Transparency in your supply chain and communicating your ethics is more important in business than ever before. Certifications and standards are an excellent way of expressing a brand’s values to customers, but understanding and navigating them can be overwhelming. From “Which is the best one?” to “Are they necessary?”, there is a cataclysm of questions to answer before deciding the accredited materials you want to work with, what to ask of your suppliers and even whether you should consider becoming certified.
This Masterclass will equip you with the tools to decide whether certification is right for you, at what point in your chain of custody and also offer practical and impactful alternatives to certifications too.
In this Masterclass you will learn:
- What certifications are and the stages of certification
- How to communicate your impact with and without certifications
- How to choose the certifications to suit your brand and values
- What a brand rating system is, and how it can offer transparency to your brand
- What ethical manufacturing certifications you should be aware of to make your production responsible
- Plus, a downloadable PDF with explanations of over 40 certifications
- And, a downloadable PDF on how to take standards and certifications forward in your business
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Introduction to Certifications
with Charlie Bradley RossSummary
Certification is a vast topic, so to kick us off, we take a look at the basics to give you an understanding of the fundamentals so you can make more informed decisions.
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Choosing Certifications for Your Design Business
with Paola MasperiSummary
Paola Masperi founded, Mayamiko, a fashion and lifestyle label that puts people and planet at the heart of everything they do. Mayamiko runs their workshop in Malawi, Eastern Africa, where they train and employ women from the community. With first-hand experience of becoming a certified brand, Paola has an incredible wealth of knowledge. Hear about the process Mayamiko went through to choose their certifications, the impact these have had on their business, and how other brands should approach the decision themselves.
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How To Source Fabrics: Ethical Certifications Glossary
with Charlie Bradley RossSummary
This is a downloadable-only Lesson regarding the 40+ most recognised standards for fibres, textiles and fashion.
Two of the five factories that collapsed in 2014 were audited by the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI). In their own words, the BSCI was created to “provide companies with a practical and efficient system to improve social compliance in global supply chains.” The audits failed to identify the illegal structural issues that led to the collapse in two BSCI-registered buildings. The fact is, however, BSCI audits do not cover building safety at all. This is why it is so essential to understand precisely what certifications and standards include.
We have put together an incredible downloadable with 40+ of the most recognised standards. Whether you decide to purchase your materials from a certified supplier, or become certified yourself, this downloadable will help you to quickly identify the standards and certifications that are right for you. Use it in correspondence with our Brand Audit and Fabric Sourcing Audit to understand what standards and certifications are suitable for your product, and for your values.
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Alternatives To Certifications with Sandra Capponi, Good on You
with Sandra CapponiSummary
Today many organisations offer their own eco-rating systems. They take a holistic view of a company's impact. These platforms help brands and consumers to think about their choices in a more comprehensive manner, and vote with their purse. We had the privilege to chat with Sandra Capponi, Founder of the app, "Good on You."
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How to Take Standards And Certifications Forward in your Business
with Charlie Bradley RossSummary
A business of any size and in any sector can get certified. Use this downloadable guide to figure out the certifications that are right for you and your brand, discover the materials and manufacturers to look for and explore the first steps to certification and communicating your impact.
Interviews
Past Events
Organisations to know:
Additional Sustainable Fashion Collective Lessons:
Ethical manufacturing certifications and making your production more ethical
What is Fairtrade manufacturing and how to become a fairtrade label
Working with a Fairtrade manufacturing unit
Interview with Know The Origin
Follow on Masterclasses:
Additional Reading
Top Sustainability Textile Trade Shows All Designers Should Visit
Monday Feb 14th, 2022
How Much Deforestation Is Your Cotton Creating?
Tuesday Jul 20th, 2021
Future Fabrics Expo 2021: Biodiversity, Natural Fibres and Regenerative Textiles
Sunday Jul 11th, 2021
Autumn Winter 2022 Fashion and Product Trends: Pure Origin
Monday Mar 22nd, 2021
IWD: Women Hold Up Half The Sky
Monday Mar 8th, 2021
Spring Summer 2022 Colour And Material Trends: Premiére Vision
Monday Feb 22nd, 2021
Does Bioengineering Hold the Key to Our Material Future?
Monday Feb 15th, 2021
How To Fight Injustice With Fair Trade Fabrics
Monday Feb 8th, 2021
Highlights From The Virtual Oxford Real Farming Conference 2020 - Part Three
Monday Feb 1st, 2021
Highlights From The Virtual Oxford Real Farming Conference 2020 - Part Two
Monday Jan 25th, 2021