Justice in Fashion: Runway Fundraiser

Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth. Fashion should be about feeling good, being creative, self-expression and self-love! So, don your (sustainable!) glad rags and join Poplar Union in partnership with sustainable fashion CIC, Justice in Fashion and local artist and designer, Lyn Gerald, for a night of fashion, food, cocktails and maybe even a raffle with some super stylish prizes to be won!

You’ll also get exclusive looks at the latest collections of a host of East-London fashion designers as our stunning models of all ages, shapes and sizes bring it to the runway!

All money raised on the night will go towards Justice in Fashion, supporting their ongoing efforts to end modern-slavery in the textile and fashion industry, to continue their pioneering research in Leicester, the US and India and to educate, engage and empower garment workers and consumers globally.

Sustainable. Body Positive. Powerful.

About the designers

Leticia Credidio

Leticia is a slow lifestyle sleep/loungewear brand established by the eponymous Italian-Japanese-Brazilian designer. Leticia Credidio’s brand mission is to help over-stimulated city workers to embrace the power of sleep and lounge. Having experienced the detrimental health impacts of overwork and a lack of sleep, Leticia put her creative energy into establishing a sleepwear brand that champions taking the time to rest, to embrace comfort and slowness, and to be present in the now.

Handcrafted with smart and sustainable fabrics, the Winter Birds collection is bold, nature-inspired with a radically refreshing aesthetic take on sleepwear that can also be worn as loungewear. It is designed to allow wearers to move freely, feel at ease and step into a space of relaxation and inner contentment.”

Find out more: @leticiacredidio @leticiacredidiosleepwear

Daniel James Brennan

“I was inspired by elements of nature and texture in the process of putting this collection together. I was very keen to play with the idea of the natural vs. The structural, and so many of the garments flow between stiff and rigid to drapey and organic, with some crossing over both. I also wanted to make sure I was continuing to play with notions of gender, as I always do, and so there’s a very fluid feel to each of the pieces as well.

To achieve this, sustainable practice from end-to-end is employed through four pillars: Sustainable design: listening, and responding, to consumer wants and expectations from both product brand. Sustainable manufacturing: utilising micro-manufacturing, domestic production and sustainable yarns. Sustainable marketing: demonstrating effective and authentic values, spreading information to educate and showcasing representation. Sustainable retailing: operating direct-to-customer and online, responding to demand in real time. I utilise each of these aspects to ensure that I am continually working with fibres that are both eco-friendly to create and to break down. Alongside this, I ensure that my supply chain respects ethical working practices through continual research and auditing.”

Find out more about the talented Daniel here: @houseofjamesltd & @insert_self_here

Joy Osula

“Joy by Osula is an African inspired fashion brand with a community give-back element looking to support children in education by working with local organisations to provide school supplies and mentorship programmes.

The brand’s goal is to bring ‘a piece of joy’ to every wardrobe. From the designing to the buying and wearing of the garments, the brand aims to empower both the wearers and people from underprivileged communities in leading more enriching lives, as they commonly suffer from fashions’ wasteful problems.

The main inspiration for the brand is rooted in community spirit and the collective power of looking after others. The social sustainability element of the brands means the makers and wearers of the garments impact people from marginalised backgrounds long after the garments are made and worn.”

Find out more here: @joybyosula @thetomorrowjoy

Tabby Bunyan

“Re_considered makes garments out of pre-loved materials, and earrings out of the waste fabrics accumulated over time by upcycling. To “shop your own wardrobe”, you can use their custom upcycling service to transform the clothes you don’t wear anymore into items you will love again.”

Find out more: @re_considered
Website: www.reconsidered.co.uk

Amira Benning-Prince

Amira is collaborating with Tabby @re_considered and the pieces will be styled by the fabulous Rosie @rosieokotcha.

“Jeans.by.Amira is a business created by a young teen wanting to make a difference in the way the fashion industry is seen by upcycling old jeans. These jeans are hand-cut and sewn in a way to make a pair of new two-toned, sustainable jeans. This vision for Jeans.by.Amira is to create ethical pieces of clothing that anyone of any type will feel comfortable wearing.

Sustainability means giving the Earth and humanity the ability to endure – one pair of jeans at a time.”

