Fashion Revolution Week – The meaning behind a movement

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

Fashion Revolution Week – The meaning behind a movement Published by Editorial Team on 1 May 2018

Words by Sophie Newman; Image by Fashion Revolution

Fashion Revolution Week takes place in April of each year to commemorate the lives lost in the Rana Plaza disaster. For many this

was the first introduction to the horrific conditions garment workers are subject to in an industry promoting glamour and style to o en Fashion Uncovered™ | Style, inspiration, news and guides to ethical fashion & sustainable living. www.ethicalfashion.net.au

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

unsuspecting consumers. From this disaster sparked a revolution encouraging consumers to question the working conditions and fair

pay for the people who make the clothes of big fashion brands. These

brands must be held accountable to ensure no-one is dying for fashion. The reality is, if you’re only paying $10 for a tshirt, someone, somewhere is paying the deficit.

The Fashion Revolution story

The April 24, 2013 Bangladesh Rana Plaza disaster sparked the

groundbreaking documentary True Cost and was the catalyst for the world’s biggest fashion activism movement Fashion Revolution. But how did this single event stand out against the landscape of human rights issues, and cause a reaction that reverberated across the

globe? Because the loss of life occurred in the name of high volumes of cheap garments created at the expense of people and the

environment; fast fashion that young women in the western countries were consuming as fast as their pay-checks would allow.

And the party was over.

“There were 29 brands identified in the rubble. It would take years for some of them to pay compensation. For some families, providing DNA evidence to claim that compensation, would never be possible.

To this day a high percentage of survivors are unemployed and suffer from severe trauma.” (Source: Fashion Revolution ANZ) It was no longer possible for the public to deny that their

‘one-night-only’ party dresses were the cause of the destruction of not only resources, but lives.

Fashion Uncovered™ | Style, inspiration, news and guides to ethical fashion & sustainable living. www.ethicalfashion.net.au

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

Beginning with UK Fashion Revolution founders Carry Somers &

Orsola de Castro, the branded movement has grown to incorporate a global co-ordination team facilitating communications and events across 93 countries.

What is the meaning behind 141,000 #fashrev and 261,000 #whomademyclothes hashtags on instagram (Figures - Fashion Revolution Week 2018 )

Unsurprisingly, the biggest buyers of fashion have different moral values to the large corporations producing them, “Millennials are

typically thought to be more ethically and community minded than previous cohorts, with a deep desire to leave the world in a better

shape that today…they shun traditions and have different financial priorities than previous generations.” (Source: Good Company 2017).

And the disparity between them continues to widen as more and

more people ask #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES . This call to action by the Fashion Revolution movement acknowledges the power of the consumer to influence the policies of big brands both socially and using their dollar. #Fashrev encourages people to share their

intention to buy sustainable and ethically made fashion with their friends and followers. #whomademyclothes is a direct invitation to a brand to respond to a customer’s enquiry about the ethics behind their clothing manufacture, and sometimes the ‘crickets’ are deafening.

Fashion Uncovered™ | Style, inspiration, news and guides to ethical fashion & sustainable living. www.ethicalfashion.net.au

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

Customers ask Brands #whomademyclothes for #fashrev - Image: Ethical Fashion Review - instagram.com/ethicalfashion_review

Due to the power of social media and eagerness of Gen’s X & Y to get behind a rally cry, fashion labels can no longer hide behind the once mutually-beneficial wall of don’t-ask-don’t-tell when it comes to how fashion is made.

Where to from here?

Five years on from the catalyst for the movement, there is still a lot of work to do. The aforementioned ‘deafening

Fashion Uncovered™ | Style, inspiration, news and guides to ethical fashion & sustainable living. www.ethicalfashion.net.au

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

silence’ from some of the large fashion brands who are asked about their manufacturing practices is a culture that will continue to shi as more people start to shi their

dollar to buy ethically made and transparent fashion labels.

As individuals, the subtle changes we make as consumers have wide-reaching ripple effects. To make a start or grow on your ethical fashion journey, we recommend the following; Re-use – Mend, alter and extend the life of your existing wardrobe. Change ‘new is best’ ideology with ‘longer is kinder’

Recycle – Donate and buy from charity shops, swap with your friends, sell on groups and ensure your discarded clothing doesn’t end up in landfill.

Rent/Borrow – Hire or loan items you’ll only wear once from friends or clothing hire libraries. Most of them will deliver to your door!

Research – Only buy from brands who are transparent and know without a doubt that the people making their clothes are paid a living wage with fair and safe working conditions.

Fashion Uncovered™ | Style, inspiration, news and guides to ethical fashion & sustainable living. www.ethicalfashion.net.au

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

MORE ACTIONS Check out our Brand directory for all of the ethical brands we’ve fact-checked so far, and the list keeps growing!

Sign the Fashion Revolution Manifesto to add your voice to the strength of this movement.

Share this and related articles with your friends and help build the vision of a better fashion industry for everyone.

Fashion Uncovered™ | Style, inspiration, news and guides to ethical fashion & sustainable living. www.ethicalfashion.net.au

1 MAY 2018 | ETHICAL FASHION REVIEW

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