Tamsin Lejeune

Tamsin Lejeune is the founder of the Ethical Fashion Forum, a network of designers,businesses and organisations focusing upon social and environmental sustainability in the fashion industry.

What do you consider is the biggest issue facing the fashion industry today?

Sustainability! The way the industry is moving is unsustainable, labour conditions and environmental impact are growing concerns. There needs to be a cultural shift away from fast fashion, everyone expects to own large quantities of disposable clothing bought at very low prices.

What first got you interested in the ethics of fashion?

 At 18 I spent a year working in Central America, where many indigenous people have amazing skills and are creating beautiful clothes and textiles. They are paid incredibly low wages for their work given the huge amount of time and effort that goes in to production. I also worked in Cambodia in a shanty town that had grown up to house workers in the garment industry. People existed in terrible conditions because of poor wages being paid by major multi national corporations; they didn’t earn enough money to pay rent so they lived in makeshift housing. Eventually the shanty town was bulldozed leaving many homeless. These experiences got me thinking about the whole fashion industry supply chain and the need to consider the people behind the clothes we wear.

Who do you consider to be your greatest inspiration?

Bibi Russell- a designer from Chittagong in Bangladesh. She is a huge inspiration. After raising money to study at the London College of Fashion she became a model, travelling the international cat walks. When she retired from modelling in 1994 she invested the money she’d earned into setting up a fair trade fashion and textiles business in Bangladesh called Fashion for Development. As of 2004 she employed 35,000 rural weavers in Bangladesh and has won numerous awards and international acclaim.

What do you consider is the greatest barrier to success in the ethical fashion industry?

Many designers produce fashion ranges which may be beautiful, but which do not sell well because they are not right for the target market. Fashion design and market understanding need to go hand in hand- designers need to establish who will be buying their clothes, and for how much, from the outset.

How important is innovation and enterprise to designers interested in sustainable fashion?

Critical, even more so as you need to overcome preconceptions of what ethical fashion means;boring, unfashionable, shapeless, hemp are all words that spring to many people’s minds. Marketing ,  image, and creativity are the keys to success! Be innovative about the  process as well as the product.

How did you become involved in the Ethical Fashion Forum and what is the aim of your work?

I did a masters degree in fashion and fair-trade and set up a business sourcing textiles from Bangladesh. I produce high end women’s wear using fair trade and naturally died fabrics. I came across lots of people facing the same barriers as me and many of us were doing the same research. It seemed sensible to set up one body to do the work for everyone. We aim to create a network of businesses and individuals working in the ethical fashion industry and encourage sustainable practices and initiatives to promote these. We also aim to ensure that social and environmental considerations are embedded in fashion education as well as influencing main stream manufacturers, suppliers and retailers.

What skills do you think are required to start and sustain an ethical fashion business?  

Education is important but at the same time some of the world’s leading designers – for example  Roland Mouret -don’t have formal training. Creative thinking is the key. Understanding your market and having a commercial approach is vital but you must also be aware of the social and environmental issues driving the ethical fashion agenda. Perseverance and staying power are at least as important as creative flair, skills and ability.

Do you think the industry should be considering a shift back to UK manufacturing? And what do you think are the key challenges involved in achieving that shift?

The environmental costs of manufacturing thousands of miles away from where products are sold are high. Therefore manufacturing locally is relevant to the sustainability debate. Manufacturing costs in the UK For example, garment production could support local communities and sustainable livelihoods, provide opportunities to reduce poverty , or preserve or build upon traditional skills. will be higher, however for small scale designers producing small quantities of high quality products it can make very good sense. When deciding where to manufacture, designers should also consider the possible benefits to garment workers and communities.

Do you think major UK retailers are beginning to take on board the social & environmental issues surrounding fashion and act on them?

Yes, although,  they could be doing a lot more. Some are taking small steps by  working with other businesses or bringing out ethical or organic clothing lines. To make a real difference retailers need to implement sustainable practices throughout the supply chains for their mainstream products.

What would you say to a young person thinking of starting an ethical business?  

There has never been a more inspiring time to start a fashion business in the UK. The new generation holds the key to achieving positive change by creating products that are stunning in terms of design and innovative in terms of sustainability.

http://www.makeyourmarkinfashion.org/sustainable_fashion/interviews