Source Fashion, Europe’s leading responsible sourcing show running from 18th – 20th February 2025 at Olympia London, has announced a sneak preview of seminars and speakers including Nobody’s Child founder Andrew Xeni, Safia Minney MBE, and All Saints founder Stuart Trevor, and the debut of Source Debates.

Debuting at the February show, Source Debates will tackle some of the most pressing and provocative topics in sustainable fashion. This space invites attendees to engage in open dialogue together - alongside industry experts, other fashion brands and retailers, and sustainability and sourcing professionals. The space will challenge the status quo and explore actionable solutions to the industry’s toughest issues.

Designed to be an interactive forum, Source Debates provides a platform for honest discussion, to connect with peers and debate the future of sustainable fashion. It’s a unique opportunity to learn and uncover fresh perspectives on what meaningful change could look like. Expect to hear from speakers including Simon Platts, Co-Founder of Recomme, social entrepreneur Safia Minney MBE, Mike Coates from the CMA, fashion futurist Geraldine Wharry and many more to be confirmed, on topics including:

• Back to the future – how do we slow down consumption and produce less? 
• The language of sustainability
• Overcoming the fear of sustainability
• Taking the lead: Collaboration in the absence of legislative change
• Speculative design thinking - preparing for the future of fashion retail
• Breaking the cycle - driving systemic change in fashion supply chains

Visitors will also be invited to attend three full days of seminars on the Source Catwalk Stage, covering a wide range of subject matters, including conversations around circularity and sustainability, advice on the latest legislations and certifications, and discussions with some of the biggest names in the industry.

The speaker programme on the Source Catwalk Stage opens on Tuesday at 11.30am with a panel discussion between Charlotte Pumford, Head of Sustainabilityat Vivo Footwear and Jackie Andrews-Udall, Sustainability Director, Johnston’s of Elgin on ‘From fast fashion to circularity – encouraging consumers to embrace sustainable fashion models’. Moderated by Andrew Goodacre, CEO of British Independent Retailers Association, they will discuss the challenges and routes to creating a more circular economy, while competing with fast fashion brands, covering how to educate consumers and building a sustainable brand in the midst of a difficult market.

At 12.25pm, join Nicola Kirby, Partner and Head of Sourcing, and Catherine Loader, Sustainability Manager, from John Lewis for Bridging the gap: effectively collaborating between teams and integrating objectives, discussing strategies for fostering alignment, building trust, and integrating sustainability into sourcing decisions and bridging the gap between these critical functions. Gain insights on how to work to integrate sustainability goals with sourcing objectives, fostering stronger partnerships and impactful outcomes.

Attend the Insider Trends session at 2.10pm with Linda Pimmeshoffer from Insider Trends for Tech and sustainability: why data holds the key for a greener future. While AI and tech dominate retail buzz, their role in sustainability is often overlooked—this session explores how data-driven innovation can revolutionise fashion’s fight against emissions, with global examples and a vision for a tech-enabled future. This session focuses on companies leading the way with innovation, global examples and what the future might look like if tech can be meaningfully exploited.

At 3pm, join Mark Sumner, Programmes Lead at WRAP for What policies do we need to really achieve circularity? This discussion will explore the critical policies needed to drive systemic change. What does it take to hold policymakers accountable and ensure legislation keeps pace with the urgent need for a more sustainable future?

On Wednesday at 11am, the agenda leads with Andrew Xeni, Founder of Nobody’s Child and Fabacus and The Urgency of Transparency. Transparency is no longer optional, it's the key to sustainability, trust, and accountability in fashion, and this session dives into how brands can, and should, lead the charge for meaningful change. As consumers demand to know the story behind their purchases, from raw materials to finished garments, brands must step up to show the true impact of their operations. Xeni will explore why transparency is the foundation of sustainability, how it builds trust, and the role brands play in leading this shift. From revealing supply chain practices to setting new standards for accountability, hear how embracing transparency can drive meaningful change and empower consumers to make more informed choices.

