Lots of people think that fashion is something frivolous and not necessarily meaningful or full of purpose. That's not the case at all.
Many retailers are now making more of an effort than ever before to reduce their impact on the environment and support local communities. H&M for example have recently launched their Conscious Collection which is about making clothes that benefit everyone around them, and US brand Reformation do a lot to ensure that their clothes are doing the same. Their whole brand is about being eco-conscious and respectful of the sources of their clothes, and loads of people around the world are buying into that ethos.
For a long time people have wanted to know that the bananas and coffee they buying are Fairtrade and supporting local communities (and even their taxis, I'm a huge fan of GoGreenRide in the US which leases out environmentally friendly cars), but now the era is upon us where people care about fashion doing the same. There was outrage when it was discovered that the 'I am a Feminist' t-shirts worn by politicians were produced in factories where workers were paid only a few pennies an hour.
People will always want cheap clothes, but they also want to know that the clothes they buy are good in the moral sense.
I am passionate about working with children in underprivileged communities, which is why I help under privileged children in Kenya every year. This involves feeding, clothing and giving them stationary. One of the amazing things about fashion is that it gives you a platform to get important messages around the world, and I feel like I want to make the most of it.
I'm excited about attending the Legacy Collection tonight at the Goldsmiths' Hall in London. It will showcase designers from the London College of Fashion and Parsons School in New York. These young designers have all worked with artisans from around the world to create beautiful pieces whilst also supporting local communities and businesses in those areas, which are of vital importance for everyone involved in the organisation that created this, the LDNY foundation. Whilst I'm not involved directly in the foundation, I'm really excited to be supporting the event and seeing all the designers who will be in town. I'm also excited about seeing the merging of UK and US talent, as being from the UK but living in New York, I have a distinct understanding of the two cultures and how they work together.
The LDNY Foundation is an initiative which supports lower income communities in the UK, US and developing world gain entry into the creative industries and fulfil their potential whatever their background by providing educational scholarships, grants and supporting a range of innovative and effective projects. Their hope is that over time this foundation will become a major force in harnessing and linking the raw creative talent of the "underprivileged".
The Legacy Collection will kick off the WIE Awards tonight. The awards stand for 'Women: Inspiration & Enterprise', and they celebrate enterprising and inspiring women from around the world. I'm really excited about seeing who will be there and learning about the incredible things womankind has achieved this year.