Index
17 March 2010
Garment sustainability high on agenda
Participants at the National Garment Industry Sustainability Roundtable 2010.
Related links
Related stories
-
Students couldn't wait… so apply now 09/05/2012
-
Inventive fashion earns international design award 02/05/2012
-
Fashion graduates win top spots 05/03/2012
-
RMIT fashion wins Age spread 24/02/2012
-
Hannah Pang's portrait of a Chinese wedding 09/02/2012
-
RMIT students dominate fashion textile awards 08/02/2012
A roundtable meeting between key stakeholders in the Australian garment industry has marked an important milestone in the industry’s journey towards more sustainable practices.
The St James Ethics Centre and the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries of Australia convened the forum in Melbourne, with Sue Thomas, Lecturer in Fashion in the School of Architecture and Design, representing RMIT University.
“The roundtable was a wonderful initiative and it was terrific as a participant to see the representatives from diverse parts of the industry working towards an ethical Australian fashion industry,” Ms Thomas said.
“The St James Ethics Centre showed real foresight in inviting key players to discuss frankly issues which affect us all.
“This is an area where education, particularly RMIT, can play a crucial role in providing leadership, research and training.
“We have staff and postgraduate students who have experience and engagement in these areas of ethics and sustainability in design practice and production.”
Phillip Butler, Chair of the Textile Clothing and Footwear Industries Innovation Council, said: “Sustainability is a journey and for the garment industry to move forward we need to ensure that the compass is set in the right direction.
“This roundtable presented a positive step forward and is an example of the commitment of the industry in taking the sustainability agenda seriously.
“I was impressed with the standard of debate and the commitment shown by those in the room.”
The event brought together key stakeholders including RMIT, Myer, Target, Woolworths, Country Road, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, CSIRO, Ethical Clothing Australia, Oxfam Australia, the Textile Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia and The Merino Company.
It addressed matters such as local and global procurement, regulation and certification, support for small business, waste and transport and the role of government.
The discussion recognised the complexity created when manufacturing products can travel the globe many times over before reaching the shelves.
Sue Thomas is an invited speaker at the L’Oreal Fashion Festival at a seminar called ‘Growing Ethical Fashion - Ethical Clothing Australia’, on 17th March. See the L’Oreal Fashion Festival website for details: www.lmff.com.au
