How can the Ethical Fashion Forum help you and your business??!?

[Victoria Waugh]

The Ethical Fashion Forum are developing a new website aiming to be the
leading source of industry information for fashion businesses and professionals and the only website to do this with an ethical focus.

The website aims to provide readers with an informative and engaging source of information which will help them to improve and grow their businesses. In order to make this resource as effective as possible we want you to tell us what information you would like to see on the site. What kind of advice do you need from our team of expert? What contacts and links would you like us to provide you with? Which countries, brands, producers, fabrics, etc would you like to learn more about?

We would really appreciate your comments and ideas to help us build a source of information that really works for you.

Best,

Victoria- on behalf of the Ethical Fashion Forum

[Veganline.com]

An alternative to college courses would be good: the rag trade colleges in London where I'm based are expensive, formal, and not good value for money. Only one of them covers the machine-intensive world of shoemaking. So a breakdown of some web pages and occasionlly lectures and podcasts by manufacturing process with space to suggest book lists, discuss suppliers and the like would be good. Questions like "what's a likely minimum order?" or "why is one process cheaper than another?", "are there any local suppliers for X?", "can I connect a sewing machine to my PC?" are difficult to answer alone when sitting in London, and some third world readers might benefit too.

Another cluster of pages could cover different ethics, perhaps as a wiki with each section moderated by someone who believed in that particular ethic. One thing I notice is how little people who are interested in one ethic - myself included - know about another.

In the long term a supplier directory, would be good. A directory that only gives fax numbers and obfuscated email would help suppliers, so they don't get spam and interruptions. A directory that kept companies in the categories of work that they're good at and has maximum detail would be good. As much detail as you'd need if looking for a printing company. This example comes from the advanced directory of shoemaking.com taken from webarchive.org: http://tinyurl.com/shoemaking-com. Daunting though it is to buyers, a directory like this could encourage low-profile factories to come forward in the hope of getting good enquiries.

In the long run a supplier directory would be good.

A directory that allows users to note that a firm has changed its name of gone out of business would be good. And a directory that with permission if necessary copies data from other similar ones. For example the international fair trade organisation might be happy to have their data re-mashed and keep it available in a consistent form over time if there's sufficient credit given to them and links plenty of links back to their web site. I don't know how data is scraped from one web site and updated on another, but a web designer might know. The Foreign and Commonwealth office has its own CD of UK manufacturers for people who ask trade attaches for help. So far as I know it isn't available to people who ask in the UK, and I think it should be. More commercial directories like Kellys and Kompass might not want to share their data but couldn't object to links to the right parts of their site.

Just some thoughts.
John

[Ethical Fashion Forum]

Hi John,

 

As part of the recently launched EFF SOURCE we now have the SOURCE Directory - the worlds most comprehensive ethical sourcing and business database for the fashion sector.  

Follow the link: http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/source-directory

 

Best Regards,

 

Emma

 

 

 

[daria dorosh]

I like EFF and am interested in how it develops. So here are my thoughts.
It would be helpful if EFF had a 'how to...' exchange, where members could offer their products and skills for sale. Also, a 'needs' link where one could request a service or fashion product of any kind. I know this happens sometimes among the members, but I think a more defined menu presence would give it more importance.
Another useful feature would be for EFF to be the facilitator between creative ideas, the communities to execute them, and a business model to distribute the products.
I favor a 'modular' approach, ideas that involve small collaborative production that is sustainable for the designer and the fabricator. Lastly, I live in New York, so that an internet event is more appropriate for me than London-based gatherings.

[Amanda Judge: Andean Collection]

Given my recent post for a job I'm hiring for...Perhaps a jobs section? Thanks!

[Victoria Waugh]

Hi all,
Thanks for your replies. Some great ideas here which I have passed on to the team. We are still working on development of the site but you should start to see some information on the project coming through in the next few weeks.

Does anyone else have any requests? The Ethical Fashion Forum are building this new site for you. In order to make this resource as effective as possible we want you to tell us what information you would like to see on the site. What kind of advice do you need from our team of expert? What contacts and links would you like us to provide you with? Which countries, brands, producers, fabrics, etc would you like to learn more about?

We would really appreciate your comments and ideas to help us build a source of information that really works for you.

Best,

Victoria- on behalf of the Ethical Fashion Forum

[Victoria Waugh]

Hi everyone,
The Ethical Fashion Forum want to tailor their new website to your needs, so please feedback on anything you would like us to research for you.
Best,
Victoria- on behalf of the Ethical Fashion Forum.

[Veganline.com]

Sorry to take a lot of space - I don't mean to discourage others from joining in - but countries with useful courts, votes and a welfare state come first for me, either the UK or perhaps cheaper in East Europe. Countries where whistle-blowers and journalists are relatively free and fair trade claims can more-or-less sometimes be verified too, if they are democratic or aim to be. Not United Arab Emirates. Not China Tibet or Burma. Not Vietnam. In the middle there's a lot to learn about whether countries have any kind of welfare state and the information doesn't seem easy to find on the net. For example West Bengal's government has tried to introduce universal education I think but don't know where to check. There might be a lot of people round the EFF office running fashion businesses who know this type of thing.

Anyway I hope plenty of others give different feedback; I've said enough!

[Bibico]

It would be good to have an advice section for small or start up businesses; listing ethical fashion events and ways of marketing that are not too pricey. To give an example, we were recently invited to attend an Organic and Sustainable Textile Seminar. We would have been delighted to accept and are sure we'd have been able to if we had fitted into the 'general fee' category.
A contacts exchange would be good, though EFF in itself is a fantastic networking tool and a website that we love very much : )
Sophie

[Kat Bussy]

i'd love a jobs section, where students/graduates could get more involved with some of these companies! If companies have jobs on offer or internships this would be an ideal place to recurit likeminded individuals

Look forward to it!! I cant wait to get stuck into Ethical retailing as a recent Retail Graduate!!

Many thanks

[May Cortazzi]

sourcing organics in vietnam please

[FBD:UK]

Hi!

 

I'd like to know if you are still considering our feedback.

 

Cheers!

[Ethical Fashion Forum]

Hi,

We are still considering feedback and as things evolve I think requirements also change. Please feel free to continue posting your ideas, especially ideas on how to improve the network as this is a big focus for us at the moment.

I think the job section is a really good idea and will see if I can follow that up. We are also thinking of ways to make the network more user friendly so if there is anything that bugs you at the moment please let me know!

Emma