FASHION REVOLUT ION
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CONTENTS
40
Campaigning Social media Fashion Revolution Week Events Resources Press
25 Policy makers
98
Going forward
30 Student ambassadors
105 Summary
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We are Fashion Revolution
7
The problem, the vision, the solution
15 Global network 20 Partnerships
33 Community Demographics Engagement Fashion Revolution’s Role to click
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trave
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We are Fashion Revolution We’re here to tell a different story about the clothes we wear.
We believe that positive change can happen if we all think differently about fashion and demand better. We want a cleaner, safer, fairer, more transparent and more accountable fashion and textiles industry. We want fashion to become a force for good. We believe in an industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure.
We are designers, academics, writers, business leaders, policymakers, brands, retailers, marketers, producers, makers, workers, trade unions and fashion lovers. We are the industry and we are the public. We are world citizens. We are you. 3
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On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed. Over 1,100 people died and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history.
That’s when Fashion Revolution was born. There were five garment factories in Rana Plaza all manufacturing clothing for the western market. The victims were mostly young women. We believe that this is too many people to lose from the planet in one building, on one terrible day to not stand up and demand change. Since then, people from all over the world have come together to use the power of fashion to change the world. Fashion Revolution is now a global movement of people like you.
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“Fashion Revolution means ‘the collective’ it means a movement for the greatest environmental and social issue that we face as humanity.” Jennifer Ewah Eden Diodati 6
THE PROBLEM Model
Material
Mindset
Fashion is now one of the most globalised industries. This globalised model is fragmented, opaque and built upon the exploitation of precious resources and of people, especially those from marginalised communities. We need to rethink how the industry works. We need to rethink the model.
Fashion has a huge, and often negative, social and environmental impact. The production of clothing and the way we take care of our clothes after we buy them uses large amounts of land, energy and chemicals, polluting water sources, and producing too much waste.
If we want to see fashion become a force for good, we’re going to have to change the way we think about what we wear and why we wear it. We need to love our clothes more. We need to look at them as precious heirlooms and as trusted friends.
This Materials, Models and Mindsets framework was created by Prof. Rebecca Earley and Dr. Kate Goldsworthy and adapted by Fashion Revolution.
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THE FASHION INDUSTRY EMITS 1.2 BILLION TONNES OF CO 2 ANNUALLY
# FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N
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GARMENTS ARE THE SECOND HIGHEST AT-RISK PRODUCT CATEGORY FOR MODERN SLAVERY.
# FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N
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IN THE USA, 10.5 MILLION TONS OF CLOTHING IS SENT TO LANDFILL EVERY YEAR.
331,000ft
THAT’S ABOUT 30 TIMES AS HEAVY AS THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
# FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H
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THE VISION A MANIFESTO FOR A FASHION REVOLUTION We love fashion. But we don’t want our clothes to exploit people or destroy our planet. We demand radical, revolutionary change. This is our dream… Read and sign the Fashion Revolution manifesto here.
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173
8583k
people have signed the Fashion Revolution Manifesto to date
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THE SOLUTION Our voices can change everything. Since Fashion Revolution started, people from all over the world have used their voice and their power to tell the world that things must change. And it’s working. The industry is starting to change. More brands are being open about where their clothes are made and the impact their materials have on the environment. More manufacturers are making their factories safer and more of the people in the supply chain are being seen and heard. More designers are considering people and planet when creating new clothing. More citizens are thinking before they buy.
But the story is far from over. We are only just getting started. We can’t stop until every worker who makes our clothes is seen, heard and paid properly and the environments they live and work in are safe. We cant stop until the culture of consumption is changed and we learn to love and appreciate our clothes and the people that made them. Together, we will create a revolution.
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“Fashion Revolution has the solutions. We can engage you with your wardrobes, with your principles, with your gut feelings and show you something you can do.� Orsola de Castro Co-founder, Fashion Revolution 14
GLOBAL NETWORK Fashion Revolution exists because of the dedicated and passionate volunteers that operate worldwide. The global network is made up of diverse individuals who have voluntarily taken on the roles and responsibilities associated with this position. They come from all areas of the fashion industry, give Fashion Revolution its strength and reach and provide people around the world with the opportunity to engage.
Fashion Revolution Germany - photo by @chuliabisch
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GLOBAL NETWORK
CASE STUDY: Fashion Revolution Laos Fashion Revolution Laos and Fair Fashion Lao launched for Fashion Revolution Week at Crown Plaza Vientiane. Guests included the U.S Embassy, Lao Handicraft Association, Fashion Designers, Media, FFL Young Designers contestants, Professional Fashion Designs, models, and more. They spoke about Fashion Revolution’s goals for a sustainable, ethical, and transparent fashion industry in relation to Made in Lao brands and within the global fashion industry. The following morning, the team held a Women’s Empowerment luncheon for merchant partners, designers and the general public. They showed Catwalk to Creation II followed by a discussion on the current global issues of the mass fashion industry, Rana Plaza disaster, and gender inequality within garment factories. The team will be releasing their short film and footage to the public shortly. 16
GLOBAL NETWORK
CASE STUDY: Fashion Revolution Germany Fashion Revolution Germany aimed for wider audience this year, reaching out to more cities and universities. The team focused on their ambassador project which included more than 10 locations all over Germany, this is an area they want to grow together in order to have a bigger impact across a wider demographic. The teams main format of action was a public demonstration: Fashion Revolution – The move. Berlin, Hamburg and Kassel organised movements that aimed to point out the current issues with the fashion and textile industry but also show positive solutions. A colourful dancing audience walked through the hearts of each city attracting attention and reaching out to start a dialogue. The team were incredibly happy with the hard work and participation of many cities and their teams! 17
GLOBAL NETWORK
CASE STUDY: Fashion Revolution Kenya Fashion Revolution Kenya are a newly formed team and have hit the ground running. The team launched with a screening of the True Cost movie at the Alchemist, followed by an engaging conversation about what this means for us as Kenyans. Guests included Ann McCreath of KikoRomeo, Rozan Ahmed of The Magic Drive leading the discussion joined by Ria of Lilabare, Khadia of ShakeTheTree, Jess of Wildlife Works, Wangari of Peperuka, Tunde of Ethnik (all the way in Lagos!) as well as an audience of many fashion lovers. This was followed by a conversation covered traceability, scaling ethically, balancing profitability with ethos, producing locally and much more at Village Market. The audience heard from Wandia Gichuru – Vivo, Ria Ana – Lilabare, Adele Dejak, Lucy Lau – Tosheka Textiles, Gladys Macharia – Ubuntu and Yugala Priti – Wildlife Works.
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Find and follow your country teams on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Find your country team here.
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PARTNERSHIPS We are honoured to work with organisations that are actively fighting for systemic change within the fashion industy. For example, this year we worked with Extinction Rebellion on Earth Day to highlight Fashion’s place in the climate emergency, joined forces with British Council to produce a series of professional and policy focused toolkits and hosted The Fashion Awareness Festival at the Agora Project in Cyprus in partnership with the Municipality of Nicosia. All of these collaborative actions allow us to raise global awareness of the industry’s issues and to hold companies and governments to account, encouraging real change. Because together we are stronger.
over
500
global partnerships
300+ with NGOs, activist groups and arts and cultural organisations
200+ with educational organisations
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PARTNERSHIPS
CASE STUDY: DEAR: Trade Fair, Live Fair Raising Awareness and Mobilizing the European Public to Advance Consumption patterns that Nurture the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Now in the third year of involvement, Fashion Revolution joined forces with other fair trade and ethical fashion movements across Europe in an ambitious project supported by the European Commission’s Development Education and Awareness Raising Programme (DEAR). “Trade Fair, Live Fair” aims to foster more resilient livelihoods for the producers and workers behind many of the products that European citizens consume. This project is designed to raise awareness and mobilize the European citizens towards sustainable consumption behaviour. At the heart of this project is the notion that only through citizens’ better understanding of how supply chains work, can they foster the necessary change to achieve the Sustainbable Development Goals. Fashion Revolution’s resources that host the ‘Trade fair, live fair’ logo are all part of this partnership.
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PARTNERSHIPS
CASE STUDY: Global Fashion Exchange This Fashion Revolution Week Global Fashion Exchange (GFX) partnered with Fashion Revolution to produce a Global Swap Event for the second year running. GFX had a very positive response to the event, holding clothing swaps and educational events over the world, from NYC to Mumbai to Slovakia. The GFX ambassadors and network have done incredible work inspiring their communities to get involved in swapping and the secondhand market. “We love partnering together! First off, we love Fashion Revolution, but we also appreciate the opportunity to be involved with an important global movement. The Global Swap Event combines our tried and tested swap events and our network of ambassadors to produce swaps around the world.�
Read the blog post here
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PARTNERSHIPS
CASE STUDY: World Economic Forum This year the World Economic Forum’s young professional group, Global Shapers, had 35 cities participate in activities ranging from panels to clothing swaps during Fashion Revolution Week. The Global Shapers Community is a network of inspiring young people under the age of 30, working together to address local, regional and global challenges. There are more than 7,000 members in the Global Shapers Community across 369 city-based hubs in 171 countries. The contribution of the Global Shapers networks during Fashion Revolution Week 2019 created an impact that is ongoing even after Fashion Revolution Week ended. The Global Shapers not only raised awareness through events but created a social media campaign to help people join in on the revolution.
Read the blog post here
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PARTNERSHIPS
With thanks to: Action Aid; Avery Dennison; Barnardos; British Council; British Fashion Council; C&A Foundation; CARE International; Caritas; Cattolica; Catwalk to Creation; CENTRO; Changing Markets; Clean Clothes Campaign; Domus Academy; Durham University; Ellen MacArthur Foundation; Ethical Consumer; European Union; Extinction Rebellion; Fair Wear Foundation; Fair Trade Advocacy Office; Fairtrade Foundation; Fairtrade India; Fairtrade International; Ferragamo Foundation; FGV; Friends of the Earth; Global Fashion Exchange; Global Shapers Hub; Goethe-Institut; Good On You; Greenpeace; Impact Hub; IndustriALL; Ipsos Mori; Lao Handicraft Association; Microfinance Opportunities; Onassis Foundation; Oxfam; Parsons School of Design; Redress; River Blue; Statens Naturhistoriske Museum; Study Hall; Textile and Fashion Federation Singapore; Traidcraft; True Cost; UCLA; United Nations; University of St. Andrews; V&A Museum; Vietnamese Women’s Museum; Wikirate; World Fair Trade Organisation and many more...
Are you part of an organisation that wants to work with us or support our cause? We’d love to hear from you. Email partnerships@fashionrevolution.org
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POLICY MAKERS Involving policy makers in our campaign is vital if we hope to make changes at a governmental level. This year we debated the future of fashion legislation at the European Commision in Brussels, we worked with the UK’s Environmental Audit Commitee to support the production of its ‘Fixing Fashion’ report and took part in a dialogue about legislative initiatives for sustainable fashion titled ‘Fashion and Politics’ hosted by Unibes Cultural in Brazil. We must continue to fight for better laws and regulations that achieve systemic change across the global fashion industry. We do this by lobbying and working together with lawmakers, elected officials and policy influencers.
112 policy makers engaged
inin
18
countries
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POLICY MAKERS
CASE STUDY: UK’s Environmental Audit Committee In February 2019, the UK Government’s Environmental Audit Committee published Fixing Fashion, their report on the sustainability of the UK fashion industry. The report included evidence from leading fashion retailers as well as supply chain and environmental experts, including evidence from Fashion Revolution. Within the report were key recommendations that the UK Government should adopt into policies and legislation, to help combat the social and environmental abuses that occur as a result of the way clothing is made, sold and discarded. Unfortunately, the Government’s official response was sympathetic but passive. Ministers rejected all recommendations in favour of existing voluntary, non-regulatory approaches. However, we will not be defeated and will continue to lobby the Government to re-consider taking action.
Read the report here
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POLICY MAKERS
CASE STUDY: Fashion Revolution Philippines x British Council In April 2019, Fashion Revolution Philippines published their policy paper ‘The Impact of Second-Hand Clothing in the Philippines’. This study is published as a part of the British Council x Fashion Revolution Policy Dialogue project which aims to shed light on the multiple perspectives of a particular issue through a series of evidence-based discussions, interviews and workshops. The aim is to create a better understanding of the policies at play and bring about meaningful improvements to policies. The ultimate goal of the Policy Dialogue is to inform policymaking processes in countries around the world by enabling a wide range of voices to engage in a debate about the social and environmental impacts of the global fashion industry.
Read the report here
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POLICY MAKERS
CASE STUDY: Fashion Revolution Philippines x British Council The report investigated the second hand clothing market in the Philippines, locally known as ukay-ukay. It asks: if the importation of used clothing is illegal in the Philippines then why is there an influx of secondhand garments coming in the country? How do they enter? What can citizens do? What should governments do? The report proposed recommendations to the Filipino government, private sector and general public for best dealing with ukayukay locally. A series of in-person discussions were held in order to gather insights and data directly from those involved in the local ukay-ukay industry or affected by the industry. The aim was to engage with the government itself as well as traders, designers, experts and organisations, all of whom would have the power to effect real change.
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total attendees
14
were ‘leaders’ including 1 Port Manager, 1 Chairman, 1 Director, 3 Founders, 1 OIC, 1 Deputy Executive Director, 3 Chief, 1 Project Manager, 1 Mayor, 1 Provincial Director, 1 Revenue District Officer
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were ‘government’ including those from Philippine Textile Research Institute, Department of Trade and Industry, Baguio City Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Internal Revenue
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UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 In 2015, UK Parliament passed the Modern Slavery Act, requiring large brands to explain what they are doing to tackle modern slavery in their supply chains. There is currently no central registry where brands’ statements are listed and if a brand are not complying there is no meaningful enforcement or penalties. During Fashion Revolution Week 2019, we ran a joint campaign with Traidcraft, asking our communities to sign a petition demanding that the Government do more to hold companies accountable for modern slavery in their supply chains. With more than 5,000 signatures, the Government responded positively by committing to launch an online registry of companies compliance with the law.
View the petition here
TIMELINE OF GOVERNMENT ACTION
POLICY MAKERS
CASE STUDY:
April 2019 Fashion Revolution Week Fashion Revolution teamed up with Traidcraft to publish a petition to encourage the UK Government to take steps to better enforce the Modern Slavery Act.
May 2019 An independent review of the UK Modern Slavery Act is published by the Home Secretary. It calls for measures to strengthen the legislation and ensure greater corporate accountability.
June 2019 Theresa May addressed the ILO’s International Labour Conference and announced that the UK Government would be strengthening enforcement of the Act by launching a central registry of annual Modern Slavery Statements published by UK-based companies. 29
STUDENT AMBASSADORS Students and young people have an incredibly important role to play now and in the future, as consumers and as members of the workforce. They have the ability to create the world that they want to live in. The fashion industry covers so many different disciplines from geography to design to economics. Fashion Revolution student ambassadors set up diverse teams to create truly innovative initiatives to enlighten and inform their peers.
231 Student Ambassadors
in
22
countries
Would you like to be a Fashion Revolution student ambassador? Email education@fashionrevolution.org
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STUDENT AMBASSDORS
CASE STUDY: Universidad Provincial de Córdoba, Argentina: Sofia García Gonzalez & Yamila Camurri
‘Conscious Fashion Córdoba’ was organised by the students of Universidad Provincial de Cordoba and Fashion Revolution Argentina. There were talks and workshops explaining the work of the different NGOs, movements, professionals and brands around sustainability and fashion issues, two performances and two flash mobs in the street, two Clothing swaps, a repair workshop
and a screening of the documentary The True Cost. Each event was a call to action to create awareness around the themes that Fashion Revolution it’s working this year: connecting social impact with environmental impact and gender equality. Fair and decent work, environmental protection and gender equality. 31
STUDENT AMBASSDORS
CASE STUDY: SOĹ MIĹ , Slovakia: Student Group Young + Eco
The highlight of Fashion Revolution Week in Slovakia was a fashion show presenting the models of middle school students involved in educational projects organised by Fashion Revolution Slovakia and student group (NGO) Young & Eco. During this project, students were educated about current topics of within the fashion industry and possible solutions to environmental and social issues raising from them. They were taught basic skills of remaking
clothes, and with local designers they got an insight into upcycling and fashion design. Their own designs were then presented on 25 April 2019 in a public fashion show, which they helped to organise with Fashion Revolution Slovakia. The aim of this pilot project was to bring information and basic skills to students and allow them to design, make and present their own clothing. 32
OUR COMMUNITY:
WHO ARE FASHION REVOLUTIONARIES? Fashion Revolution is a movement made up of diverse people all over the world coming together to create systemic change in the global fashion industry. ‘Fashion Revolutionaries’ are the hundreds of volunteers who activate their communities in more than 60 countries around the world and the hundreds of thousands of people that have joined the movement, followed us online, shared demands, attended or hosted events, read or watched content, downloaded resources and taken individual and collective actions in order to change the way the fashion industry works. Please note: The following information is based on a series of surveys taken by a small section of our social media followers. The complete data for the surveys can be downloaded here
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DEMOGRAPHICS
GENDER
94%
identify as female
63%
AGE
LOCATION
70%
60%
are under the age of 35
live in Europe
93%
32%
purchase the majority of their clothes second hand
have at one time stopped or reduced shopping at a certain brand as a form of protest
work in the fashion industry
SHOPPING
ACTIVISM
INDUSTRY
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“I’ve worked in the fashion retail industry for over 10 years. I was disillusioned with the practices that were getting worse and all about profit. Fashion Revolution gave me hope that change is possible.” Survey Respondent
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ENGAGEMENT
55%
72%
of respondents have been following Fashion Revolution for a year or more
follow Fashion Revolution across 2 or more social media channels
48%
92%
of respondents actively participated in Fashion Revolution Week 2019
have engaged in some form of activism in their lifetime
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“I was already aware of many issues but Fashion Revolution has helped cement ideas & enabled me to express myself to others with more confidence.� Survey Respondent
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OUR ROLE
71%
state that Fashion Revolution ‘has increased my awareness of the problems within the fashion industry’.
94%
65%
state that Fashion Revolution ‘has provided me with information I did not have previously’.
of those surveyed stated ‘Fashion Revolution has had an impact on my attitude towards the current fashion industry.’
36%
state that Fashion Revolution ‘has helped me to change other people’s ways of thinking’.
48%
state that Fashion Revolution ‘has helped me to make personal changes in my everyday life’. 38
“[Fashion Revolution] is informative and truthful without being overwhelming or judgemental. You have inspired me to make real life changes� Survey Respondent
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CAMPAIGNING Fashion Revolution is a global movement that runs all year long. We celebrate fashion as a positive influence while also scrutinising industry practices and raising awareness of the fashion industry’s most pressing issues. We aim to show that change is possible and encourage those who are on a journey to create a more ethical and sustainable future for fashion. Fashion Revolution strives to be actionoriented and solution focused. Rather than making people feel guilty, we help them recognise that they have the power to do something to make a positive change.
We often call ourselves “pro-fashion protesters” because we love fashion and want to see it become a force for good. We try to always be bold, provocative, inquisitive, accessible and inclusive. We tend to avoid negative protesting, victimising and naming and shaming. We do not target specific individual companies because we believe that the industry’s problems are bigger than any one company’s actions. We do not advocate boycotting simply because we don’t see it as an effective way to achieve systemic change. 40
“Fashion Revolution, I believe, is our greatest hope for change in the fashion industry. I’ve seen it grow from strength to strength. It is by far the strongest movement, and the most impactful.” