Lecturer takes part in debate on fashion sustainability

APPAREL lecturer Zoe Hitchen has represented the University at a House of Lords debate on ethical fashion. 

Zoe, who is one of the organisers of Hollings’ Connect project, was invited by Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey to take part in “Ethical Fashion 2020: A New Vision for Transparency”.

The debate was co-hosted by Fashion Revolution, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion.

Zoe said: “I live tweeted from the debate via the @mmu_connect Twitter account and screened an exclusive preview of a series of mini films I’ve made for Fashion Revolution as part of the ‘2015 European Year for Development’.”

International partnership

Connect is an international partnership with Buffalo State College, the Beijing Institute of Fashion and the Royal Melbourne Institute.

A student and a member of staff from each institution have travelled to England, the US, China and Australia to take part in a three day series of industry visits and discussion with experts on sustainable innovation in each location.

Jane Ledbury, Principal Lecturer in the Department of Apparel, said: “The Connect Project aims to inspire student enquiry and generate lasting concern about the current and future impacts of our global apparel industry.”

During the project, information about sustainable innovation will be uploaded onto the Connect web page, connect.hollings.mmu.ac.uk, by all four universities, creating a great resource for all students.