2023 Reflections
It’s that time of year when so many of us reflect on the year that was, and look forward to what’s to come in the New Year. When the idea for the Centre first came about, we weren’t sure what form it would take. Through much industry consultation, and a lot of dedication from our team, Intro to Fashion + Sustainability successfully launched this year as our first offering. While this is only scratching the surface of the short courses we have outlined and will develop in coming years, to create our first course and put it into the world was exhilarating. We were thrilled with the positive feedback, and bolstered by the support from our friends already leading the way in brands, retailers, universities, industry bodies and consultancies across the country; the support has been a potent reminder that the knowledge and passion to transition this industry toward sustainability is here, and the more we band together to foster change, the easier it will be.
This year the Centre also increased its public presence through a number of industry and public engagements. The Centre was represented on a panel at Australian Fashion Week, helped launch the AFC FashTech Lab results, hosted a symposium on human rights in the cotton supply chain with Cotton Australia, and showcased new technologies like the Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT knit machine during Sydney Design Week. Our Director, Dr Lisa Lake, was also a judge for the Australian Fashion Laureate, as well as the inaugural eBay Circular Fashion Fund. The momentum towards a sustainable transition has never felt stronger.
Looking to 2024, we are extremely excited to have the expertise of Dr Clara Vuletich on board to develop our next short course, Writing a Sustainability Strategy for Fashion. We aim to launch this 4-week course in May, so keep your eye out in the new year for our early bird access. We also look forward to kick-starting some exciting research projects in collaboration with the UTS School of Design, UTS Business School and the Institute for Sustainable Futures – more on those when details become public!
For now, all of us at the Centre of Excellence are sending best wishes for a peaceful holiday season.