Wednesday 10 September 2014

SEWA & EMG collaborate for Estethica SS15 at LFW supported by Monsoon





Thrilled to be invited by the BFC to join Estethica SS15 for LFW, EMG are delighted to announce their collaboration with SEWA supported by Monsoon. EMG will be showcasing a beautifully intricate, exclusive beaded design made from waste materials provided by SEWA and Monsoon.

Founder Alex Noble comments “It’s a great honour to have been invited by the British Fashion Council to participate at LFW’s Estethica SS15 exhibition. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m excited to introduce EMG to the industry with this special project as well as promote the talented crafts people in India making the beaded fabrics for our high-street brands.”

SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association) is an organization for disadvantaged, self-employed women workers in India who earn a living through their own labour or small businesses. These women are not recognised and remain invisible throughout the unorganised sector with no job security, paid holiday, secure income or government aid. SEWA works to obtain full employment for these women, making sure they’re provided with the security to work including health care, child care and shelter.

Founded by London based designer and visual artist Alex Noble, EMG set out to become a pioneer of inventive sustainability through ethical fashion design in the higher end of the cultural market. The projects will run as ‘Cycles’, addressing different areas but with a focus on humanitarian issues caused by the fashion and textile industries. Each cycle will look to raise awareness and funds for a selection of charities and causes through the production and sale of exclusive and unique designs at pop up boutiques, exhibitions and online activities. Designers from different disciplines will be invited to contribute to the cycles, to foster discussion, creative practice and communication on larger issues that result from a demanding consumerist culture.

Commenting on its Estethica collaboration with Alex, Olivia Lankester, Monsoon’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, said: “Monsoon has supported SEWA for five years, funding a SEWA embroidery centre in Delhi as well as education and training initiatives for SEWA women and their children, and as a former sponsor of Estethica, wanted to support Alex in his up-and-coming initiatives. Estethica is all about raising awareness for emerging fashion designers working with sustainable fabrics, and Alex is making his mark with his approach to sustainability.”
The industry’s practices, methods and techniques often leave quantities of left over materials. The cost of production and purchase of these materials is high, not only financially but also in other aspects when it comes to how and where they are produced. EMG seeks to utilise these remnants and aims to see none of these fine materials go to waste reassigning them to beautiful products, to raise funds and awareness for causes such as children in the work force, child abuse, women’s rights, access to justice and the fatal health and safety issues within production factories.

EMG unveiled Cycle 1 in July 2014 where they invited designers to lend their waste and left over print fabrics from their studios. These left-over materials were used to create unique t-shirts which were sold at a 10 day pop-up store in Soho. All proceeds went to charities TRAID and ChildHope to raise funds and awareness to protect children in Bangladesh from accidents, trafficking and abuse as well as guide them towards a route to education and a life off the streets while their parents work in garment factories.

Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes, Louise Gray, Basso & Brooke, Agi & Sam, Kit Neale, Kitty Joseph and Marcus Lupfer were amongst the designers to donate their waste materials for Cycle 1 and we were thrilled to have such support for this cause. Never before has an initiative achieved such a pairing of eclectic designers in such an exclusive manner for such a noteworthy cause.

Following this successful venture, Alex Noble and the EMG team are now working on Cycle’s 2 and 3 – Cycle 2 comprising of a partnership with British designer Margaret Howell and Cycle 3 a denim campaign which will raise awareness for issues affecting the LGBT communities across the globe.


www.emginitiative.com

@EMGINITIATIVE @ALEXNOBLESTUDIO 







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