As part of the run-up to this year’s London Fashion Week, I attended the launch of a collaboration between Dame Zandra Rhodes and People Tree.  Zandra Rhodes needs no explanation, as a peer of British Fashion Design, but if you’ve not heard of People Tree, they are the sustainable Fair Trade pioneers, the home of ethically sourced fashion.

The evening was held at Dame Zandra’s penthouse apartment on Bermondsey Street.  Where Zandra, Safia Minney, Founder and CEO of People Tree and Journalist Lucy Siegle took turns to present the new collection.

The Collection named, ‘Girl Power:Roses, Lipsticks and Bows’ embraces Zandra’s archive prints from the 1960’s on a background of soft colours and the finest organic cotton from India.  The hand woven block print collection on tailored ruffles shows People Tree’s years of partnership with Fair Trade groups in Bangladesh.

The three travelled to Bangladesh earlier in the year to see the pieces being made.  One of the groups, Swallows, has been a long term Fair Trade partner for 20 years.

I was really impressed by the collaboration, I’m not sure how a renowned international designer and the CEO of the longest established Fair Trade Clothing Company in the world find the time to collaborate, but they have and they bring a very fresh, very wearable collection to the fashion market.

It’s an interesting debate, ethical fashion, I’m a new follower, still learning and forming my own opinions.   The SS16 collection is available in February 2016 but why not check out the current AW15 collection on People Tree.

Love DSB X