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Front Row To Front Bench Podcast

Fashion Roundtable

We interview fashion industry leaders and politicians in an intimate, honest series of podcasts.

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  • 22 episodes
  • Avg 43 min
  • English

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  • Monday · 52 min

    Book Club No.7: In Conversation with Professor Kate Fletcher | Fletcher's Almanac Vol. 2

    In the seventh Front Row to Front Bench book club from Fashion Roundtable, Meg Pirie talks with Professor Kate Fletcher about Fletcher's Almanac Volume 2, a pocket-sized book of short vignettes that moves through the seasons, between England, Ireland, Wales and Norway. The perfect companion to Volume 1. Professor Kate Fletcher's work on slow-fashion, degrowth, nature and systems change has had an effect on how many of us, including Meg, think about the fashion industry. After more than 30 years working in fashion and sustainability, Kate has turned towards storytelling, arguing that what we need is a shift in perceptual consciousness. As she puts it: "You can't unstir the coffee from the cream. You put it all in together, you can't take it back. And yet we're sort of pretending like we can." In this episode: Fashion media often reinforces the illusion that clothes exist apart from ecology. What might change if every fashion story had to carry its landscape with it through a mandatory ratio of nature words The UK's own fibres, from wool and flax to hemp and nettles, and how to look out of the window to see what naturally suits your climate. For Meg in Wales it was nettles and wool! Seeing our wardrobes as a "hanging rail of capabilities." The need for individual work and a shift in not only perceptual consciousness but also literacy in what clothes are when they are not sponsored by an industry view of what fashion should be. And two policy proposals worth debating: Mandatory month-and-year production date stamps on all clothing, to track the churn and time spent on resale platforms such as Vinted and Depop Recognising ecocide as a crime in international law under the Rome Statute Kate's advice for anyone wanting to start is to begin with the clothes you already own. Fletcher's Almanac Volume 2 is published by Quickthorn, will be released on the 1st October and is available to pre-order now. Illustrated by Stephen Fowler. Front Row to Front Bench is the book club presented by Meg Pirie, for Fashion Roundtable, the leading fashion and textiles think tank and consultancy. Buy the book here: https://quickthornbooks.com/products/fletchers-almanac-vol-ii?_pos=2&_sid=44e87ff16&_ss=r Find out more about Kate's work and her other publications here: https://katefletcher.com/

  • September 18 · 51 min

    Fashion Roundtable Book Club No. 6: In Conversation with Frieda Gormley

    In this episode, Meg Pirie sits down with House of Hackney co-founder Frieda Gormley to talk about her debut book, In the Company of Nature. Part memoir, part manifesto, it's the extraordinary story of how a small British interiors brand became a radical case study in regenerative business, guided by nature's own blueprint for living systems. "The old stories of unchecked growth, extraction and exploitation are beginning to crumble. In their place, new stories are emerging — stories of community, collaboration and connection." — Frieda Gormley Buy the book here Explore #FRBookClub here

  • July 24 · 59 min

    Fashion Roundtable Book Club - Patrick Grant

    Fashion Roundtable's 5th book club and it's a special one! In this episode, Meg Pirie is joined by Patrick Grant from the hit BBC series The Sewing Bee - Season 12 of which aired last week! Patrick is the founder of campaigning clothing brand Community Clothing which supports local clothing and textile manufacturing across the UK. Patrick is also an outspoken advocate for radical change in the fashion industry and this comes across perfectly in his debut book, LESS, which was an instant Sunday Times bestseller – and that's what this episode centres around. Patrick offers a hopeful vision for how rethinking our relationship with clothing could kickstart a thriving new local economy, bringing prosperity and hope back to places in our country that have lost out to globalisation – policy asks that, like Patrick, Fashion Roundtable is very hot on! From Patrick's rescue mission of Cookson & Clegg and the ethos behind Community Clothing, to national economic policy, and back to a hand-wound watch, Patrick and Meg talk to the very shape of the book itself. Resources mentioned in the podcast More about Patrick's campaigning clothing brand Community Clothing Buy the book. Watch Season 12 of the Sewing Bee Check out The Tin Shed Gallery on the Isle of Mull - for Patrick's famous mug reference! Read Fashion Roundtable's Open Letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Public Procurement Sign the letter

  • June 30 · 58 min

    Fashion Roundtable Book Club - Eleanor Houghton, author of 'Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes'

    Today, Meg Pirie was joined by Eleanor Houghton an historian, writer, and illustrator specialising in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century dress, literature, and material culture. Eleanor has an interesting career trajectory, after reading English at Oxford, Eleanor went on to become a couture milliner, specialising in archival research. Eleanor holds a doctorate in History and is an historical costume consultant for film and television productions such as Emily and Gentleman Jack. Eleanor is the author and illustrator of 'Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes', based on nine years of research into Charlotte Brontë's surviving wardrobe. In this live session, Eleanor argues that garments are primary sources that record Brontë's daily life, emotions, and identity, rather than just curiosities. In fact Charlotte Brontë's very clothes challenge the preexisting stereotypes of Charlotte as a "drab, sexless, saint-like" figure. From her corset, which is examined as a "shield" from criticism and an example of "hyper-femininity" used to navigate societal body ideals and class status, to the Industrial Revolution and resourcefulness during that time, these 150 items bore witness to Charlotte's incredible, and at times, very complex life. To find out more about Eleanor and her work, you can check out her website, Linked In, and instagram also! Buy the book here

  • May 15 · 55 min

    Q & A with Zakia Sewell, Author of 'Finding Albion: Myth, folklore and the quest for a hidden Britain'

    Fashion Roundtable Book Club - Zakia Sewell, with Tamara Cincik and Meg Pirie Today's conversation with Zakia Sewell took us from the sacred springs of Glastonbury to the history of 'Albion' as a place of refuge. Buy the Book 'Finding Albion: Myth, folklore and the quest for a hidden Britain' by Zakia Sewell Buy Listen My Albion (BBC Radio 4): The four-part series that sparked Zakia's quest Listen Dream Time (BBC Radio 6 Music): Catch Zakia's latest broadcasts exploring music and myth Listen Folklore & Activism Right to Roam: Learn more about the campaign for land access in England and Wales More UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH): Read about Fashion Roundtable's work on ratifying the convention in our Creative Wellbeing Economy Framework More More on the writer Glennie Kindred More More on Our Land documentary More

  • March 26 · 55 min

    Q & A with Rob Hopkins, co-founder of Transition Network with Meg Pirie

    Welcome to Fashion Roundtable's second book club! Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network. Rob holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth, and is author of several books. Starting in lockdown Rob created the highly successful 'From What If to What Next' podcast, where he time travelled with guests to explore practical, imaginative solutions to the climate and ecological crisis. The interview delves deeper into Rob's latest book, 'How to Fall in Love with the Future: A time traveller's guide to changing the world.' Through the power of Rob's book, Meg Pirie and Rob Hopkins visit a 2030 resulting from our doing everything collectively that we could possibly have done. They explore how time travel and routing ourselves in the lived experience of the future help us map out a route to inspire change, the neuroscience behind this, the need to cultivate longing, the responsibilities governments and organisations have to include thinkers, dreamers and artists in decision-making, and Rob's policy wishlist. You can watch the full interview here: More on Rob's work here and to buy his book here Fashion Roundtable's Creative Wellbeing Framework here

  • #25
    Dec 10, 2024 · 32 min

    ALIX COOMBS in conversation #25 AMELIA TWINE

    For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Alix Coombs speaks with Amelia Twine, Founder of Sustainable Fashion Week Following a decade working in sustainability in food systems and hospitality, Amelia now works in campaigning for a just transition to an equitable, regenerative fashion industry. Amelia ran a sustainable womenswear platform before founding Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) in 2020. SFW works in creative community engagement to inspire consumer behaviour change, highlighting the different entry points to sustainability in fashion to make it more relevant and accessible to people from all backgrounds. SFW ignites community-led action to inspire, empower and upskill people - equipping them to change their fashion habits. Amelia provides consultancy and project management for various organisations including The Good Clothes Show, South West England Fibreshed and is the co-chair for Fashion Roundtable's Sustainability & Social Justice Committee.

