London Textile Fair

I made the lovely megabus journey to London on Thursday to attend the London Textile Fair. Which I did find usefull and enjoyable, it just wasn't as usefull as I had hoped. I'm not saying I wouldn't attend again but I would much rather attend somewhere that had more independent textile manufactures on a smaller scale, preferably something where they don't have to pay through the nose just to show their sustainable fabric. As well as the sellers knowing what they were selling (traceability that's honest). Many questions I asked about traceability couldn't really be answered but I didn't speak to everyone, so I may have missed some.

I suppose being younger than what seemed like everyone there didn't help either. They seemed to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear based on big names. Unless the big name your telling me care more about the environment and not about how much profit they make or whose wearing their material/product. Then I don't want to know, that may sound harsh but look what's happening with Nike, Adidas and other companies causing problems.

One person also told me that "being eco", (their words) was a trend and would pass.
Now, I understand the "sort of" point being made, however, I disagree. I'm not following a trend, I'm doing what I do because I'm against large scale consumerism and the disregard for our planet and it's other inhabitents. I believe in making things that last that can be passed on, updated and given new leases of life to new owners. Having that character, that story. For me it isn't a trend, it's a way of life. I want quality in what I make and buy and I want to put my money to good use and help people that help other causes, a wider sense of community. Planning for the future would be a good way to look at it, people do it with their own families, making sure they have money in the future. I would like to add though what good is money if there is no environment to enjoy it in, money is also partly cotton, so we wouldn't be able to make it either.......no fertile land. (In the most basic sense of course). We'd find something else anyway.

Now, after that little outburst there was a company that I really wanted to meet because of their sustainable labels and the stuff they showed me was lovely :) I definitely want to keep in contact with them and was the main reason for me going to the event, so i'll keep focusing on that positive. Im am however looking for a British woven label company that manufacture sustainable labels in Britain from either British natural or recycled fibres. As this is proving quite hard, maybe that company doesn't exsist. If so I will have to start looking more in main land Europe for a similar company. Or make my own of them too.  

Overall, a learning experience and thats what I have taken away :)