So i was invited to attend a talk about Ethical Fashion at the ASOS Headquarters which was a great experience. I have been there many times before as part of my side hustle designing for the industry.

The talk was for all ASOS Marketplace Boutiques, to have a day to learn about the Ethical Fashion. Most things Quillattire is adhering to because after working full time in the fashion industry i could see the implications of the fashion world - which is why Quillattire was set up, to make a difference. But back to the Asos talk, what they discussed with us in the form of power points and interactive group discussions with other Market Place owners is listed below:

• How to be Sustainable

  - Fabrics/Trims being used - the composition is it circular?

  - Will it pollute or can it be recycled?

  - Quality

  - How can you help the environment with your product

• How to be Ethical

  - Who is making the clothes

  - How many processes does the make need?

  - How many extra people are needed, and are these children?

  - Working conditions of staff and hours worked.

  - Are the repercussions of all these processes - does it harm anyone?

• Circular Design

  - This meant for us to question if the design we are putting out into the world was able to be used again and not just thrown away.

• Is the product we are producing recyclable?

The talk was really interesting, i particularly was intrigued to ask all my future suppliers what processes were involved in making their product. For Quillattire we re-use vintage product so we are circular as we give product a 2nd,3rd,4th 5th and so on life :)

The bamboo product we sell - i was then working as a contractor for the factory in Sri Lanka and i could see the product being made in the factory, everything looked legit. I was fortunate to be present, for most small business this is not possible so going by what they are told is normal, but we must remember we are allowed to question processes to have a clearer idea of what is happening behind the scenes.

The process of Quillattire becoming Ethical and Sustainable is an on-going journey, i am learning along the way and educating myself for new practices to adopt. One step forward to Ethical and Sustainable Fashion is more than what other brands are doing, its a journey in which you learn and make it work for your brand. I am grateful i can put product made from Organic Bamboo and Up-Cycled Jackets into the world instead of bad product that are harmful for our wild life and us humans! Quillattire supports Slow Fashion and Quality Product that you go to time and time again.