SUFFOLK Park ethical and sustainable fashion designer Ania Zoltkowski wants to see fashion used for positive social change.

Ania studied fashion design in Brisbane and Amsterdam, then spent six years working internationally within design, production, textiles and sales for Vivienne Westwood, Florence Deschamps, David Szeto and Body Peace Bamboo.

Last year she launched a womenswear brand, Zoltko, in order to help marginalised women in India.

Using only environmentally friendly fabrics, the clothing is manufactured in collaboration with a fair-trade workshop in northern India that employs women from slum areas and provides them with fair work, fair wages, safe working conditions, interest-free loans for education, empowerment workshops and opportunities for skill and career advancement.

“There are currently 21 million people in the world who are victims of forced labour within the clothing and textile industry,” Ms Zoltkowski said.

“They are forced to work excessive hours in unsafe working conditions and are not paid a living wage.”

Ania has is one of just 12 students accepted worldwide to study the Masters in Fashion Futures program at the London College of Fashion, focussing her research on creating responsible clothing supply chains.

To support Ms Zoltkowski in getting overseas to study and continue her work in ending exploitation in the fashion industry, go to: https://spsr.me/NEaH# endexploitationinfashion