English designer, TV icon, and co-founder of Red of Dead and Hemingway Design, Wayne Hemingway MBE, will be joining the POC Conference to speak about his recent project with Girlguiding.
The brand and licensing industry’s sustainability body, Products of Change, has made the announcement as its annual Conference approaches on the 11 November.
Wayne Hemingway MBE will join Michelle Marley and Beth Hancock from Girlguiding to speak about their shared project to completely redesign the organisation’s member uniforms, hand-in-hand with the next generation.
Back in April 2024, Girlguiding launched its new environmental sustainability strategy after research from the Girls’ Attitude Survey said 4 in 5 girls say youth organisations like Girlguiding should do more – Girls’ Attitudes Survey | Girlguiding.
This was a key consideration when the organisation selected its design partner, Hemingway Design for a complete overhaul of its uniforms, setting out together on what would become “the largest girl-led co-design, engaging with over 55,000 of our members who fed back significant concerns around climate change and the impact of plastics on the planet,” said Michelle Marley.
Girlguiding, the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated to girls, is made up of 300,000 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers.
So much of the feedback from the 55,000 girls mentioned environmental impact that there was no doubt it had to be central to the redesign, so Girlguiding also teamed up with the Circular Textiles Foundation for the project, an independent certifier and training provider dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular textile economy by advocating for Design for Recyclability.
The new certified collection, designed with Hemingway Design, spans 15 styles worn across all four Girlguiding sections for girls aged 4-18, as well as by young leaders and adult unit Leaders, with upwards of 280,000 garments certified as part of the collection’s launch over the summer. Each style has been assessed against CTF’s Design for Recyclability criteria, confirming that the garments can be processed through fibre-to-fibre recycling at end of life, rather than being sent to landfill or incineration.
Every certified garment will carry the ‘Infinitee’ mark, CTF’s on-product certification confirming it has been assessed as compatible with existing fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies.
Hear the full journey Hemingway Designs and Girlguiding went on for this project at the POC Conference on 11 November at the Royal Geographical Society, London. Find out more or get your tickets here.
Tickets are available now with both in-person and digital attendance options, allowing delegates from around the world to be part of the day’s insights, discussions and networking. POC Members receive a 20% discount on the ticket price when logged into the platform.
The event is made possible by leaders in the brand and licensing industry that pledge their support for this invaluable event and the role it serves in collaborative and tangible sustainable advancement.
This year’s supporters include: Dreamtex, Character World, Warner Bros. Discovery, Natural History Museum, TDP Textiles, Mattel, Fabacus, Brand Licensing Europe, The Wombles, Bravado, RDP Creative, Disney Consumer Products, Worldly, Poetic Brands, Hasbro, Rights & Brands, Teemill, io.tt, Sun City, Rainbow Productions and UK Greetings.
To book your place or find out more, visit: www.productsofchange.com/poc-sustainability-conference.
For sponsorship, media enquiries, or any other enquiries, contact: hello@productsofchange.com.
