Thursday 18 September, 11-5 p.m.: Symposium: Crafting Regenerative Fashion and Textile Futures with Safia Minney

Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion St, London WC1R 4RL

As part of London Textile Month 2025, this landmark one-day gathering brings together over 20 pioneering voices in regenerative fashion, craft, and ethical textiles for a day of fireside chats, panels, brand pop-ups, and short films.

Chaired by social entrepreneur Safia Minney (founder of Fashion Declares, People Tree, and Real Sustainability) and co-curated with Polly Leonard, founder of Selvedge Magazine, the event features leading designers, makers, and thinkers shaping a just and sustainable future for fashion.

Safia Minney, MBE, FRSA is a British social entrepreneur and author, best known for founding People Tree, a pioneer in Fair Trade and sustainable fashion. She developed the first organic and Fair Trade clothing supply chain, significantly impacting the lives of thousands of marginalised people. Minney is recognised as a thought leader in sustainable fashion, anti-modern slavery, and Fair Trade, and is a World Economic Forum Outstanding Social Entrepreneur. 

Through participatory table discussions and thought-provoking sessions, the programme explores themes including post-growth economies, upcycling and repair, community wellbeing through craft, and embedding regenerative values into the supply chain. Featured speakers include Deborah Barker (SE Fibreshed), Amelia Twine (Sustainable Fashion Week), and Prof Patrick Elf (CUSP), among others.

Schedule:
11 - 12 pm - How do we Craft a Fashion Future?
Safia Minney (Chair/Speaker) - Indilisi, Fashion Declares
Polly Leonard - Selevdge Magazine
Kirstie Macleod - The Red Dress Project

12.10 - 1 pm - From the Land - Regenerating Local Futures
Safia Minney (Chair/Speaker) - Indilisi, Fashion Declares
Sophie Holt - Pigment organic dyes
Deborah Barker - SE Fibreshed
Emma Håkansson - Fashion Justice Collective

1.45 - 2.20 pm -The Craft of Circular (From Secondhand, remaking to Repair)
Gemma Metheringham (Chair/Speaker) - Elephant in My Closet, Fashion Declares
Amelia Twine - Sustainable Fashion Week
Ali Clifford - Environmental Consultant

2.30 - 3.30 pm - Making Crafts & Rights Central to Fashion Supply Chains
Safia Minney (Chair/Speaker) - Indilisi, Fashion Declares
Dr Sass Brown - Ethical fashion educator, writer, researcher, and designer
Craft Fashion & Social enterprises from the the Global South to be confirmed

3.45 - 4.30 pm - Post-growth, Textile and Fashion
Safia Minney (Chair/Speaker) - Indilisi, Fashion Declares
Bel Jacobs - Writer and speaker on climate justice, animal rights and new fashion systems - Co-founder Fashion Act Now
New economist/activist to be confirmed

Additional Speakers to be confirmed

Interwoven: Wool Pop-Up Shop
Khadi London presents a special wool pop-up shop spotlighting artisanal craft and heritage techniques from India and the UK. Hosted within Safia Minney’s Crafting Fashion Futures for Textile Month, the event celebrates regenerative, small-scale wool initiatives rooted in community and climate resilience. Showcasing brands include Khamir (Gujarat), Kullvi Whims (Himachal Pradesh), Miyar Mufflers (Lahaul), and Earthen Tunes (Hyderabad), with more to be announced. This is a rare opportunity to engage directly with founders, experience the quality and stories behind each piece, and purchase work that reimagines wool for a future rooted in care and craft.

Join us for a powerful day of learning, connection, and action — as we craft a regenerative future for fashion.

Your ticket includes a plant-based light lunch. The event is open to both in-person and online attendees. An online ticket gives you access to a live stream of the full day and a recording to watch later in case you can’t attend in person.

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