The Essex lorry tragedy consumed the news headlines leaving many people shocked and horrified. But in fact, Modern Day Slavery is much more part of our everyday lives than this event (and people’s reactions to it) might suggest. Just look at the fashion industry where our contribution to MDS as fashion consumers is very evident.

Every year Halloween seems to become a bigger cultural and commercial phenomenon. But before we get carried away with the spectacle of it all, it’s important to acknowledge the negative environmental impact of these annual festivities.

In early October, luxury brand Louis Vuitton inaugurated a 100,000 square- foot factory in Texas, U.S., aiming “to meet the ever-growing demand” for its products in the market. It was a media circus— with LVMH CEO and chairman Bernard Arnault accompanying Donald Trump to a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new factory, the occasion ignited a flurry of memes and social media takedowns.

Our event last week was packed with an audience of all ages, backgrounds and voices. Karen covered her work but what for me was perhaps most moving, especially as it aligns with our work on Representation and Inclusion, was when Karen covered what cultural appropriation in fashion looks like in her own inimitable way.

And this is what I recall when I think of Sophia's clothes too: you knew what you were getting with a Sophia Kokosalaki silhouette, be that for Ruffo Research, Vionnet or her own label. You were never going to be short-changed, you were going to be offered the best version of yourself and you were going to have a rollicking great evening.

The government has today (8 October) published an update to the UK’s temporary tariff regime if we leave the EU without a deal.

The city has often struggled to consolidate the unabashed high octane glamour once revered in the eighties and the minimalism focus on artisanship and elegance over uber-creative design. This season it all came together, whilst showcasing the maturation of other peripheral categories such as accessories or contemporary brands who took a well deserved bow.

A look at the sustainability initiatives taking centre stage at PFW SS20— Stella McCartney’s sustainable solution to faux fur and Dior’s zero-waste catwalk set.

This season’s London Fashion Week collections really demonstrated the power London has in the fashion global market. It was on fire. Everyday was filled with excitement and anticipation. From new young designers to the establishment, 10, 10, 10 across the board! Now we’ve been thrown into the Brexit nightmare, this is what the UK needs to prove more than ever— to show we can still hold it down in the global fashion market. In my view, here are some of the standout collections:

Last week saw fashion’s finest descend upon London Fashion Week. London is a city that’s synonymous with forward thinking style, sleek streetwear with modernist and urban twists. It’s the home of Burberry, Molly Goddard & Richard Quinn to name but a few— needless to say the Brits know how to design and dress in equal measure.

On Friday 13th September to Tuesday 17th, Fashion Roundtable hit the streets of London Fashion Week 2019, to promote the current #areyourepresented campaign. The street team consisted of a variety of university students who were keen to be involved in the campaign and raise awareness of the apparent lack of diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry.

On Tuesday 10th September Fashion Roundtable as secretariat for The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Textiles and Fashion invite fashion industry leaders including the Burberry, Positive Fashion brands including Teatum Jones, Bethany Williams and Patrick McDowell, NFP organisations and educational representatives alongside Extinction Rebellion (XR) to discuss reform of London Fashion Week (LFW).