A trade show to find solutions for local fashion industry

THE fashion industry has had to come to terms with its role in the climate crisis. The conversation is now about how the industry can contribute to sustainability efforts. In a piece for The Conversation last month, Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas said for the industry to have a true impact in sustainability efforts, it needed to start with fashion students.

“It is only by taking a deep dive into sustainability that we can help fashion students understand how all the elements of the fashion business model, and supply chain, affect people and the planet,” she wrote.

“The fashion industry has a well-documented history of unsustainable practices, including intensive and excessive production, textile waste, lack of transparency, and poor labour conditions. Attending an international conference on how to create a more sustainable fashion system, I recall a delegate saying: ‘We need to talk to industry’, to which I responded: ‘Our students are the industry’.”

Solutions that have been given by fashion experts include buying from brands that are eco-conscious, brands that are home-grown, and also exploring the second-hand market.

In response to sustainability needs, allfashion is hosting a Cape Town Hybrid Pop-up Fashion Sourcing Trade Show from October 19-21.

Organised by Messe Frankfurt South Africa, the trade show will be hosted live and online. It will be ttended by local buyers, business folk, and the general public. The event features local and international products, showcased at the pop-up showroom and exhibited virtually by South African textile, leather, footwear, and fashion manufacturers. Hosted at The Lookout Venue, at the V&A Waterfront, the trade show is all about championing both manufactu ring localisation and sustainability in the fashion industry.

Kathryn Frew, allfashion’s sourcing show director, said: “It is important that we find innovative ways to help local companies market their brand to a targeted audience of potential buyers, in a cost-effective – and safe – way.

“This event is a leading collaborator in the current drive for economic recovery during the ongoing pandemic. As ordinary South Africans, we can support each other by buying proudly South African products – made by South Africans for South Africans. With sustainable brands favouring local production, sourcing local materials, and employing local artisans, not only is our local economy boosted and our sense of community strengthened. These businesses eliminate the need for frequent transportation,” said Frew.

The live event will feature a range of quality products, including readyto-wear garments, intimates, home textiles, fabrics, and denim. These products will be exhibited in concept booths, linked to virtual information, scannable through QR codes. Visitors can connect with manufacturers of their choice through online matchmaking.

Book your free visitor ticket on www.easycode.com/allfashionIL