On May 31, 2016, NJAL will be launching one of the more remarkable fashion education series we’ve heard of in a long time called Authentic Radicalism. The concept from NJAL is to unite its global network of online fashion talent with industry impresarios in a unique, offline symposium.
The good thing about this event, is that if you can’t make it, NJAL will be streaming it live. Here’s more:
Authentic Radicalism is more than an event, it is a call to arms. Through the physical spheres of face-to-face communication and collaboration, NJAL seeks to further cement its manifesto, mapping out its demands for an industry that no longer rests on its laurels or shies away from sustainable and ethical responsibility; an industry in which young designers may thrive and small businesses can flourish.
Not Just A Label is once again reaching beyond its digital parameters in a series of upcoming educational events aimed at increasing awareness around the ways in which we can enhance and improve the fashion system. In line with NJAL’s core ethos, the series aims to expand and disseminate the knowledge that will equip the industry’s emerging designers with the courage and the expertise to carve their own paths and make a lasting impact on fashion and its future. The first in the series, held on Tuesday the 31st of May at the prestigious luxury publishing house, ‘Maison Assouline’, will bring together some of fashion’s most pioneering thinkers and system-shakers for a head-to-head on the new modes of working, innovative systems and creative approaches changing the face of fashion as we know it.
The exciting roster of panelists includes Sophie Hackford, Director at Wired Consulting; Prolific Haute Couture Fashion Lawyer Hugh Devlin; Orsola de Castro, Founder and Director at Fashion Revolution; and Martin Raymond, Co-founder of The Future Laboratory and Editor-in-chief of Viewpoint magazine and LS:N Global. Angela McRobbie, Cultural Theorist and Professor of Communications at Goldsmiths University will be the moderator of the symposium. As a testament to the expedience and eminence of the event, and in recognition of its global network; NJAL will be live-streaming the event to its digital audience of over 20,000 fashion fellows.
The name, ‘Authentic Radicalism’, is attributed to NJAL’s unique approach and value system; both of its team and of its designers who practice radical ways of thinking and working in the pursuit of putting the integrity back into fashion. ‘Radicalism’ is an ambiguous and over-ascribed word in the fashion industry. Like too many terms, it is often applied to garments that bear little or no relation to the true meaning of the word. Not Just A Label defines authentic forms of radicalism as those that work towards achieving a more transparent and conscious fashion industry. Whether it be increasing the sustainability of supply chains, preserving traditional craftsmanship or eschewing growth as the primary measure of success; as one of the world’s largest pools of contemporary designers, we believe in our collective power to bring about the changes we want to see.
Stefan Siegel, CEO and Founder of NJAL elucidates, ‘The Authentic Radicalism series will further cement NJAL’s aim to challenge accepted systems and outdated ways of working, bringing together our network of successful influencers and exciting design talent to exchange ideas and inspire each other. Freedom comes with education, and it is a critical right. We must create our own system and forge our own path, empowering people to step outside the enshrined structure and institutionalised systems. What NJAL has always been about is giving people the power to run small companies across the globe, while creating an eco-system in which their labels can flourish. Authentic Radicalism will work to bring home this point and encourage a new mode of thinking and working.’
The Internet has had a vast and irrevocable effect on the world we live in and has afforded the exponential growth of the NJAL network that simply wouldn’t have been possible in a pre-digital age. Having said this, both NJAL and Maison Assouline also recognise the importance of an offline presence and the experiences and relationships that stem from physical communication and collaboration. With this in mind, our event aims to breach the digital frontier; further nourishing our network of pioneering fashion talent through the sharing of radical ideas and forward-thinking opinions.
Maison Assouline, purveyor of graphically dynamic books on fashion and culture; provide the perfect partner for NJAL in an event that is about fashion but also about knowledge. Knowledge lies at the heart of both NJAL and Maison Assouline. We believe that style and social awareness are not and should not be mutually exclusive; a notion that is applicable to both clothes, and books. If highly considered and artfully crafted with longevity and sustainability in mind, these objects transcend beauty and become eternal. The future of fashion will be about enhancing our vision but also about broadening our minds.
NJAL designers can apply for tickets via the event page. For those who are unable to attend, the event will be live-streamed on the NJAL homepage from 6:30pm London, 1:30pm New York City and 7:30pm Paris time, on the 31st of May.