At 12.15pm, the topic of degrowth is discussed in Can moving towards an economy of degrowth transform sustainable fashion? Degrowth proposes the idea of slowing down consumption and working towards quality over quantity – potentially a way to considerably reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact. This panel, with Mark Sumner, Programmes Lead from WRAP and Simon Platts, Co-Founder of Recomme, will discuss how the idea of degrowth can influence the fashion industry – increasing the lifecycle of garments, encouraging ethical consumption and increasing long-term business survival – and how the brands and retailers can get there.

At 1.30pm, the stage welcomes Stuart Trevor, Founder of All Saints and Stuart Trevor, for a fireside chat about A clothing company that doesn’t produce clothes. Trevor’s company is flipping the script on fashion by turning pre-owned clothes into fresh, stylish pieces, proving that upcycling and circularity are the future of sustainable fashion. Instead of contributing to the cycle of overproduction, Trevor’s company focuses on transforming pre-owned clothes into fresh, desirable pieces. This discussion will dive into how this innovative approach not only reduces waste but also challenges the traditional fashion industry model. By upcycling and reusing materials, this company demonstrates a powerful alternative to fast fashion and shows how circularity can be integrated into business practices without sacrificing style or quality.

At 2.10pm, Safia Minney MBE presents Ecosystem Thinking in Fashion: Redesigning for Regeneration. Safia Minney will explore strategies to adopt circular and regenerative models, scale these practices, and foster collaborative supply chain solutions. Featuring contributions from experts across industries, this session is set to empower visitors with practical tools for transformative change.

On Thursday at 10.30am, the show welcomes Anna Berry, Co-Founder and Director of Retail 100. In How to work with new markets safely?, Berry will outlinehow to de-risk operations while driving growth and profitability. Navigating new markets, especially in regions like Africa, requires a careful balance of opportunity and risk. This discussion will explore how businesses can effectively de-risk their operations in emerging markets by choosing the right certifications that ensure ethical sourcing, environmental responsibility, and regulatory compliance. Berry will also dive into the concept of blended margins, where sustainability practices not only mitigate risk but can also unlock new opportunities for growth, making it possible to enter untapped markets while maintaining profitability.

Julian Ellis-Brown, CEO of Ponda, follows at 11.30am with Creating a circular future using natural materials – regenerative agriculture. By focusing on natural, renewable fibres that are grown with practices that restore soil health and enhance biodiversity, fashion can reduce its environmental footprint while supporting a more sustainable agricultural system. In addition to working with traditional fibres like organic cotton and hemp, the use of alternative materials are pushing the boundaries of what's possible, offering innovative solutions that align with a circular, eco-friendly future.

At 12pm, join Simon Platts, Co-Founder of Recomme, Hayley Shore, Design Manager of Pepsi Co, and Ella Andrews, Knowledge Exchange Manager and Policy Lead, Centre for Sustainable Fashion for a panel discussion on Competing priorities...how can sustainability win against profitability and risk. As brands push for sustainability, they face the challenge of balancing innovation, risk, and uncertainty, this panel explores how to make sustainability work without stalling progress and looks to address tangible ways in which brands can integrate sustainable practices, and real-life examples of this being managed effectively while still encouraging innovation and managing risks.

Scott Macrae from George at ASDA takes to the stage at 1.30pm for How to love retail - fixing the talent gap and empowering the next generation in ethical fashion.  

The closing session at 2.10pm, Packaging Data: The lifeblood for compliance, sustainability improvement, and margin enhancement with Aden Newbury, Pricing Analyst, and Lisa Meade, Head of Structural Packaging, both at Kingfisher delves into how Kingfisher leverages packaging data to fuel compliance, sustainability, and profitability, driving meaningful change across 2,000+ stores and complex global supply chains. Join this session as insights are shared into their sustainability agenda, ambitious targets, and the progress that's been made in gathering and validating accurate data across complex global supply chains.

Visitors can also be inspired and start their responsible buying journey at the Source Catwalk taking place at 10.30am, 1.30pm, and 3.30pm. See the latest womenswear brought to life as the models show you how to build looks and ranges from the show floor itself.

The full line-up of speakers and sessions will be announced in January 2025.

For more information visit www.source-fashion.com.