We’re celebrating another first! The Ethical Brand Directory team attended the first ever Cambridge Sustainable Fashion Festival on Saturday 17th of November 2018, alongside our founder Roberta Lee who was the resident sustainable stylist.
We were also joined by number of our brands on our directory, including AmaElla who was one of the sponsors of the event, Laura Zabo, Flock by Nature, Where Does it Come From, From Belo and Fresh Lifestyle.
We even found some new brands not registered with us and we look forward to BeeBee Wraps joining the EBD family soon.
The event itself was organised by Nicole from Cambridge Carbon Footprint and Circular Cambridge with support from Cambridge University.
The core message was to choose “Style Over Fashion” showcasing the many ways we can be sustainable when it comes to our wardrobes. The festival got a lot of exposure in the run up to the event
The event attracted people from all walks of life. The exhibitors were a mixture of sustainable brands from affordable to the more mid-market price range, as well as vintage and second-hand and of course, Roberta Style Lee was there and so were we.
Shopping was not the only focus: there was a clothes swap, a sewing and repair café helping people learn key skills for extending the life of their clothes, and an upcycling workshop that proved especially popular with families with children. Styling workshops ran by Roberta Lee our founder, included: Body Shape and Colour Analysis, Creating a Signature Style and Creating a Capsule Wardrobe.
We asked Roberta why workshops like these are important and she said:
“Knowing your style means knowing your body shape, knowing your colours, and when you know yourself fully – it’s easier to find the clothes that emphasize your assets, echo your values and speak of who you are.”
She also went on to mention that “whilst knowing your personal style can be incredibly empowering, it can also save the planet. Once you know your style, you can invest in truly sustainable pieces that will last a lifetime, instead of buying pieces you’ll never wear or wear once or twice and then throw away”
Whether attending one or all of them, these workshops were practical and informative, leaving the audience with a clear sense of how to buy less and buy better, and be more confident in the clothes they wear.
You can see Roberta’s previous blog about the workshops here
The panel discussion in the afternoon was about Fashion of the Future, featuring Julie a co-founder of AmaElla one of the first ever brands to join us. The panel created a positive buzz around sustainable fashion. Far from a fad niche interest, it is here to stay and grow, and become the norm of the fashion industry as more and more consumers start to consume less and become more conscious buyers, and more brands embrace the circular economy and explore innovation ways to produce materials and save waste going to landfill.
One of our brands Laura Zabo has made quite a name for herself as the ‘tyre lady’ upcycling tyres and inner tubes into accessories such as jewellery, belts, bags and even dog collars.
From the rediscovery of long-lost traditions to the most recent innovations, the selection of brands at the festival showed the many curious visitors how diverse the sustainable fashion field is, dispelling some long-standing myths about sustainable style being frumpy, boring or hippy.
Visitors were eager to explore the Ethical Brand Directory at our stall and discover over 100 of our ethical and sustainable brands. We met some lovely new friends and signed up keen EBD fans to our mailing list to keep them updated with news, events, and announcements.
All in all, we’d say it was a successful day and all efforts went towards helping raise awareness of conscious fashion and the importance of sustainability in general.
If you’d like chance to sign up to EBD alerts and stay in the loop with our plans, our upcoming events, discounts and more – you can join us here
If you’re a brand and would like to join EBD – please send an email to Roberta Lee