One of the highlights of the London Fashion Week calendar was Monday night's Commonwealth Fashion Exchange at Buckingham Palace, attended by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge and HRH The Countess of Wessex. 30 of Bonaveri's BNatural biodegradable eco-mannequins took centre stage at the event which is the brainchild of Livia Firth, head of Eco Age.
Bonaveri's BNatural mannequins represent the very best of sustainability, innovation, design and technology from a company that produces the worlds most advanced mannequins. Their appearance here at the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange echoes the initiative's sustainability aspirations and reinforces the efforts made by Bonaveri to reduce its manufacturing footprint in line with Eco-Age's GCC Sustainability Principles.
Livia Firth approached Bonaveri in 2017 inviting them to participate in the event which is a new program aimed at bringing together the skillset and talent of designers and artisans from across the 53 Commonwealth countries.
Livia Firth's ability to take high-level social and sustainability issues and translate these into real initiatives is reflective of the passion she has for the industry.
BNatural mannequins represent a sustainable way of making the classic Bonaveri collections. Bonaveri is able to supply biodegradable versions of the Schläppi Aloof Collection, the classic 2200 collection and various pieces from the Noble male mannequin collection. Bonaveri aims to expand the availability of sustainable collections in the near future. The technology behind the creation of the eco-mannequin has been in the making for some time and represents a true life-cycle approach to manufacture and disposal.
The mannequins supplied for the event from the Schläppi 2200 collection have been used at other high-level exhibitions and events including the launch event in London in 2016 at BAFTA on Picadilly and at Christie's Audrey Hepburn Auction.
About the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange
The Commonwealth Fashion exchange is meant to enable the bridging of talent from across the 53 Commonwealth Countries. Participants include Burberry & Stella McCartney for the UK, Karen Walker representing New Zealand and Bibi Russell representing Bangladesh. The initiative aims to correct irregularities in the global fashion industry with corrective mechanisms that include Fair Trade and a return to regional skillsets. Designers are matched with artisans to enable and encourage local talents and traditions with a return to sympathetic and symbiotic partnerships. These new relationships increase access to sustainable fashion tools, theory, support and direct experience among the artisan fashion trades.
The event at Buckingham Palace was to mark the launch of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange and the new Commonwealth Fashion Council. The exhibition will now move to Australia House in London and will be open to the public for the next two weeks.
The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange
Australia House: Strand, London WC2B 4LA.
22nd February until 6th March
Photography by Sean Ebsworth Barnes
