France, China and more.
“The energy on the show floor today has been incredible. We’ve welcomed record numbers of engaged, purposeful visitors, from independent retailers to global brands, all here to explore new, responsible ways of doing business with new partners. What’s really exciting is that this isn’t just a sourcing show; it’s become a space for honest conversations, innovation, and real collaboration,” said Suzanne Ellingham, Event Director of Source Fashion.
“The response to our content programme, on the Source Catwalk and Source Debates stage, shows just how hungry the industry is for transparency and change, and to have honest conversations about how we drive that change together. Seeing our community here with such intent on day one sets the tone for a powerful few days ahead.”
The Source Catwalk Show drew crowds with standout collections from across the show floor, showcasing three key trends: Electric Nature, Retro Richness, and Creative Joy, each capturing the spirit of the season.
Headline partner Reskinned presented a powerful edit of pre-loved pieces that proved resale, reuse, and repurposing can be both stylish and statement-making and on trend.
The Source Catwalk and Source Debates stages hosted dynamic panels and lively conversations that ignited real industry dialogue. Leading voices from fashion and retail tackled the sector’s most urgent challenges while uncovering bold opportunities for meaningful, lasting change.
When Will Consumers Really Pay More – Are Consumers Ready? unpacked whether the “sustainable shopper” truly exists, and what it will take for consumers to pay more for ethical fashion.
The panel moderated by Anna Berry (Retail 100 Consulting), and featuring Berni Yates (Central Saint Martins), Jo Hooper (NRBY Clothing), Jane Blacklock (Passenger), and Rachel Gray (WRAP) explored the tension between affordability and values-led purchasing, the power of transparency and storytelling, and how behaviour is beginning to shift through policy and resale markets.
With honest reflections from both emerging and established brands, the panel made it clear: real change requires collaboration across the entire value chain, and a new kind of consumer relationship built on trust, education, and purpose.
In another standout session, Fewer Products, Bigger Impact? Making the Business Case for a Post-Growth Model, Simon Platts (Moderator, SP&KO Consultancy), Nick Reed (Neem London), Charlie Jones (Phase London), and Helena Mansell-Stopher (Products of Change) explored how fashion can challenge the volume-equals-profit mindset and make a compelling case for post-growth business models.
Together, they presented credible strategies for designing profitability around fewer, better products, from on-demand production and resale incentives to pooling resources and localised manufacturing.
The panel emphasised that collaboration, transparency, and bold thinking are key to reshaping growth in fashion, not just economically, but also environmentally and ethically.
Speaking to Lauretta Roberts, Co-Founder and Editor of The Industry. Fashion, Linda Peddie, COO & CIO, New Look, offered sharp insight into leading a major high street brand through retail volatility, digital transformation, and rising sustainability demands.
On the Source Debates Stage, sustainability veteran Simon Platts, Founder of SP&KO Consultancy, led an open discussion unpacking the urgent need for fashion to evolve beyond a volume-driven, profit-first model.
Drawing on decades of experience at brands including ASOS, he argued that overconsumption, not market volatility, is the real barrier to meaningful progress.
Platts called for a shift towards more commercially sustainable practices, underpinned by transparency, better data, and genuine supply chain engagement. The session closed with a passionate call for industry-wide accountability and consumer education, reinforcing the need for bold leadership and systemic change.
Source Fashion is open until Thursday, the 10th of July 2025.
