Fair Trade Fashion comes to Clifton
Bristol Fair Trade Fashion pioneer, Bishopston Trading Company , is running an outlet store for four weeks only in Clifton village. Their range of Fair Trade organic cotton clothing are available at reduced prices from a new shop at 14 Clifton Down Road Clifton.
Bishopston Trading Company celebrates 25 years this year working in partnership with the South Indian village of K.V.Kuppam, providing long-term, stable employment to hundreds of local villagers. The original inspiration for the business was a simple statement made by one of the villagers that as skilled craftspeople they need work not charity: this has remained the founding principle of the business since then.
The recent collapse of a the global economic system based on short-term profits and disregard for the welfare of communities, has only served to further motivate Bishopston Trading Company to extend its business model that is based on partnership, transparency and fairness. The Clifton shop is a temporary addition to the South West chain that includes shops in Malmesbury, Totnes, Glastonbury, Bradford on Avon and Bishopston, Bristol.
Review of Fairwear fashion show 2010
...by ETHICS GIRLS
Set in the stunning backdrop of Bristol Cathedral, yesterday’s Fairwear 2010 fashion show was an applauding success. With hardly an empty seat in the house, the support for fair trade and ethical fashion was overwhelming with both shows receiving a great response from an excited and noisy crowd.
Generously sponsored by Co-op, and organised brilliantly by Bristol Fairtrade, Fairwear 2010 was a show packed full of quirky ethical designs, proving just how far this industry has come in the last 5-10 years. With a funky and current soundtrack creating the right mood for the different collections, the models strutted down the catwalk showing off the latest and best of ethical fashion by ten different designers. Alongside these ten-which promoted and revealed the latest designs accessible on the market now, Fairwear 2010 also included two sections dedicated to the future of the ethical market. Filton College showed off its student’s talents and ethical awareness by including two great collections in the show, both jam-packed with fun.
While predominately high street looks throughout the evening, Leafric’s creative and glamorous designs gave the show what every fashionista longs to see. Set off by hair and make-up design that would make Vivienne Westwood proud, Leafric’s creations gave the show the wow-factor that leaves you wishing you were braver and living the kind of Carrie Bradshaw life that would allow you to wear such creations. The other collection to be mentioned has to be the new People Tree line designed by everybody’s favourite witch-Emma Watson. Creating fantastic publicity for the ethical fashion cause, I was not disappointed by the Love From Emma collection. With People Trees ‘beautiful as always’ stamp on the clothing, Emma’s line added an additional low-maintenance cool to the designs and has that wonderful ‘throw on and go’ appeal.
Among the great variety of women’s collections, Steve Redgrave’s ethical brand 5G and popular brands Spunky and Wombat brought some much-needed testosterone to the evening. Proving that ethical fashion for men can indeed rival that for the women, Spunky models were proud to walk out in casual but trendy printed T-shirts, and 5G showcased a great boys collection among its smart-casual shirts for the men.
In addition to promoting new ethical product ranges, Fairwear 2010’s job was also all about creating awareness and increasing understanding of what fair trade fashion is all about. With local Bristol celeb James Redmond presenting, there was also help from stars such as Harry Hill, Steve Redgrave, Tara Starlet from BBC3’s ‘Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts’, and a slot by Isabel Antonio – a Fair-trade nut producer from Mozambique. In all this and more, Fairwear 2010 was able to create interest and weight to such an important issue, and if my experience from the show is anything to go by, then it has sent nearly 900 people home with a new understanding of what it means to wear fashion fairly. And that is what it is all about.
The Biggest Fairtrade Dish 2010
New Fairtrade ambassadors
September saw nine local Fairtrade supporters attend a Bristol Fairtrade Network training event to become Fairtrade Ambassadors. As well as increasing their understanding of Fairtrade they learnt games to illustrate Fairtrade that can be used in classrooms by playing them themselves!
We hope to repeat the training in 2010. Building up a team of Ambassadors means that we can offer more input to schools, workplaces and take stands at events, to increase awareness and understanding of Fairtrade in the city.
We've been out and about, promoting Fairtrade
BFTN has been proactive in getting Bristol Fairtrade Directories and other Fairtrade information out into our City during 2009. This summer and autumn we have had Fairtrade stands at the following festivals:
- June - Bristol Healthy Schools Conference
- July - Neal's Yard FT Cosmetics Launch
- July - Bristol Wine and Food Fair
- July - Harbourside Festival
- August - Islamic Cultural Fayre
- September - Bristol Business Shoe
- September - City of Bristol College Freshers’ Week - (Bedminster and College Green sites)
- October - Building Better Bristol market and awards ceremony
- October - South West Office Show
- http://www.bristolfairtradenetwork.org.uk/Events.html
Bristol's Fairtrade status successfully renewed
Bristol has been overwhelmingly successful in its Fairtrade City renewal. The Fairtrade Foundation report concluded, "This is an outstanding and incredibly impressive record of achievement and I hope you and everyone involved feel very, very proud of all the Network has and continues to achieve.
