London's only South Asian sustainable fashion festival is back for a fourth year with talks, workshops and an exhibition
Delivered by South Asian creatives, academics and campaigners advocating for a fairer fashion industry, Ahista Stories Live is back for its fourth year with a dynamic programme of talks, workshops and our first-ever exhibition. This time we’re at our new venue, St Margaret’s House, in the heart of Tower Hamlets: workshops will celebrate South Asian textile artistry and unpack climate justice, and talks will expose exploitation in the fashion industry.
‘Ahista’ means ‘slow’ in Urdu, an official language in Pakistan and India. For us, slowness means advocating for mindful, maker-led production of fashion: fair labour; and conscious consumption in the face of ever-faster trend cycles and overproduction. Ahista Stories Live will create space to learn and reflect on how to enact and advocate for a slow approach to fashion.
Whether you’re a keen crafter or eager to build a more just, sustainable world, Ahista Stories Live has something for everyone.
Grab your General Admission ticket in advance and read the different links below for the additional workshops. You will need a General Admission ticket and then to purchase a ticket for each workshop you would like to attend if an additional fee applies.
WORKSHOP: Ahista Stories Live: Sewing 101 Workshop - Jeans Alteration (11.45am-12.45pm) - Additional fee applies. 8 spaces available.
This practical, beginner-friendly workshop covers measuring, marking and sewing a neat original-hem finish, giving your jeans a personalised fit.
TALK: Decolonising Saree Drapes (12-12.30pm) - Included in General Admission ticket.
EXHIBITION: Ahista Stories Live Exhibition - Collective Story Quilting (12.30-5.30pm) - Included in General Admission ticket.
This exhibition curates both textile art and other media that reflect on the meaning and sustainability of South Asian textiles.
WORKSHOP: Wrap, Reuse, Repeat: Playful Saree Draping (12.45-2.15pm) - Additional fee applies. 13 spaces available.
In this playful, hands‑on saree draping session, participants will get to wrap, rewrap, style and play with texture and flow, learning small tricks that make draping feel intuitive rather than intimidating.
TALK: But Where Can I Shop? Dispelling the Myth of Ethical Consumerism (sponsored by Faith for the Climate) (1-1.45pm) - Included in General Admission ticket.
WORKSHOP: Saree Draping Clinic (2.15-2.45pm) - Included in General Admission ticket.
TALK: They Hate Us But Want To Be Us: Orientalism of South Asian Fashion (2.45-3.30pm) - Included in General Admission ticket.
WORKSHOP: Faiths for Climate Justice (3.30-5.30pm) - free exhibition.
WORKSHOP: Textile Storytelling and Mindful Making(3.30-5.30pm) - Additional fee applies. 15 spaces available.
Participants will collectively explore memories and meaning, and translate what comes up into a textile art piece.
WORKSHOP: Fashion Illustration - Art of Slow Fashion (4-5.30pm) - Additional fee applies. 15 spaces available.
Examine how sketching, sampling and trend cycles in fashion contribute to waste long before a garment is made.
About Ahista Stories: A community-led platform building a fairer fashion system and celebrating South Asian textile artistry. Through our annual festival, workshops, panel discussions and digital content, we work at the intersection of fashion, labour rights and climate justice - insisting that the fashion system must change.
Follow @ahista.stories for updates about Ahista Stories Live and future events.
‘Ahista’ means slow in Urdu, an official language in Pakistan and India. For us, slowness means advocating for mindful, maker-led production of fashion; fair labour; and conscious consumption in the face of ever-faster trend cycles and overproduction.
Testimonials :
“I thought the facilitation was incredible - a real range of interactive group work and introspection. I learned the importance of bringing heart, soul and mind to play when tackling complex, global systemic challenges - something I could take to work literally the next day.”
Contact: If you have any questions regarding this session, please email programming@stmargaretshouse.org.uk
Venue: The Mulberry Hall at St Margaret's House, 21 Old Ford Road, London, E2 9PL
Access: If you have any access needs of which we should be aware, please get in touch with us on 020 8980 2092 or email programming@stmargaretshouse.org.uk.
Access Support: We are happy to provide a free PA/Carer ticket for anyone with access needs. If you require a PA ticket, please call us on 020 8980 2092 and we’ll discuss your requirements.
Date: Sunday 18th October
Time: 11.45am-5.30pm
Tickets: £4-£12
General Admission:
Pay Less (covers some of our costs) – I am a student, unemployed, on benefits or financially stressed - £4
Standard (covers most of our costs) – I am employed, have some expendable income, and manage to meet my basic needs - £8
Pay it Forward (covers all of our costs and supports our work) – I am employed or have enough savings to comfortably meet my basic needs - £12