Find out more: @amirajeans9

Lora Gene

“Lora Nikolaeva started Lora Gene, as she yearned to truly create change. The foundations of the lifestyle concept are brought together by a desire to improve the lives of the women behind the brand that make the clothes and the women that wear the clothing too. Supporting all women is the unwavering vision of Lora GENE, with tremendous investment in social action initiatives taking place behind the scenes. Lora GENE believes in putting sustainability at the core of everything they do. As one of the leading ethical clothing companies in the world, they feel it’s important to leverage our influence and align economic development with environmental care. They believe in social responsibility and the future of shared commercial and creative platforms.

There is power in community, and value it over the competition often found in the fashion industry. They aim to build a business model functioning with a transparent supply chain in which each fragment respects both the present-day environment and the essential connection between humanity and nature. Lora Gene is a Bcorp certified business.”

Find out more: @loragene_

Tomiwa Nicole Oye

“DENIM IS 4EVA! by Tomiwa is inspired by the relationship created between mother to child and the evolution of this sense over time seeking reasoning for why people have their own sense of style.

Tomiwa’s designs capitalise on her mother as her muse. Her collection is composed of upcycled denim, as she believes denim tells a story of life. Tomiwa believes “each crease, tear and wear line captures memories” telling a story. She created this collection as she describes denim to be a personal fingerprint that demonstrates the relationships and memories made all through the different phases of life through denim. Her idea of patchwork was birthed from the bible through Exodus 28:15,16, “It is to be square – a span long and a span wide.” Tomiwa knew that a collection of tiny outfits would not suffice for her concept in its entirety. So she decided to apply a similar concept into her work through patchwork. Tomiwa wishes to encourage people to embrace their inner child. She believes that growing up
should not let go of childhood but embrace the memories created during it. Through the use of upcycled denim, Tomia is conserving water and reducing her waste.”

Find out more: @tomiwanikcl

Bav Tailor

“Bav’s mantra ‘respect your body+ your sphere’, the brand encourages to respect your body through the wellness materials that adorn the skin, whilst nurturing the sphere that surrounds us.”

Find out more: @bavtailor

Lyn Gerald

“Lyn is an East London-based artist, dressmaker, and musician. Her approach to fashion stems from body positivity and sustainability through using upcycled materials, vintage garments, and inherited fabrics. Lyn’s vision is to give them a new lease of life and beauty.

Lyn’s passion for ethicality and sustainability are at the heart of her approach to designing, as she uses recycling and upcycling methods through using preexisting materials. This fuels her creativity without taxing the planets resources.”

Find out more: @afroboho

Ocean Sway

“Ocean Sway is a story being told through clothing, art and community projects about the importance of grassroots action, and how our neighborhoods play an essential role within the wider contexts of ongoing societal and environmental issues. Through our collections for this show, we aim to represent the issue surrounding sustainable fashion and the impact of our industry on the environment. We want to use our platform, network and unique placement within the community to empower locals to both understand that local changes do indeed play a vital role in this international struggle and equip them with the means to enact this change.

Ocean Sway only purchases fabrics from local vendors, ensuring that to the best of our ability, that it is produced ethically. We also have a trade in offer for all clothing sold, ensuring that any item sold has a chance at being reused. We have a zero waste policy, even off-cuts are reused for patching and practice for our students in our community project.”

Find out more: @oceansway

Luciana Pulcini

“LucianaSoul (the story behind the textiles) is a concept of sustainable consumption and production. Her mission is to reduce textile waste, but also to highlight to the fashion industry – and people in general – new ways of creating a brand using existing resources.
Luciana’s venture began after she observed the huge amount of clothes left on the streets of London. At the time she was homeless and had very little to wear. With her passion and natural talent, plus her Italian diploma in tailoring, she developed ideas for upcycling. She also studied online courses with the British Library on building a sustainable fashion business.

In 2016, Luciana was the recipient of the FDC Young Designers Award for ‘the most important alternative to fast fashion’. she also took part in Catwalks For Disabled Girls (December 2018) at the old biscuit factory, Bermondsey.

In July 2019, Luciana exhibited in Italy with the NGO ‘Anffas’ (National Association of Families of People with Intellectual and/or Relational Disabilities).”

Find out more: @Luciana_soul

Trace Collective

Find out more about the work of Justice in Fashion:

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This event is supported by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets