University of East London Workshop Sparks Fashion Revolution

The workshop was staged at the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability as part of UEL’s Sustainable Cities Festival, one of the events celebrating the University’s Year of Science. Led by Mel Watt, Digital Communications Manager of Fashion Revolution, the session explored innovative ways to raise awareness about ethical practices in the fashion industry through film, art, and the written word.

Fashion Revolution, a global advocate for transparency and sustainability in fashion, aims to transform the industry by prioritising environmental conservation and fair labour practices. Mel Watt’s session explored the crucial role of storytelling in driving this transformation.

Ms Watt shared her top tips for impactful storytelling, highlighting the need for stories to evoke strong emotional connections, be relatable, broaden perspectives, and ultimately, inspire action.

The event also shone a spotlight on three MBA fashion entrepreneurship students from UEL – Ose Okapmen, Nidharshini Balusamy, and Maja Rybinska – who were actively involved in Fashion Revolution’s global #WeAreFashionRevolution campaign.

As part of that campaign, the students worked closely with Fashion Revolution’s global planning team to co-ordinate its annual Mend In Public Day, an initiative aimed at persuading people to reduce their consumption of disposable fashion.

Along with scouting locations, identifying sponsorship opportunities and working with partner organisations including Love Not Landfill and Street Stitching, the MBA students also played a hands-on role during the event itself, running upcycling workshops, where they showed how to repurpose old, knitted jumpers into pom-poms and friendship bracelets.

Commenting on the students, Ms Watt said,

They have been a huge support. Mend in Public Day is a significant uplift for Fashion Revolution. The students have been incredibly helpful, bringing everything together. We’ve got a wonderful diverse array of partners and event programme which I couldn’t have done without them.

Speaking about the opportunity to collaborate with Fashion Revolution, Ose Okapmen said: “Working with Fashion Revolution has been revolutionary! It’s made me aware of the issues of fair wage, minimising waste, the cycle of fashion. Big brands need to become more ethical, ensure that the supply chain is doing the right thing. Consumers need to be more aware of their responsibility to fashion and to the environment.”

Nidharshini Balusamy said, “Working with Fashion Revolution has been a fantastic opportunity. I didn’t fully understand what happens behind the scenes, but working with Mel has helped me look at the importance of sustainability in fashion. I’m a fashion designer. Before I took this MBA, I simply thought the industry was about making money. Now, I appreciate the importance of considering the entire lifecycle of clothing – from production to disposal – and this perspective has been invaluable.”

Maja Rybinska said, “In today’s fashion industry, understanding sustainability is crucial for the future of our planet. Working with Fashion Revolution has been an incredible opportunity. Mel, my mentor, has been wonderful, teaching me not only about sustainability but also how to organise large-scale events and present myself effectively for future job opportunities.”

Ms Rybinska also paid tribute to her MBA course at UEL for the opportunities it has afforded her. She said,

This MBA has opened up so many doors for me. I chose this course because of its excellent reputation and the calibre of people associated with it. It has been an amazing experience and undoubtedly the best decision of my life. There’s always something new and exciting to be working on. I feel so lucky to be part of it.