  • #24
    Dec 3, 2024 · 23 min

    HARRIET FLETCHER-GILHUYS in conversation with #24 KATE TURNBULL

    For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Harriet Flecther-Gilhuys speaks with Kate Turnbull from The Secret Dyery where they discuss the world of natural dyes and how they can be incorporated into supply chains and regenerative practices. Kate Turnbull is natural dyeing practitioner, educator and advocate. She divides her time between Headington School, Oxford as Eco Lead and in her dye house in Oxfordshire, working either on her own projects or collaborations. Recent collaborations have included suspending naturally-dyed plant based fibres above the Chelsea Flower Show 'Dye Garden for Fashion Revolution', producing a unique range of naturally hand-dyed dresses for Anna Mason London and developing a natural, seasonal colour palette for a project at The Centre for Sustainability. Kate has an MA in Fashion & Textiles from Central St Martins, is honored to be represented by The Guild of Master Craftsmen and is a member of The Society of Dyers and Colourists. In 2022 she was nominated for Teacher of the Year for designing and implementing the country's first eco A Level textiles course

  • #23
    Nov 26, 2024 · 52 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #23 BARONESS LOLA YOUNG OF HORNSEY

    For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey, a crossbench peer in the House of Lords about the release of her memoir 'Eight Weeks', published by Penguin. Eight Weeks is a deeply moving and inspiring memoir that tells the remarkable life story of Baroness Young of Hornsey, from her childhood in foster care, to becoming one of the first Black women in the House of Lords. Lola Young has been an actress, an academic, an activist and campaigner for social justice, and a crossbench peer. But from the age of eight weeks to eighteen years, she was moved between foster care placements and children's homes in North London. It would take many decades before she was able to begin the search for answers to the long-standing questions that would help her make sense of her childhood. In Eight Weeks, through her care records, fragments of memory, and her imagination where parts of her story are missing, Lola assembles the pieces of her past into a portrait of a childhood in a system that often made her feel invisible and unwanted. Alongside glimpses into her life as a peer, activist, and campaigner it tells the powerful story of her determination to defy the odds. Eight Weeks is a spirited, eye-opening and beautifully written account of being a child in care and a Black child in a white family and is a vital part of contemporary Black British history.

  • #22
    Oct 8, 2024 · 26 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #22 GREAT BRITISH WOOL REVIVAL

    For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with Harriet Fletcher-Gilhuys, Zoe Fletcher and Maria Benjamin, the team behind our collaboration with The King's Foundation and YNAP for the Modern Artisan Collection, the Great British Wool Revival. This October marks Wool Month, which celebrates British Wool. This discussion includes the background into how the team got together and why there is a need for a Great British Wool Revival.

  • Apr 16, 2024 · 21 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #21 WAYNE HEMINGWAY

    For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with designer Wayne Hemingway MBE about his bi-annual event the Classic Car Boot Sale, which returns to Kings Cross, London on 27th & 28th April 2024. The weekend will give the public a last chance to see Paul McCartney's iconic 1972 Wings Tour Bus before it is auctioned to find a new home as well as celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang. The popular festival also includes quality sustainable shopping, entertainment, street food and DJ's. Wayne founded the hugely successful British fashion brand Red or Dead in the 80's, which went on to win the British Fashion Council's Street Style Award in 1995, 1996, and 1997. He is the founder of Hemingway Design, and partners with Maria Chenoweth CEO of TRAID to bring you Charity Super.Mkt, where they are taking charity fashion to the next level. Maria also pops on for a few minutes at the end of the episode! More information on the Classic Car Boot Sale here Follow Wayne here Keep up to date with Charity Super.Mkt here

  • #20
    Dec 5, 2023 · 1 hr 3 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #20 CHARLIE PORTER

    For this episode of the Front Row to Front Bench podcast, Tamara Cincik speaks with writer, fashion critic and curator Charlie Porter about his new book, 'Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and the Philosophy of Fashion' published by Penguin Random House. Charlie is one of the most influential fashion journalists of his time, and has written for the likes of the Guardian and iD magazine, as well as co-running the London queer rave Chapter 10. The book, rather wonderfully, uses clothing as a way to look at six iconic Bloomsbury figures, while seamlessly addressing the evolution of how we dress today. This leads on to the fact that clothing can be an intellectual and sexual liberation, or conversely an instrument for patriarchal power. The book came about after Charlie was asked to curate an exhibition called 'Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion,' at Charleston in Lewes. Through the inaugural exhibition Charlie explored the dynamic relationship between the Bloomsbury group. Here, clothing provided a route into learning more about the key figures in the Bloomsbury group and how, for some, fashion provided a language with which to explore their break away from tradition. This ultimately fed into the process of researching and writing his book. The conversation centres around the beginnings of the Bloomsbury group, who were at the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution. Virgina Woolfe and her sister Vanessa Bell escaped to Bloomsbury from an oppressive and abusive upbringing, rejecting the fashions of the time for something new and this is unpicked. Homosocialism comes into the conversation where Charlie discusses his own experience of being gay from a working class background, and connecting this to E. M Forster and his struggle to be gay. The connection between Isabella Blow and Lady Ottoline Morrell is also explored by Tamara and the similarities of how they hosted and nurtured talent, but were mocked relentlessly. Finally, Charlie and Tamara talk about Vanessa Bell and the way she made her own clothes and how this has played out in a life-changing way for Charlie where he now makes his own clothes with a new philosophy of living and consuming fashion. To learn more about Charlie's amazing work or to buy the book, click below: Buy the book here Follow Charlie Porter here Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion: Exhibition details here Book tickets to visit Charleston House here

