Middlesex University Dubai Hosts Sustainability In Fashion Webinar Series

Connecting with future change makers, designers, and consumers to promote sustainability in the fashion industry

30^th May 2021, Dubai, UAE - Middlesex University Dubai’s Institute of Sustainable Development, Fashion Department, and Middlesex Dubai Icon Studio joined forces throughout March and April to present a webinar series on “Sustainability in Fashion”. The series aimed to drive awareness and affect change among emerging designers and young consumers across the university’s student body.

The dark side of this glamourous and stylish industry was brought to the forefront with shocking figures and statistics being revealed. Industry experts speaking during the series shared their knowledge, experience and how they have contributed to initiating change in the region’s fashion sector via their businesses and projects.

The webinar series consisted of four sessions. Each edition was dedicated to one on the ways producers and consumers of fashion can implement sustainable practices. The sessions and speakers were:

• 21^st March 2021 - Modupe Omonze: Initiating Brand Activations to Promote Regional Activities 
• 28^th March 2021 - Aracelli Gallego: Starting an Online Platform for Sustainable Products 
• 4^th April 2021 - Ayesha Siddequa: Global Sustainable Activities with A Regional Focus - Fashion Revolution 
• 11^th April 2021 - Suzanna Varghese: An Introduction to a UAE-Based Eco-Conscious Store, To Eliminate Plastic and Harmful Chemicals and Shift Towards A More Natural and Sustainable Lifestyle 

Fashion is one of the world’s most polluting and wasteful industries, with more than 13 million tonnes of waste produced globally each year. It also a contributor to greenhouse gases and chemical pollution through its manufacturing processes. These issues make it a key topic of concern for consumers, governments and businesses alike. This webinar series highlighted key issues to students and provided inspiration and examples of how they themselves can affect change. 

Middlesex University Dubai’s Fashion Department works closely with the university’s Institute of Sustainable Development to encourage the students enrolled on its BA Fashion Design course to incorporate environmentally-conscious practices into their practical and theoretical work. The Middlesex BA in Fashion Design is now in its third year of intake, with 12 students across the department. The students will be showcasing their collections to their peers and industry attendees at the upcoming End-of-Year show, which is set to take place on 20^th June.

The department’s students have fully embraced the principles of sustainable fashion during their design work both at university and in industry. On Thursday 22^nd April, six Middlesex University Dubai made it to the finals of Fashion Revolution UAE’s Sustainable Fashion Competition Digital Show, where they showcased three original ready-to-wear pieces that incorporate circular design strategies. Three Middlesex students went on to take first, second and third place in the competition.