03.07.23 – Source Fashion
Global Sourcing Summit in London
Kensington Olympia, London, is the only venue that has to be visited in order to uncover designers and manufacturers for fashion stores and brands wishing to broaden their sourcing strategy. Europe's newest responsible sourcing show, Source Fashion, takes place at London Olympia on July 16–18th, 2023, and will include 300 exhibitors from 30 different nations.
Serving as a gateway to fashion retailers and suppliers from across the world, Source Fashion will bring everything from raw materials, frabrics, trims, and packaging all the way through to contract manufacturers offering in house design services. In one destination, inspiration and tools are mixed together to bring new ideas to life. Designers can explore a world of newness, looking at the latest designs, fabrics, and accessories to draw inspiration from. Sourcing and Procurement teams can meet with international garment manufacturers and discuss how to bring their range to life. Buyers can even go into the finer details, looking at trims and fixtures for finishing touches, or start closer to the course and speak with yarn manufacturers to look at options for creating bespoke materials. Suzanne Ellingham, Sourcing Director, Source Fashion, stresses the diversity of the event: “We are extremely excited to be welcoming manufacturers, designers, and producers from 30 countries, including new regions like Ethiopia, Mongolia, and the Philippines, to the show in July.”
Fairs and More Inc., a subsidiary of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), brings Filipino fashion to the UK, featuring the forward-thinking nature of the region’s producers and artisans. With a mix of traditional fabrics, embroidery, and patterns, blended seamlessly with modern fashion trends, step into a world of vibrant colours, intricate designs, and boundless creativity as Fairs and More Inc. presents Filipino companies that are championing creativity with sustainability.
Artisanat Handmade creates timeless everyday staples, including resort wear and swimwear. Lin-Ay by Binky Pitogo, a clothing brand, offers contemporary Filipiniana designs that infuse modernity into the Philippine National Costume. Lin-Ay was launched in 2019 with an advocacy to use fashion as a vehicle to empower and give job opportunities to women in small communities and to promote sustainability and inclusive growth by sourcing fabrics from weaving communities from the different regions of the country, local artisan sewers, and embroiderers. Another company, Orient Meadow Export Corporation, offers a wide range of straw hats and bags, crafts and home décor using the natural, abundant, and biodegradable raw materials of the Philippines (including abaca, buntal, sabutan, rafia, rattan, buri, pandan, and tinalac).
The new Source Fashion`s Ethiopian pavilion will welcome eight exhibitors, including Demka Group, producers of sustainably produced high-end garments, collection-based brands, active and corporate garments. Exporting to Europe, Scandinavia, and the US, Isabella Socks Manufacturing has over 50 years’ experience manufacturing socks and tights and has Oeko-Tex, GOTS, and Naturaline certification. Hela Apparel Holdings provides sustainable and ethical supply chain solutions to the world’s leading apparel brands. From design to delivery, in the intimatewear, sportswear, and kidswear product ranges, Hela leads the industry in ethical and sustainable manufacturing practises. Atraco provides a value added supply chain to customers in the U.S and Europe. Based in Dubai, Atraco produces an extensive range of apparel with a long-standing exclusive network of supplier manufacturing units in Kenya and Ethiopia. JP Textile is a large-scale green textile enterprise in Ethiopia and the Sunshine Ethiopia Wool Textile PLC is invested by Jiangsu Sunshine Group China, who is the leading manufacturer of high-quality wool fabric and suits.
Beyond Ethiopia and the Philippines, the Madagascan pavilion introduces handcrafted ethical accessories from Anaka, which goal is to empower people in villages by providing necessary education and skills so they are able to be independent and self-supporting.
Upcycled clothing for babies and kids from Azala, which has built a sustainable and responsible ecosystem to manufacture products and find techniques to recycle and upcycle fabric scraps from textile factories, plus a commitment to actively participate in the reforestation of Madagascar by financing tree planting and the creation of agricultural cooperatives. Last but not least, the knitwear is made by Ultramaille, located in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Garments are knitted on the most efficient manual and electronic rectilinear machines, from gauge 2.5 to gauge 16, and a department dedicated to handmade knitting includes two-needle knitting, crochet, and elaborate embroidery techniques, which are an integral part of Malagasy culture.
Diving into the Middle East, the Jordan pavilion welcomes back Ahmad Qadri Trading Co and Partners, Al-Hour Alein, FH Modest Fashion, Noorway, Tello, and Zaid Mushaki, many of which can also be seen on the Source Fashion Catwalk scene showcasing modest clothing.