  • Nov 10, 2023 · 35 min

    MEG PIRIE in conversation with #19 VICTORIA JENKINS

    Victoria Jenkins co-chairs our Representation and Inclusion Committee and is a garment technologist with 14 years of experience in the fashion industry who became Disabled in her 20s. She is behind the sustainable adaptive fashion brand Unhidden. The idea was born after a chance encounter with a woman with cancer that changed the course of her life. As she watched the woman during her own hospital stay, she realised that there were no adaptive clothes on the market and this is how Unhidden was born. Now Victoria is listed as one of Vogue's Top 25 Powerhouse Women, redefining Britain and co-presents and designs on Channel 4's Unique Boutique. A must-watch where inclusive fashion lovers and designers create bespoke outfits for every-body in a custom-built shop. Meg Pirie and Victoria speak about future plans for a not-for-profit arm of Unhidden, training people with disabilities and chronic health conditions how to sew adaptive alterations so they can then work as and when they choose making adaptive alterations for any one who doesn't sew. There are also plans for workshops that will cover how to adapt clothing you already own yourself so there is no barrier to accessing adaptive clothing and re-loving your existing wardrobes. Finally, Victoria shares her key policy asks to ultimately make fashion more inclusive. A full transcript can be found on our Substack here. To learn more about Victoria's amazing work: LinkedIn Website Instagram X Facebook

  • #18
    Oct 25, 2023 · 44 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #18 SIMON COSTIN

    Simon Costin's journey into fashion might be described as a happy accident – when a student at Central Saint Martins wanted to borrow some of his conceptual jewellery – little did Simon realise the designer would turn out to be the eponymous #AlexanderMcQueen and the start of a firm creative working friendship. Simon talks of other industry heavyweights he has collaborated with, from legendary artist and filmmaker #DerekJarman, to his work more recently with Gareth Pugh and Charles Jeffrey and existing within this highly creative oxygen. As well as his work as a leading British fashion-set-designer, Simon runs two museums: the British Folklore Museum and the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic. The British Folklore Museum exists to promote, celebrate and revitalise the folk heritage of Britain. The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic was established in 1949 and is the world's largest collection of objects related to witchcraft and the occult. This halloween at midnight will be Simon's 10th year anniversary of being the present custodian of the Museum. The conversation leads to the fact that witchcraft is having a revival of interest and Tamara's obsession with Powell and Pressburger. Simon's recent project curating the exhibition for the BFI Southbank – #PowellandPressburger, 'The Red Shoes Beyond The Mirror' opening 10th November leads to more on Powell and Pressburger's subversive and breathtakingly inventive cannon. You can follow Simon Costin here The British Folklore Museum https://www.instagram.com/museum_of_british_folklore/?hl=en The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic https://www.instagram.com/museum_of_witchcraft_and_magic/?hl=en Tickets to the British Film Institute Southbank 'The Red Shoes Beyond The Mirror' – more here

  • #17
    Oct 9, 2023 · 52 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversion with #17 ALDEN WICKER

