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The most fascinating thing so far about TheKey.to is, without any doubt, the interchange with the designers and professionals. We mutually teach each other bits and blops of knowledge on techniques, markets, and the raise of new design trends – or the lack of it.
One part of this interchange has been formalised within the organisation of TheKey.to as event. This is the case with the practical hands on discussion about sourcing options and channels, or the introduction to available certification labels and supply chain management approaches for people the design side.
Sadly, the latter workshop, lead by Made-by Germany and a representative of Remei, was only marginally interesting for someone with an already decent knowledge on the problems that are associated with choices of certain fibres, or during the different production stages, but seemed to hit the nail for the majority of the attendants (most of which seem to have had a ‘creative’ background).
Substantially more interesting, instructional, active – and overall a really positive surprise – was the workshop lead by Summer Rayne Oakes.
First of all, I probably have to be honest and admit that I’m not a fan of VIPs, at all, and I’m very, probably even overly, critical of people who are called ‘eco ambassadors’, ‘eco fashion models’ or what ever else the flavour of the day may be. Looking back over the past 15 years, starting with my first steps in research, my experience has been one of disappointment, and repeat encounters with rather large, badly informed, ignorant egos. As a consequence, I was *quite* critical ahead of the session lead by Summer – for which the programme description read to me like a mere PR gig to promote her recently launched venture, Source4Style (S4S), a B2B sourcing platform for ethical apparel and interior fabrics.
The session however, was – and I’m glad to admit my own erring in this context – rather brilliant. While there were explanations of what you could, and couldn’t, do with and expect from S4S, much of the talk was about the basic business ideas, concepts, assumptions and models behind it – and on the side lines, also about what it means to dream up and realise a venture such as this platform, notably financially.
- The platform has basically a global target audience. This said, it for now assumes though that the registered designers and supplier speak (and write) English
- It aims to reduce the work load on both ends of the sourcing process: To support designers in sourcing their desired fabrics more efficiently (it was mentioned that a designer may invest some 85% of work time into finding to ‘correct’ fabric and its suppliers rather than to come up with the designs); and to support suppliers offering a first level support for potential clients, which means answering to basic questions (certifications, minimums, prices, available stock etc.) and requests (e.g. for swatches).
- On the long run, their aim is to help suppliers anticipate upcoming and raising trends for certain type of fabrics, certifications, colours etc.
- On the mid term, they want to help and facilitate small/er and young/er designers getting in contact and work with local craftsmen in their own geographical area. These could be those hard to find best-of-class hand tailors that have a workshop tucked away in some back alley, or the pattern makers that have many years of experience and tons of skill, but are a rarity in their discipline and do not do business with any of the big brands but work a niche market.
- The platform makes ethical fabrics of different types and specifications available to a wider public so that their producers get the business that they were previously missing out on. Hence, beyond widely known and used fabrics – such as silks, linens or cottons – less widely used, or even indigenous low quantity hand-made fabrics are available.
- As trends go, good ideas are never alone. Online platforms are not an exception to this rule. There are in fact 2 more platforms that roughly have the same aim as Source4Style: the Offset Warehouse, and the Ethical Fashion Forum London’s ‘The Source’. The question is of course how the three compare to one another. In joining Summer’s statements with my own knowledge about what the latter two offer, the difference in brief are as follows.
– Source4Style: Global target audience, B2B platform, transactional (i.e. aiming at actually facilitating sales for the signed up suppliers); registration is free.
– Offset Warehouse: Primarily local (London), and then national (UK) target audience. Broader offer than just sourcing fabrics, as it incorporates also a retail section for designer apparel items, and a consultant and freelancer market place. Grassroots. As customer, registration is for free.
– EFF ‘The Source’: Directory of ethical fashion professionals, encompassing suppliers, press, consultants, agents and more. It also will, so rumors go, include a ‘different’ fashion magazine. The target audience is in principle industry professionals globally, but in fact will be SMEs as this is market segment where the EFF draws the vast majority of member from. Entirely subscription based, both as a ‘reader’ as well as to have your name/company listed.
My positive impression of this session is due to 2 for me always important points: First, the fact that the speaker, Summer in this case, knew the ropes of the game. In fact, she knows as much about how the industry works on a marketing level as she does about the ecologic impact of certain chemical ingredients. And in either case her knowledge goes rather deep – considerably deeper than my own. And the second ingredient was she candidly answered all the question she was asked, and would not hesitate to even mentioned patrons and supporters by name, prices by how much they costs, and where they – as a platform – make their money. In short – she walks the talk of her own request to the industry, namely that of being more, or even completely, transparent.
Reet Aus is an Estonian designer who, just like Junky Styling in London, started upcycling as a fashionable design choice 12 years ago. She mainly, although not exclusively, works with post-consumer denim. And: she has become such en expert on the topic of textile waste, and up- and recycling fabrics, that she is about to submit her doctoral thesis on the topic – in addition to designing for and running her own label!
But more interestingly, she supports and promotes a platform-cum-campaign called Trash2Trend, that aims at mapping out the textile waste landscape globally.
What do they mean though by ‘textile waste landscape’? The aim is to collaboratively create a directory of the type and quantities of pre-consumer textile waste created (and hence available for designers to use) in factories across the world. The platform has in fact launched only 2 days ago (meaning: on January 20th, 2011), and the efforts to map out the Estonian ‘textile waste landscape’ are in full swing as I write this.
In the end, in just one day I made in depth acquaintance with 2 platforms that I believe we will hear more of in the future. In Source4Style’s case, I was vaguely familiar with their activities already, but only now, after hearing what is behind the curtains in unexpected candidness, I feel comfortable to say that they actually seem to be doing a good job.
And Trash2Trend is an amazing, logical idea supported by a committed designer who counts on her peers to collaboratively give it a gentle push to grow wings.
Tomorrow: TheyKey.to, Berlin: Day 3 – Traditions, Commitment & Best Of
Previous: TheyKey.to, Berlin: D1 – Innovation and Design
