GET A LIFE is an arts publication lifting the lid on sickness through the lens of young creatives and patients. Issue 01 contains content centred around cancer and coronavirus from over 30 contributors, all working from locked-up locations around the world.

When it comes to sustainable development in the fashion sector, education equals empowerment. The current fashion landscape is experiencing pervasive greenwashing where ‘sustainability’ has become a buzzword used by marketeers to tout supposed ‘ethical’ credentials. But what do these words really mean?

AMMA Natural Textiles is a sustainable fashion and textile business located in Nuwara Eliya, a tea estate region in Sri Lanka. This innovative business empowers women by employing them to make handmade zero waste garments and accessories. AMMA’s new collection is now live on Kickstarter— we can’t think of a better Christmas gift idea!

“One of the most prominent issues with Topshop’s business model was that they didn’t shift their values to match what Gen Z were demanding as consumers. Unlike my generation, where your identity was largely reflected by what brand you wore, fashion for this particular generation has been more about aligning with brands that reflect their own identities and less about buying the latest It-bag. These shoppers are value-oriented and are far more open to alternative fashion systems…”

By refusing every norm, Halima Aden took the world of fashion by storm. She showed the world a Hijabi model is something that the fashion industry craved. But behind her stratospheric rise, there was a sense of deep unease. It conjures up an uncomfortable argument: was the fashion world ever really inclusive?

Compare and contrast the body-con dresses, capes and stilettos favoured by the Trump women, with the Converse, jeans and jacket combos sported by Kamala Harris. This stark contrast illustrates the power of sartorial politics— by decoding our clothes, we can see the true values at the heart of a narrative.

Black Friday perpetuates a myth of boundless resources— all supported by exploitative and environmentally damaging business models, particularly in the fashion industry. However, the retail sector and morale are in need of a boost. Can these apparently divergent concerns be reconciled?

New research shows that disabled people have been severely overlooked during the pandemic — despite reassurances that people with disabilities wouldn’t be disproportionately impacted. It’s clear that we must deliver a more comprehensive and individualised strategy for disabled people during the pandemic to ensure they are protected and receiving the vital support they need.

During lockdown consumers became more conscious of sustainable fashion, with one in four (23%) now repairing clothes, and one in five (19%) keeping items for longer. The climate emergency is intensifying, and we need fast, effective action more than ever. To lead this change, the sustainability charity WRAP is launching Textiles 2030 - of which Fashion Roundtable are proud to be founding signatories.

The UK-US trade agreement is going to be vital for our sector's global survival if we see a Brexit agreement which limits our access to the all important EU markets of Paris and Milan.

A recent report revealed that just 16% of people working in the creative industries are from working class backgrounds. Unpaid internships uphold the structural divide in fashion — allowing those with the economic means to advance and become successful, whilst working-class and POC individuals are left at a serious disadvantage.

From optimising your social media presence to never mixing friendships and business, Angeliz Venter shares everything she’s learnt as a young female entrepreneur.

Retail shopping is experiencing its most dramatic change for many generations. Aside from the tragedy of Covid-19, there is a new narrative that’s moving away from consumerism and looking at new options for shopping. The familiar vocabulary of ‘new’, ‘latest’ and ‘must-have’ is being replaced by ‘sustainable’, ‘re-use’ ‘recycle’ and ‘restore’.

In the 90 days leading up to April 22, internet searches for ‘How to live a sustainable lifestyle’ increased by 4,500% according to Google. Faced with great change and uncertainty, consumers have a growing interest in sustainability. However, this new mindset may not be enough to turn the tide on fast fashion. Despite struggles across the retail sector, fast fashion brands are still coming out on top.

An exciting research project called Forest Fabrics at the University of Borås, Sweden, is on the quest to create a sustainable fabric made from paper. One of the collaborators behind the project, Swedish brand House of Dagmar, is currently working to see how the fabric can be used in their clothes.

Modern slavery continues to be a problem both globally and in the UK. Persistent and coordinated political efforts are needed to end and prevent it once and for all.

The made-to-order industry is the answer to some of the big problems presented by our current fashion industry. By only producing what has been ordered by a customer, textile waste is almost entirely eliminated. But there are limitations to this system. Can made-to-order brands maintain this production model as consumer demand grows?

Trend forecasting is a crucial part of the product development process, and likely the starting point to the majority of products we buy, wear, and throw-away each year. While Trend Forecasters are rarely recognised for their considerable contribution and artistry, they are also rarely challenged for their role in our wasteful industry.

Threat actors are launching new attacks on businesses and individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic. A study revealed that every 19 seconds, a small business in the UK is hacked. However, only 52% of companies acknowledged they have a strategy in place to manage cyber threats. Here’s 5 tips on how to mitigate the threat…

As efforts to achieve a more sustainable fashion industry are on the rise, it seems a crucial area for improvement has been overlooked: fashion education. With Covid-19 causing an upheaval of the way practically every fashion course was delivered in 2020, a shift from physical to digital working occurred almost overnight. This poses the question, why can’t we make dramatic changes to the way fashion is taught when it comes to sustainability?