On 4 March, the Industrial Museum will fill up with sustainable entrepreneurs and passionate fair fashion enthusiasts. All excited for the seventh Fair Fashion talk. This edition of the textile platform serves as the launch event for Fair Fashion Fest 2024.
In her opening speech, Hafsa El-Bazioui, Deputy Mayor for global solidarity, among others, made the link between the City of Ghent's textile past and the current abuses in the fashion sector today. Thus, the tone for the evening is immediately set. Fashion journalist Lotte Philipsen proudly addresses the audience. In the past ten years, she has seen the fair fashion movement grow from a niche to a real community. Meanwhile, trends have turned in our favour and more people have found their way to fair fashion. Sustainable entrepreneurs pave that road for many, and so naturally get a place of honour during Fair Fashion Talks. This edition, Lotte talks to Ann-Sophie Poulain, co-founder of Maison Poulain, which markets sustainable cycling clothing. That process was via trial and error, she herself admits. Opposite is Kevin Stauwen of Fair Eco Fashion, a family-run business that has offered sustainable brands in the heart of Ghent for many years.
The first question is: ‘How do customers find their way to ecological fashion?’
‘Sometimes customers accidentally make the right choice,’ Kevin calls tourists who happen to find his shop. ‘Then they sometimes ask why a pair of shoes costs so much. To the customer, meanwhile, I can more or less gauge how far I should go into that. Some are just not waiting for a technical explanation.’ We quickly forget how much work is behind a textile. ‘People no longer know the real value of a garment,’ Ann-Sophie adds. ‘Our price tag is the same as that of a well-known sports brand, but our cycling clothes last a lot longer. Still, people have trouble investing in unknown brands.’ Not everyone yet wants to know who pays the real cost of their clothing. That doesn't make it any easier to justify that fair price.
Both entrepreneurs point out that you are actually never done learning when it comes to fair fashion. Gatherings like the Fair Fashion Fest are so important for this reason, because that is where committed entrepreneurs and customers come together and learn from each other. The responsibility to make informed choices does not lie solely with entrepreneurs. To change the fashion industry from a Fast Fashion industry to a Fair Fashion industry, customers must also become informed. This is one of the takehome messages of Hannelore Hillesum, coordinator of Clean Clothes Campaign. For instance, it is important to find out what a company profiling itself as sustainable is committed to and what it is not committed to. Often brands stop at environmental sustainability, few answer the question of transparent production processes, for example. If we inform each other and work together, together we can also demand social sustainability. ‘The high number of links in the textile production chain makes it difficult to find out who is responsible. Brands themselves often have no idea who produces their clothes.’ Hannelore reminds the audience that, as consumers, we have the power to demand transparency.
Goed om weten: De Schone Kleren Campagne werkt met consumenten, bedrijven, politici, werknemers en vakbonden, om zo een eerlijke transitie (just transition) te forceren naar een duurzame modesector. Wil je hier meer over leren, kom dan zeker naar de Fair Fashion Talk: 'Fashioning the just transition’ tijdens het Fair Fashion Festival.
As a sustainable entrepreneur, you still bump into a number of obstacles. For instance, the dividing line between what is ecological and non-ecological can quickly become blurred. Kevin encourages: ‘It's always better to do your own research.’ Kevin warns against blindly adopting everything from environmental movements. ‘In activism, all nuance disappears. The consideration of sustainability is not black and white.’ Ann-Sophie admits that, It is challenging to produce locally as well as sustainably. ‘ We did a lot of research to find the right fabric manufacturer and also changed partners more than once.’ The short chain gives them control over their production process. Thus, they guarantee fair working conditions and their clothes do not have to travel 1,000 km. ‘In this way, we can still make a difference.’
To conclude the evening, Jonathan Janssens, coordinator of Gent Fair Trade, looks back one last time at the journey we have already taken. Thanks to thousands of sustainability heroes, we have already had five successful Fair Fashion Fest editions, and fair fashion is being worked on all year round in Ghent. He is therefore proud to announce the sixth edition, from 26 to 28 April at De Centrale and the Industriemuseum. After an opening concert by Baba Zula on Friday evening, visitors can spend two days at the Fair Fashion Fest for Belgium's largest fair fashion market, unique fashion shows, Fashion Talks by inspiring speakers, and activities for young and old. And all for free.
This year, Ghent was also elected European Youth Capital, which is why extra attention will be paid to young entrepreneurs, young designers and young activists.
Discover the programme on fairfashionfest.be