Without a doubt, Bristol City Council continues to be one of the pioneer authorities in terms of promoting and adopting Fairtrade and in offering genuine support to the Fairtrade Network as it seeks to take this commitment out across the wider community.
We would strongly urge the Council to continue to build upon the excellent and very significant work to date by ensuring that the Network is resourced and that the Co-ordinator role can continue. The Bristol Fairtrade Network is well respected across the UK and has been cited as an example of best practice at European levels too. This effective and established partnership between the Council, public, private and community-based organisations has delivered a great deal – not only to farming communities in developing countries through Fairtrade but also to Bristol as a community, creating opportunities to celebrate, work and lead the way together. Without a doubt, the Co-ordinator role plays a fundamental part in making this happen."
Bristol Fairtrade Network visits 10 Downing St!
Bristol Fairtrade Network's co-ordinator, Jenny Foster, recently spent a wonderful afternoon at Number 10 Downing Street to celebrate 15 years of the Fairtrade mark. Jenny said it was a real honour to be there and to be part of something so positive. Sarah Brown announced that she and the House Manager have succeeded in making Number 10 a Fairtrade residence.
Fairtrade Fashion Show 2010
The Fairwear Fashion Show was on 25th February 2010 at Bristol Cathedral.
450 people watched the Show in 2009, which showcased designs from 8 ethical fashion houses. Five times Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave, gave a presentation about his own Fairtrade fashion label.
The 2010 show will be even bigger and better. Information about tickets will be published here as soon as it's available.
- http://www.fairwearfashionshow.org.uk/
Cotton on – Cotton Conference, May, 2009
As a follow-on event to the Fashion show we held a conference looking at the sustainability and social issues surrounding clothing production. This event was run jointly by ourselves, the Soil Association, Oxfam SW and Bristol City Council to celebrate World Fairtrade Day on 9th May, 2009.
A mixed audience of 130 people from fashion students to directors of ethical clothing companies heard talks from Lucy Siegle, Ethical Fashion Forum, Fairtrade Foundation, Organic Exchange and others
Issues such as organic production, trade justice and workers rights were all addressed as the audience grappled with how to encourage people away from fast, disposable fashion and switch to sustainable ways of producing and processing cotton, and the garments produced from it.
Feedback from the event showed that participants have been inspired and motivated to change their own buying habits and campaign for change in the fashion industry.
Fairtrade Fashion Show, FT Fortnight, 2009
During FT Fortnight, Bristol Fairtrade Network hosted a Fairtrade Fashion Show. The show was opened by Douglas Alexander MP, Secretary of State for International Development, and attended by Sir Steve Redgrave.
450 people watched models of all ages from the City showing fashions from 8 Fairtrade fashion houses: Gossypium, Traidcraft, People Tree, Bishopston Trading Company, Chandni Chowk, 5G at Debenhams, Ethics Girls and Marks and Spencer. Models and backstage crew came from 3 Fairtrade schools, Bristol University and local theatre groups.
5 times Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave was there to explain why he's gone from rowing to designing his own range of Fairtrade menswear , 5G, whose feedback was incredibly positive. 'What a fantastic event you co-ordinated at the Cathedral. Sometimes these gatherings have great intentions but fail to lift Fairtrade into a modern corporate movement, but this certainly did the job.'
- More news to follow on the Fashion Show, 2010!
Global FT statistics rise
A global survey released recently demonstrates that support for Fairtrade is on the rise.
This first ever global consumer survey on Fairtrade shows that shoppers increasingly expect companies to be more accountable and fair in dealing with producers in developing countries. The survey by GlobeScan was commissioned by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO), of which the Fairtrade Foundation is the UK member, with a sample size of 14,500 in 15 countries including the UK. Among those surveyed, almost three quarters of shoppers believe it is not enough for companies to do no harm, but that they should actively support community development in developing countries
Nearly half of UK consumers are ethically active with high expectations of corporate responsibility. The UK has the highest level of awareness with 82% of people saying they recognize the FAIRTRADE Mark. Of these people, 94% say they trust the FAIRTRADE Mark. More than three quarters of shoppers, 77%, believe that Fairtrade has strict standards and again more than three quarters of shoppers, 77%, believe independent certification is the best way to verify a product’s ethical claims.
Estimated retail sales of Fairtrade products in the UK topped £700m in 2008. Sales were up in 2008 (as compared with 2007) by 24% in Austria, by 40% in Denmark, by 57% in Finland, by 22% in France, by 75% in Sweden, by 43% in the UK and by 10% in the US.
