Fashion talks in London to book now

Know the Origin

Seven sessions is an organisation that hosts speaker-led events on topical themes and this summer they're focusing on sustainability and the environment.

This session has been developed for both businesses and fashion customers, who will gain a better understanding of the fashion production line – dispelling myths and sharing truths.

Three fashion insiders will highlight pressing issues surrounding modern slavery and materials and packaging – all of which need to be considered in order to make an ethical purchase.

Cochineal: The Ultimate Red

Discovered and fiercely protected by the Spanish, the 'ultimate red' eventually bled throughout Europe. In this talk at the Fashion and Textile Museum, Dr Susan Kay-Williams, Chief Executive at the Royal School of Needlework, will illuminate the history of the vibrant, once exotic dyestuff.

The Future of Sustainable Fashion

Marking the last day of London Fashion Week, Fast Forward 2030 will bring together inventive entrepreneurs working to reform the fashion industry.

The talk will focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals in relation to the global fashion industry, and grapple with the question: what does the fashion industry look like in a sustainable, ethical and equitable world?

Dame Vivienne Westwood on activism and sustainability

Dame Vivienne Westwood is notorious for bringing political and social talking points onto the catwalk, so it's little wonder that she's been chosen as a keynote speaker for the Global Design Forum, as part of the London Design Festival this year.

In this talk, entitled 'Sustainability revolution: The role of activism in designing a sustainable future', Westwood will urge us all to take action, no matter how large or small we feel our impact is in the global fashion cycle. Promising to empower, there is perhaps no better time to be reminded that we are stronger together.

Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous - Curator Talk

A talk to complement the major exhibition 'Zara Rhodes: 50 years of fabulous', opening at the Fashion and Textile Museum this autumn. Dame Zandra Rhodes will sit alongside the curatorial team from the Fashion and Textile Museum to reveal the creative processes behind the curation of a major retrospective of such a distinguished career.

The talk will also provide insight into the challenges and inspirations behind Rhodes' designs, which have defined and re-defined London's fashion scene for the past half a century.

Tickets include entry to the retrospective exhibition 'Zandra Rhodes: 50 years of fabulous'.

The Sustainability Sessions: The Conscious Closet

Cook, author and darling of the fashion world, Melissa Hemsley, founded her series of talks, Sustainability Sessions, to encourage smart and conscious buying when it comes to fashion.

Hemsley is kicking her series off by delving into the world of sustainable fashion and has invited some of the most well-informed and respected names to speak on the subject. She’ll be joined by Orsola de Castro of Fashion Revolution, Amy Powney of Mother of Pearl, slow fashion advocate Venetia Falconer and fashion textile designer Professor Rebecca Earley.

Get savvy about upcycling, and clothes swapping, as well as sustainable brands that you'll wish you'd known about sooner.

For every ticket sold, £5 will be donated to Fashion Revolution.

The Secrets of Silk

Lesley Miller, Senior Curator of Textiles and Fashion at the V&A will be taking audiences on a journey through the processes involved in making one of the fashion world's most luxurious materials: silk.

Part of the V&A's regular lunchtime lecture series.

Behind the Brand: Women in Fashion

Inspired by Mary Quant's visionary approach to self-promotion, the V&A is hosting a forum to introduce and discuss the work of women who are currently pushing the boundaries in fashion. For one day, industry insiders will reveal all things fashion, from building a brand and the challenges of fashion writing to diversity in the workplace and fashion forecasting.