Graduate Fashion Week has partnered up with Johnstons of Elgin for the new-for-this-year Considered Design Showcase! The graduate winner of the award will receive £750 and an additional £250 for the winning university. The award recognises a student’s outstanding specific contribution to a range of pertinent ethical or societal issues relating to fashion design which include a range of factors from diversity, ethics of manufacturing and the environmental impacts on fabric and material choice.
Leslie Holden, the Head of Fashion & Design and Fashion & Management at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute will be joined by panel members to discuss what responsibility in the industry means for production and design methodologies. There will be the finalist collections from the Lenzing Sustainable Denim Competition, and the winner for several sustainability focused awards will be announced, including the Considered Design Award and the Swarovski Accessories Competition.
Johnstons of Elgin are a Scottish Cashmere brand established over two centuries ago, being the only manufacturer in Scotland to maintain the capability to take natural fibres from their raw state, through each stage of the process to the finished garment. Johnstons of Elgin are concerned with the preservation of their traditional craft, working closely with their employees to ensure conservation of these rare, talented skills. Not only does Johnstons of Elgin work closely to preserve their heritage but also work closely to reduce environmental impact, making sure that employees, partners and suppliers are taught about these responsibilities to make a positive impact to aid sustainability. The Cashmere used in their factories are gathered from goats which have been herded in the traditional ways, this lifestyle means that the goats live an almost wild existence and helps to preserve these suffering communities.
The fashion industry earns it customer loyalty and homage through its relentless focus on maintaining sustainable principles from stages of product development to campaigning and encouraging sustainable initiatives and projects. Technologies, from materials to machinery is advancing quickly which means brands need to react instantly to cultivate their consumers.
Johnstons of Elgin constantly strives to increase energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions and waste, both by implementing new technologies and by encouraging their best practice within the company’s clauses, this is why they are looking for a deserving award winner at GFW18 that values the environment and strives to make a difference to sustainability in the future of fashion.
Words by Amber Whitaker