Ethical Fashion Forum

Beautiful Soul was a clothing line whose head designer had a lot of strong options about sustainability, otherwise what we like to call morals in the real world. She seemed to have come to the conference in order to not only advertise her work of course but to also inspire students and set an example. Her company Beautiful Soul would take in Bangladesh women and teach them useful skills, such as sewing and draping, pattern cutting etc. So she basically taught them the necessary skills so they would be able to work for her and produce her garments. It also benefits them because they are new to London and they are able to met other women who speak their language and have a lot in common with them. It makes moving to a new city a lot easier. Her garments are now being sold at the shop in the V&A and she sells them to local boutiques in London. Her look is not really my style but it does have a timeless quality. The silhouettes are Japanese inspired and the fabrics look like modern tapestries. The market is for woman in their late 30s-60s, which is a very broad market and many women in that age group are aiming to be more environmentally and ethically conscious. Even big brands such as Nike are beginning to think more ethically.
The founder of Beautiful Soul cannot accept huge orders right now due to her ethical process of creating clothing, unlike brands such as Joseph who sell their goods internationally and in big department stores such as John Lewis. Both brands do not have the same design aesthetic whatsoever but they are aiming to sell to the same age group of women and both have timeless qualities to them. The Beautiful Soul garments being sold at The V&A are meant to be a special artistic piece that someone can own forever due to their timeless qualities. But Joseph is meant to be something not so special, that solid blazer one must re buy every season. The women who buy Joseph buy it in excess.
Designers have to realize that they have choices. They can either choose between money and selling internationally. Or maybe making a little less money and have to start selling just locally, yet have an intimate business that you know is making a difference- not on the world but on a group of women maybe. We all have to start somewhere.