Made-By takes sustainable fashion to Westminster

Made-By, the European not-for-profit organisation that works with brands to make sustainable fashion common practice, has taken the message of ethical and sustainable fashion to the Palace of Westminster and its corridors of power. Its message was delivered at a reception hosted by Made-By ambassador and crossbench peer, Baroness Young of Hornsey, in the Inter-Parliamentary Union rooms off Westminster Hall on 5 October 2010. Addressing MPs and members of the Lords, as well as senior fashion industry executives and the media, Baroness Young explained her growing interest and passion in sustainable fashion and announced that she was working on setting up an All-Party Parliamentary Group to focus on ethical fashion.
 

“The benefits of sustainable fashion becoming common practice are immense and is an issue that needs to be brought not only to the attention of the public, but also to members of both Houses,” explained Baroness Young. “An All Party Group won’t be able to solve the problems of sustainability by itself, but we can use it to broker and develop networking opportunities amongst those who can make a difference and to suggest legislation to the government that may be of help. The key role of the All Party Group will be in raising awareness of the issue.” The Baroness also appealed to those present to help supply and produce information that could be taken and used in schools so that children can learn about sustainable and ethical fashion at a much earlier stage. Baroness Young was joined at the Palace of Westminster by other Made-By ambassadors including international super model and environmental scientist Summer Rayne Oakes, broadcaster Katie Derham, and the innovative cellist and composer Peter Gregson, who gave a short recital during the reception.
 
As well as bringing the growing message of sustainability in fashion to the Palace of Westminster, the reception also celebrated Made-By’s first successful year of operating in the UK market, which followed on from six years of growth in Europe. Made-By is working closely with a growing number of brands from the UK and Ireland, brands such as Edun, Komodo and Ted Baker, as well as the majority of the other partner brands that have distribution deals in place for the UK or their own retail outlets. Made-By has also been doing specific project work for brands including Tommy Hilfiger, H&M, O’Neill, WE and G-Star. The overall impact of Made-By and its partner brands grew considerably in 2009: in total, more than 3 million garments were produced over the 12 months in socially certified factories, an increase of 117 % from 2008; and over 2.6 million garments were produced with sustainable materials, an increase of 152%. Similar growth is expected across 2010.

 
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