MA Luxury Brand Strategy and Business student Giulia Rota and BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Industry Practice student, Angelina Struk report… 

Zoe Souter, Head of Careers, opened the Symposium by introducing nine speakers and outlining the key themes of the event.   

Alexi Jourrou, Head of E-commerce at LØCI  

Alexi Jourrou, Head of e-commerce at LØCI, a British, vegan sneaker brand, was the first to speak. He expressed the importance of incremental progress, suggesting that improving by just 10% can evolve into 20% and beyond. Ultimately, he posed a critical question: “Can you keep pushing the limit?”  

Esther Knight, Founder of Fanfare Label 

Esther Knight, Founder of Fanfare Label, a circular denim apparel brand, followed and promoted the concepts of longevity, up-cycling, and extending product life cycles. She highlighted denim as an example of a “durable fabric that could last a lifetime”.   

Owain Proctor, Ethical and Sustainability Coordinator at Superdry 

Owain Proctor, Ethical and Sustainability Coordinator at Superdry, and VCF alumnus, underscored three pillars; transparency, accountability, and authenticity. His clear message to the students was, “Communicate with integrity”. 

Deborah Milner, an Ecoture Designer 

Deborah Milner, an Ecoture Designer, brought her iconic Yawanawa dress made from repurposed materials, promoting sustainability as an integral part of her couture collections. Having previously worked for Alexander McQueen, she left to follow her sustainability goals and open her own Atelier, driven by the philosophy, “Bring ethics to your work”.   

Patricia Ullbrich, Project & Account Manager at My Wardrobe HQ 

Patricia Ullbrich, Project & Account Manager at My Wardrobe HQ and VCF alumna, continued the conversation by pointing out the value of integrating sustainability into every aspect of a brand. She described her mission as “making the fashion industry more circular”.  

Harriet Vocking, founder of For.Tomorrow  

Harriet Vocking, founder of For.Tomorrow, addressed the concept of “greenwashing” – when a company falsely claims to be environmentally friendly, misleading consumers. She reassured the students that “no one is expecting perfection” but emphasised the necessity of being honest and doing your best to be sustainable.  

Judith Watt, author, journalist, and fashion historian  

Judith Watt, author, journalist, and fashion historian explored the balance between enjoying fashion trends and maintaining originality in one’s style. Her passion filled the room as she stood up and eagerly shared her thoughts on the topic. She motivated the students to think independently, describing our generation as being “in the Wild West”, meaning we have the power to make changes.    

Mary Fellowes, Founder of GreenWith Studio  

Mary Fellowes, founder of GreenWith Studio, who deliver sustainable innovation expertise across the fashion, luxury and automotive sectors, is also an Executive Fellow at Kings College Business School, and public speaker on climate talked through her journey within the fashion industry as well as her current projects. Fellowes spoke of the importance of understanding the complexity of being sustainable, stating,  “I really believe that if you educate people […] you get that shiny secret object”.  

Philippa Grogan, Sustainability Manager at Nobody’s Child  

Philippa Grogan, Sustainability Manager at Nobody’s Child, wrapped up the session with a powerful analogy: “Sustainability is basically like a crystal maze grayscale spiderweb”. Her statement perfectly encapsulated the complexity of the entire concept.   

Following the speaker presentations, students were divided into breakout rooms, each led by one of the experts, to discuss the following sustainability topics:   

• How do sartorial classics from the past have authentic longevity and how does this inform sustainable practice and consumption?   

• How does designing sustainably impact creativity and storytelling?   

• How do you identify if a brand is deliberately “greenwashing”?   

• As consumers, how do you engage with fashion circularity?   

• Is luxury rental the solution to sustainability?   

• How do we educate consumers to buy from ethical and sustainable brands that promote a circular economy?  

• How can brands communicate with integrity to engage stakeholders and inspire consumer trust while addressing sustainability in fashion?  

After the discussions, all groups gathered again to share the key takeaways from the brainstorming sessions, reflecting on the challenges faced and the potential solutions that emerged.   

Bianca Peace, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Industry Practice student, proposed a rewards system to encourage conscious consumption and educate customers on product lifecycle management. “It’s about giving customers motivation and information to make sustainable choices”, she explained.  

 
Carolin Bergmann, MA Fashion Communication student, advocated for renting clothes, highlighting its benefits over traditional purchasing, stating “Renting allows you to feel confident and see yourself as the best version, without the cost of buying”.    

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Mary Israyelyan, MA Entrepreneurship student, reflected on the prominence of integrating sustainability into business models, explaining, “Connecting our personal plans with sustainability is the key”.   

As the Symposium concluded, both experts and students reflected on the enriching exchange of ideas. Owain Proctor expressed his optimism,: “The fresh perspective of hearing what you guys are doing was very inspiring because you are the next generation, the sustainability leaders.”  

The event brought a broader perspective on sustainable fashion, fostering an open dialogue about the next steps needed. Through collaboration, education, and innovation, the future of ethical fashion is in the hands of a new generation ready to drive real change.  

Words by Angelina Struk, BA (Hons) Fashion Communication & Industry Practice student, and Giulia Rota, MA Luxury Brand Strategy and Business student 

Images by James Mason Photography