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Ethical Clothing Australia 2024 – Our biggest year yet!

Seven days, 22 accredited businesses, and over 600 attendees. From a panel on transparent and ethical supply chains in Sydney to sold-out slow fashion walking tours in Melbourne and a celebration of women-led businesses in Brisbane, Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024 was a resounding tribute to the people who make our clothes and a showcase of Australia’s vibrant textile, clothing, and footwear industry. 

As we wrap up our biggest Ethical Clothing Australia Week yet, here’s a look at some of the amazing events hosted by our community of accredited businesses across the country! 

Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024 brings our most extensive calendar of events since its launch four years ago, with activities across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, and the ACT. We’re thrilled to see 22 accredited businesses hosting in-person and online events, truly activating our community.

- Rachel Reilly, National Manager of Ethical Clothing Australia, at the Melbourne launch on Thursday, 3 October.

Ethical Fashion Walking Tours!

The Ethical Clothing Australia team was thrilled to host two Slow Fashion Walking Tours in Melbourne’s Brunswick and Fitzroy, visiting the retail spaces of some of our accredited businesses and giving ticket holders the chance to learn more about some of their favourite local brands.  

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Ethical Fashion Walking Tour at Kuwaii Brunswick

Brunswick Tour Highlights 

The Brunswick tour visited Kuwaii, Otto & Spike and Clothing the Gaps, with a delicious morning tea at Gloria Plant Based Cafe.

At Kuwaii, (accredited since 2023), guests enjoyed styling tips from the Kuwaii team, heard more about their local manufacturing and shopped with an exclusive discount.

At Otto & Spike, who have held their accreditation since 2010, store manager Anne told guests about the history of the business, which was started by her father in 1969, and spoke about their manufacturing process and their focus on ethically and locally made, saying: “It’s so precious, to still be able to do all this.”

At Clothing the Gaps, (accredited since 2020), the team shared the story behind this First Nations-led brand, their involvement in the “Free the Flag” movement, and their commitment to creating ethically made, conversation-starting pieces. 

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Fitzroy Tour Highlights 

On the Fitzroy tour, guests visited Denimsmith, REMUSE and The Social Studio, with a lunch stop at Stefanino’s Panino.

At Denimsmith, (accredited since 2018), product manager Hanh Le shared the journey of their denim from their family-owned, ethically accredited manufacturing facility to the retail store and offered styling and fit advice.

At REMUSE, (accredited since 2018), founder Tamara gave a behind-the-scenes look at her studio, explaining that her pieces are, “All hand-dyed, all natural fibres – I make them all myself, in this room.”

The final stop was The Social Studio at Collingwood Yards, where guests had the unique opportunity to tour the manufacturing space. Accredited since 2010, TSS supports and upskills migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women in garment manufacturing, making a meaningful impact in the community. 

Style & Sip Soirée in Brisbane Ethical Edge, MCC Manufacturing and Birds on Bikes

The Style & Sip Soirée in Brisbane was a celebration of local manufacturing as Birds on Bikes, MCC Manufacturing and Ethical Edge Collective launched their new Annerley manufacturing hub!   

Around 60 guests, including local government representatives, staff from TAFE Mt Gravatt, customers, family and friends joined founders Barbara Spooner and Michelle McClure enjoyed touring the new space that includes a manufacturing studio, an on-site office and a retail space for Birds on Bikes’ inclusive activewear range.  

Highlighting the significant role women play in in the textile, clothing and footwear industry, on the night Ethical Clothing Australia’s Partnerships Officer Caitlin Moriarty moderated a panel entitled “Women Supporting Women,” where Barbara and Michelle joined other panelists to share insights into their business collaboration, their commitment to ethical manufacturing and their exciting plans to contribute to Brisbane’s textile, clothing and footwear industry

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Chole Kerr from Next State

Next State Workshops: Creating custom printed tea towels!

Next State, accredited since 2018, welcomed attendees to their manufacturing space in Thornbury for two workshops, offering insights into the digital printing and dye sublimation processes. 

Founder Chloe Kerr shared the business’s history, commitment to ethical practices, and gave a tour of the site before explaining the logistics of printing. She showcased examples of printed fabric, discussed the strengths and weaknesses of different artworks, and outlined the various printing methods used at Next State. 