    In 2019, Alden Wicker was asked to comment on a lawsuit that was being filed by a Delta flight attendant against Lands' End, because the newly introduced uniform had caused a myriad of health issues, such as skin rashes, shortness of breath, hair loss, anaphylaxis and in one instance death. In her book, 'To Dye For', award-winning journalist and sustainability expert, Alden Wicker, decided to break the story of unregulated toxic chemicals in fashion and their impacts on health and wellbeing. Historically, in The Victorian era, women garment workers dyed fabrics using arsenic green dyes, and the blame lay on the women for consuming this fashion and not the men who owned the factories or dye houses. Skip forward to this century and the issue remains the same. In her research, Alden discovered the patriarchal issue that almost all of the experts and consultants were male, when it is the women who are far more likely to be affected by the toxins that are in fashion in every way. What follows is a candid conversation about how dyes can affect our immune systems; how this affects women far more – from those working in fashion, to those consuming fashion, and those in caretaking roles of children with ailments such as asthma. In the US, endocrine disruptors were found in school uniforms, and so Alden talks in detail about ways in which we can reduce our exposure, including staying away from items with productivity promises such as 'easy care' or ultra fast-fashion with drop shipping. The conversation leads to how we can better legislate against these issues. Particularly with new trade deals in the pipeline, deregulation on textiles and dyes could result in a saturation of fast fashion. To buy Alden Wicker's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dye-Toxic-Fashion-Making-Fight/dp/0593422619 Hive books: https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Alden-Wicker/To-Dye-For--How-Toxic-Fashion-Is-Making-Us-Sick---and-How-We-Can-Fight-Back/28571586 Read our 'in conversation' interview with Alden here: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news/in-converstion-with-alden-wicker Publisher: Penguin Random House Website: EcoCult LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldenwicker/ Instagram: EcoCult

  • #16
    Sep 22, 2023 · 46 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #16 PETER FOSTER

    An honest and thought-provoking conversation – Public Policy Editor Peter Foster of the Financial Times, speaks with Tamara Cincik about his book, 'What Went Wrong With Brexit: And What We Can Do About It'. Foster is one of the few editors who is tracking Brexit and the ever adjusting life after the single market. A fashion-centred conversation of what leaving has meant for business; the realities of the barriers to trade; the confrontational relationship which 'Brexit at all costs' has created between ministers, civil servants and industry; and the need for policymakers to make decisions based on the reality of the issues that industry as a whole is facing. Finally, while there's no quick fix, Foster describes the importance of the relationships that are negotiated moving forward with the EU and the call for transparency about the trade-offs that come with trade deals. To buy Peter Foster's book, follow this link: https://www.waterstones.com/book/what-went-wrong-with-brexit/peter-foster/9781805301257 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterfostertelegraphjournalist/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/pmdfoster More on how Brexit has affected the fashion sector: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a1431a1e5dd5b754be2e0e9/t/63309fbfdcdec6661dbcc7e1/1664131009325/Fashion+Roundtable_Brexit+FollowUp+Report_060521.pdf

  • #15
    Sep 13, 2023 · 36 min

    TAMARA CINCIK in conversation with #15 BAY GARNETT

    Not to be missed! As #SecondhandSeptember ramps up, Tamara Cincik speaks with vintage queen Bay Garnett. Drawing on their shared backgrounds as international stylists, they discuss how second-hand shopping allows for a more creative and dynamic experience to storytell through clothes – sustainably; the iconic Anita Pallenburg; Bay's iconic 'banana top'; getting to the source of iconic designer inspiration via vintage and charity shops; and of course Bay's collaboration with Oxfam for #SecondhandSeptember and her concept to extrapolate the idea into a visual fashion campaign. Website: https://www.baygarnett.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baygarnett/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bay_garnett?lang=en For more on Secondhand September and statistics, please visit: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/

  • #13
    Mar 20, 2023 · 35 min

    Meg Pirie in conversation with Ruth Rands, founder of Herd

    Fashion Roundtable's Meg Pirie is in conversation with Ruth Rands, founder of British knitwear brand Herd. They discuss Ruth's mission to bring heritage and quality back to British wool, with provenance at its heart. Ruth talks honestly about what is possible here in the UK, sourcing everything within 150 miles; how Kate Moss just bought one of her knits; and her long-term vision for her aspirational label. https://www.herdwear.co https://www.instagram.com/herdwear/

  • #13
    Dec 20, 2022 · 29 min

    In Conversation With Daniel Carpenter, Executive Director Of Heritage Craft

    Fashion Roundtable's Meg Pirie is in conversation with UK charity Heritage Craft's Executive Director, Daniel Carpenter. They discuss the Heritage Crafts 'Red List of Endangered Crafts', the importance of a STEAM curriculum and practical subjects being taught in schools and what it would take for the UK government to ratify the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. As well as Heritage Craft's latest campaign in partnership with Folksy, 'BUY LESS, BUY BETTER, BUY HANDMADE' and their hope of what this may achieve in supporting makers across the UK. Particularly in time for Christmas. An interesting conversation about heritage, crafts and the need for government support. www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/

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