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I was very excited to be invited to attend The Observer Ethical Awards, held at The V & A Museum, London and little did I know Lucy Siegle, ethical fashion & lifestyle writer for The Guardian, would be hosting the evening wearing our very own Inky Dress made from peace silk and azo-free dyes-  and at what a time too- The Observer Ethical Awards was celebrating its 10th birthday!

She looked what I call, sustainably stunning! This dress really brings out her curves ( she is naturally of an athletic build, with narrow hips), yet the side pleating detail coupled with a soft flowy fabric really helps to do so.

The talent in that room, from Will. I. Am presenting awards via video pod, to the cast of Coronation Street winning an award for being the cleanest show on TV, Baroness Lola Young, Livia Firth, Zandra Rhodes, Saffia Minney founder of People Tree etc  and like me,  I was more interested in everyone in between- the humble unsung  heroes who toile away making our lives that little bit greener; that little bit more pleasant. That night was truly their night.

My personal favourite for the evening has to be Anna Watson of Run on Sun, who won Green Briton of the Year.  Nothing at all to do with fashion but everything to do with renewable energy. She calls for schools to use solar powered energy to save money that could be better spent on pupils. Sounds like a no-brainer and ‘why didn’t I think of that’ idea.

The evening was full of good will, more down-to-earth than other non- ethically focused events attended; it would seem obviously so, granted the nature of the awards, but let it be known, there is still an elitist snobbery within this industry, trickled down from, or better put, carried over from non- sustainable fashion. It seems banal to me that ethical fashion should ever attract anything but those with a fundamental mindset built on equality, justice and compassion. It is after all, the traditions of the capitalist system that we seek to tweak in order to better the lives for all. As my late grandma-ma Ferreira would’ve put it: “It all starts with the mind”. I question the sincerity of some high profile ethical brands as a result.

On a plus note, the goodie bag given was fantastic. Amongst others, Faith in Nature shower gels, Neal’s Yard hand cream, Divine Chocolate which was actually…divine and Dorset Tea gave an assortment neatly packaged in a recycled paper presentation box.

To see the full list of winners and runners up as well as more pics of the evening, click here