Best of all, every attendee got to see their own designs for a custom tea towel printed right in front of them onto a cotton or linen fabric and they also had the hands-on experience of sublimating a polyester sample of their design. The attendees took home their sublimated fabric and Next State then sewed and later sent their printed, finished tea towels.   

With both the sold-out workshops filled with a mixture of interested consumers and small business owners – many of whom were interested in custom fabric printing for their brand – these 90-minute sessions offered the opportunity to engage directly with an ethical manufacturer and learn more about an important part of the textile, clothing and footwear industry. 

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Top: Glen Rollason from RBPatterns
Above: Scott Bowring from RBPatterns

RBPATTERNS Factory Tours

The Ethical Clothing Australia team attended a factory tour hosted by RBPATTERNS in Yarraville, in Melbourne’s west. RBPATTERNS, which has been accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia since 2020, is a pattern making, grading and sampling company.  

Attendees had the opportunity to see how patterns are created digitally, and then turned into a physical garment in the form of a toile (a first “practice run” of the garment) by the experienced team. They learned about other aspects of the patternmaking process, including drafting, grading, marker making, specifications and technical drawings.  

Co-founders Glen Rollason and Scott Bowring spoke about their years of experience in the industry, and about working with fashion designers to turn their sketches and ideas into physical garments. They also discussed teaching patternmaking skills to people entering the industry, and home sewers looking to level up through their patternmaking classes 

Attendees commented on how interesting it was to see this part of the manufacturing process, which isn’t often included in discussions on fashion, with one person commenting, “It was all new to me and I found the whole end-to-end process so interesting!”. Thank you to Glen, Scott and the RBPATTERNS team for opening up their factory for Ethical Clothing Australia Week. 

Wilderness Wear Factory Tours

Accredited since 2018, Wilderness Wear invited guests into their Preston facility for a series of tours – many of which reached capacity – during Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024. 

Guests experienced an innovative and ethical approach to sock manufacturing as they toured the facility, observing each stage of the production process. They learned about various fibres and gained insights into why specific materials are chosen, as well as the difference between high-quality and lower-quality fibres. Guests even had the chance to feel different materials, including a revolutionary thread made from milk! 

As Ethical Clothing Australia Week celebrates the people who make our clothes, it was especially meaningful for guests to watch highly skilled workers spin fibres right before their eyes. 

At the end of the tour, each guest received their own pair of Wilderness Wear socks. The experience of seeing the items made and taking some home created a lasting connection, with one guest commenting, “I have so much more appreciation for these socks than I do for any other socks I have ever worn!”

Goldfinch the Label Shopping Night

Our first Ethical Clothing Australia Week event to be held in the ACT, Goldfinch the Label opened their beautiful Canberra store after hours for a VIP shopping night.  

Founder and designer Megan Luhrs, whose brand has been accredited since 2021, welcomed nearly 30 guests into the shop for an evening of live music, specials, styling advice and goodie bags for attendees.  

The night was truly a celebration of the community that can be created by bricks and mortar spaces and the support that can make a huge difference to small, ethical labels in Australia.  

Pearl Button Bridal Online Workshop

Accredited since 2017, Pearl Button Bridal told attendees they didn’t have to sacrifice their ethics when it comes to their wedding dress. 

Founder and designer Dinah Mitchell led guests through an online workshop where she shared her innovative design approach that actively creates ways to allow brides to re-wear their wedding dress after the big day – including designing a separate top and skirt and using fabrics like silk that can be easily dyed. She also shared practical examples of how to upcycle heirloom wedding dresses or secondhand dresses. 

Guests were encouraged to come with their own questions, problems and ideas and one attendee commented that “Dinah was approachable, real and welcomed questions.” Another said that: “It was great to have the story behind the brand and to hear of Dinah’s expertise and how she blends her experience in dressmaking with her passion for up-cycling and re-cycling garments.”

Sample Room & Empowered Clothing Online Masterclass

In a wonderful collaboration between two accredited businesses, Sample Room and Empowered Clothing offered a compelling online masterclass to compare the cost of producing onshore versus offshore. 

Sally from Empowered Clothing (who has been accredited since 2023) told the inspiring story of starting her conscious clothing brand and the journey she went on to find an ethical manufacturer. After a lot of searching, Sally met Julia from Sample Room (who has been accredited since 2015), and they were able to create the brand together, with Sample Room doing the local and ethical production for the brand. 

Julia went on to break down the specifics of producing clothing and shared her research that shows that in most cases it costs less to produce locally in Australia than overseas, something that sparked a lot of interest and engagement from the attendees.

