Alison Carlin, a key figure in the Manchester Fashion Movement, has a compelling story that began over two decades ago in Derry. Her journey to co-founding this impactful organization is a testament to how her personal passion for conscious fashion, nurtured since her youth, merged with a successful career in business to create a powerful catalyst for change in the city's fashion scene.
Originally from Derry, Alison moved to Manchester 26 years ago to study Media Performance at Salford University, a period during which she became deeply immersed in the city's rich arts and culture. Following her studies, she built a successful career in sales and business, an experience that equipped her with a valuable skill set centered on connecting people and businesses.
Driven by a passion for creativity and a desire to encourage a more sustainable way of life, Alison decided to make her own mark by merging her professional experience with her personal values. This fusion led to the creation of the Sustainable Fashion Party.
This innovative event is designed to bring people together, meeting them wherever they are on their personal journey to becoming more conscious consumers. The party acts as a gateway for individuals who wish to make more valued choices and be a part of a wider social and lifestyle movement focused on sustainability.
Alison's deep-seated passion for clothing and the ethical considerations surrounding the fashion industry also led her to establish an online vintage platform, AllyPally Vintage. Through this page, she sells unique, handpicked vintage items that she has personally selected from clothes markets and secondhand shops around the world.
A "catwalk" that "tells the story of an quiet awakening, a shift, one where we become aware of our isolation and begin to reconnect—featuring garments that invite physical interaction with the outdoors and world around us. A shift from grey to green, from tension to breath."
This perspective highlights how her work transcends simple commerce to become a powerful social statement. Through her ventures, Alison is working to foster a new lifestyle, one that promotes reconnection with both the environment and each other.
