Our SBW Byron July Hub focusses on Ethical and Sustainable fashion, and we are delighted to host 3 very special guests. These amazing local women have all built their successful global fashion businesses on these foundations.

Sustainable fashion is a hot topic right now:

In an age of less is more, how can we elevate consciousness in our clothing purchases to buy for longevity and meaning?
Hear from the women who have created local brands with deep thinking around production, packaging and partnership.
Take a deeper dive into true sustainability and ethics within the fashion industry.

Join us in July at our SBW hub and be inspired by our guest speakers:

Alexandra Leeb-Lawton- Founder of Byron School of Fashion

Kopal - Founder and Creative Director of Kopal

Hannah Mitchell - Founder and Creative Director of Alcana

About Our Speakers:

Alexandra Leeb-Lawton -

BSF founder Alexandra Leeb-Lawton is driven by her vision and extensive experience in the fashion world.

Having a Bachelor of Education majoring in Design and a European Master Craftsman Degree in Couture and Tailoring, she has worked as a fashion designer and as a costume designer for film and theatre production. Since moving to Australia, Alexandra has been employed as Head Teacher in Design and Head of Department in Fashion and Styling for both public and private colleges for many years.

Through a desire to offer authenticity and originality, Alexandra has peeled back the layers to unearth her sustainable and educational program in the town she calls home, Byron Bay.

Alexandra's mission through the Byron School of Fashion is to close the gap in fashion education for a greener future. "We are committed to guide and support new creators and innovators. We are committed to contribute to change, to recreate, to remake and to regenerate the fashion landscape".

Kopal-

Designer, traveler, and passionate advocate of the sustainability of artisan craft, hand made cloth and artisan welfare. Creative director Kopal is a force. Raised in India, Kopal was sparked with a passion for design, she found herself in New York City attending the Fashion Institute of Technology where she honed her skills in Fashion, Styling, Photography and Textile Design. Finally, after 14 years working in the fashion industry for notable brands like Bottega Veneta, Ralph Lauren, and Converse, she decided to launch her own label, Kopal.

Now residing in the coastal town of Byron Bay, having been drawn to a simpler lifestyle, Kopal's label is a reflection of her life. Her slow and intentional approach to life breathes an ease into each and every garment. Her style encourages a lifestyle free of trend and fast fashion. Seasonless ageless fashion is the base for a sustainable closet. Her clothes are meant to be worn year after year with renewed purpose.

The purpose behind the fashion is to create an apparel line that is made from hand made cloth, with hand done printing and most importantly by tailors that are fair waged employees.

When Kopal designs, she takes us on a journey from a palette of vivid colours and wild energy of her native India, to the clean lines of precise tailoring speaks to her craftsmanship to incorporating age old artisanal techniques in her textile development

Hannah Mitchell-

After studying fashion design in New Zealand and America Hannah Mitchell spent over 10 years working in all areas of the fashion industry, being exposed to unethical practices she was unable to ignore.

In 2017 Hannah founded Alcana, a label committed to positive environmental and social change with full transparency.

Alcana preserves the traditions of the artisans who create their clothes by weaving their textiles into Alcana’s collections. Skilled artisans across India use ancient methods like handweaving and herbal plant dyeing to create each piece. The aim is to connect the grower, the textile artisan, the tailor, and the wearer through this story while preserving ancient traditions.

Hannah will bring you an inspiring discussion around "solutions to the problems we are facing in the fashion industry. Looking at indigenous wisdom and how we integrate this into our practices, connecting to the human resources and extraction process".

About SBW Hubs:

SBW Byron Chapter Hubs occur the first Wednesday of every month. It's an opportunity to come together as women in business in the Northern Rivers to learn, network, collaborate and be inspired.

SBW Byron Monthly Hub - Wed 7th July 4.45pm - 7.00pm.

We will be adhering to Covid safe regulations at this hub for the wellbeing of all of our guests, and will update any requirements closer to the event in line with the current restrictions.

Bookings will be limited to 34 based on the room capacity at this venue, and we will be using our QR code check in.