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Tamara Leacock from REMUSE

R E M U S E Open Studio

REMUSE founder and designer Tamara Leacock, accredited since 2018, had just returned from showcasing her ethically made designs at New York Fashion Week when she hosted an event for Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024. She worked tirelessly to prepare her new space for attendees. 

Tamara welcomed guests into her intimate, beautifully organised studio, which houses both her manufacturing operations and a by-appointment-only retail space. She offered a behind-the-scenes look at creating slow, considered fashion, sharing insights into her design process, experiences at NYFW, and even gave a sneak peek of her upcoming designs for Melbourne Fashion Week. 

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Top: Meg Smith from megsmithmakes, Lisa Tainton from Spiritus Eco Clothing and Jo Carney of by Audrey and Grace

Ethical Fashion in the Hills Shopping Event with megsmithmakes, Spiritus Eco Clothing and by Audrey & Grace

A warm and welcoming afternoon in the Dandenongs was a wonderful celebration of the passion and generosity of small businesses as megsmithmakes, Spiritus Eco Clothing and by Audrey & Grace collaborated to host a relaxed shopping event. 

With megsmithmakes and Spiritus Eco Clothing accredited in 2024, and by Audrey & Grace accredited since 2022, the three women forged connections through Ethical Clothing Australia’s Women’s Leadership Network this year. They shared the importance of these relationships in driving industry change and prioritising ethical fashion.  

“We met through Ethical Clothing Australia and we’re bringing the fight against fast fashion to the hills,” said Meg Smith as she spoke to guests at the event on behalf of all three businesses.   

“Ethical Clothing Australia proves that you can buy beautifully made, ethical clothing in Australia. If you love the clothes you wear, you should know that the people who made them are safe and protected,” she continued.“Ask us, and anyone who has made clothes, and we’ll tell you it is quite an arduous process. They are all made with love.”  

Raising her glass, Meg also acknowledged the role of consumers in championing ethical fashion and protecting the people who make our clothes in Australia.  

“Thank you for being conscious consumers and actually caring. We’re all fighting fast fashion one fabulous frock at a time!”

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Ethical Clothing Australia Week FK breakfast Full size 12.10.24 01
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Finders Keepers Breakfast with Sanct and Ebony Bolts

As part of our ongoing community partnership with Finders Keepers, the Ethical Clothing Australia team was thrilled to host a breakfast for stallholders during Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024, providing these mindful makers with an opportunity to learn more about accreditation and ethical business practices. 

Guests enjoyed breakfast from Firecracker Events and coffee from stallholder Coffee Supremo, and they had the chance to chat face-to-face with the Ethical Clothing Australia team about what accreditation could mean for their business. 

We were also excited to support accredited brands Sanct and Ebony Bolts as stallholders at this Melbourne market, providing them with our brand-new retail assets, including postcards and strut cards, designed to support them in telling the story of their ethical values to their customers.

Sacred Ibis Workshops

Sacred Ibis who has been accredited since 2018, ran a series of workshops during Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024 at their Yeerongpilly studio in Brisbane.  

Founder Natalie Parish is a mixed-media artisan who uses salvaged industrial and domestic waste to produce her range of ethical and environmentally conscious bags. She shared this expertise with guests in hands on sessions that taught them how to build sculptural forms with simple household or recycled materials in order to use fabric hardener to create and dress a unique sculpture from textile waste. 

Applauding the participants, Natalie said: “Photos never really do these beauties justice! All beginners and all turned out stunning!!! So proud.”

CHAMANI Pop Up Shop

CHAMANI, who has been accredited since 2021 and is normally offered only online, hosted a pop-up shop as part of Ethical Clothing Australia Week and Brisbane Fashion Month.  

Founder and designer Chamani Weerasekara was on-site to share the story of her brand and offer guests a complimentary styling session.  

A celebration of Brisbane’s growing ethical fashion industry, the pop up gave consumers a rare in-person opportunity to see, touch and try on the luxury pieces for themselves, including new pieces from the new Blooms Collection – a very special release featuring handloom silk fabric hand-dyed using flower petals and natural pigment and ethically made right here in Brisbane.

Ethical Clothing Australia Week 2024 has been made possible due to a grant from the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources and a grant from the Victorian Government Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions. We are grateful for the continued support of Ethical Clothing Australia.  
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