Remembering Rana Plaza 10 years on, and asking, ‘What’s changed’?

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster. A disaster in which more than 1,134 people died and another 2,500 were injured. The 4th largest industrial disaster globally, the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory building, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, mostly affected female garment workers producing garments for fast fashion brands in the west. While Rana Plaza represents an exceptional event, the factors that made it possible are all too common in the garment … More Remembering Rana Plaza 10 years on, and asking, ‘What’s changed’?

Starting a new Starter and other early year activities

Hello there! I just wanted to pop in before this years blog content continues apace to say Happy New Year. I hope everyone got through the end of the year in good spirits and the new year has started well. I never know quite where the first weeks of the year go and this year is no different. We were in the UK for Christmas and France for New Year, with family in both places. … More Starting a new Starter and other early year activities

A Wovember wool spotlight: La Fierucola, Florence, and the sheep of Italy

While it is still Wovember, I want to spend a little time sharing some new to me local sheep and to introduce you to the wonderful wool they produce. The history of Italy and of wool are tightly intertwined and extend across a network of European wool trading that pre-dates the formation of the state of Italy in the 19th century. By the 13th century Florence was already an important wool centre and this is … More A Wovember wool spotlight: La Fierucola, Florence, and the sheep of Italy

Fashion Revolution Week: Money Fashion Power #WhoMadeMyClothes

Today marks the start of Fashion Revolution Week 2022. While the title may not be so familiar, hopefully the hastag #WhoMadeMy Clothes will resonate, and perhaps also, #WhatsInMyCothes and #LovedClothesLast. Today I want to say a ‘few’ words about each and I’ll direct you to some fabulous resources which explore these issues in depth but also with precision and concision. The theme for this year’s Fashion Revolution is week ; MONEY FASHION POWER a triptych … More Fashion Revolution Week: Money Fashion Power #WhoMadeMyClothes

No More Water, The Fire this Time

There has been considerable debate in recent weeks about what the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd tell us about how people of colour daily experience the world we live in, and they disproportionately prematurely die in. Their deaths have caused us yet again to question the deep inequities and structural racism that exist in our societies. We are questioning how it gets to ‘hide in plain sight’ in the landscape and built environment … More No More Water, The Fire this Time