The Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce in association with UTS Business School and Swaab Attorneys were delighted to host our esteemed guests for a Social Entrepreneurship Breakfast – Fashion and Sustainability.

How can fashion, one of the world’s most polluting industries become sustainable? What are the challenges of running a sustainable fashion business? were the questions the speakers have answered.

From the catwalk to the consumer, fashion is one of the most pervasive industries on the planet. It affects everyone from the farmers who grow our fibres, to the designers who dream up our clothes, the workers who sew them, the retailers who sell them and the people who buy them. Such a thriving industry has a profound effect on our global environment and the welfare of the people who work in fashion.

From selfies to sweatshops our panel of experts will discuss the complex challenges of running fashion businesses that are sustainable and ethical; discuss the power of businesses, designers and consumers to make sustainable and ethical choices, and address the key concepts and practices that will shape the future of the fashion industry.

Our panelists are:

Melinda Tually is the Director of NDLESS: The New Normal and the Co-ordinator for Fashion Revolution Australia and New Zealand. Melinda advises brands and retailers on responsible business and supply chain strategy, social and environmental risks, communications, partnerships and sourcing. Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for greater transparency in the fashion industry.

Jaana Quaintance-James is the Ethical Sourcing Manager at David Jones and has been responsible for the development and delivery of the business’ five year ethical sourcing strategy since 2015. In this role she draws on 12 years’ experience developing and implementing change programs which identify and remediate labour standards risks in international supply chains and fieldwork in over 15 countries delivering social audits, leading training sessions for workers, supervisors and managers, and implementing remediation programs.

Jackie Ruddock is the CEO of The Social Outfit. Jackie has worked professionally within the charity sector for 12+ years, and in the social entrepreneurship sector for 7+ years in Australia. Jackie is a project manager and researcher in the fields of education, health, communications, multiculturalism and sexuality/gender. Jackie previously held senior management roles at The School for Social Entrepreneurs, FAR Social Enterprise, and Streetwize Communications.

Moderator: Mark Liu is a Chancellors Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UTS, a fashion and textile designer who applies scientific principles to traditional fashion techniques. His PhD research developed the new field of “Non-Euclidean Fashion Patternmaking”. Mark is an acknowledged pioneer in the area of Zero-Waste Fashion design in the sustainable fashion movement in London. This developed out of his research while completing a Masters of Textiles Futures at Central Saint Martins College. Mark ran a Zero-Waste Fashion label for several years and has exhibited in London Fashion Week.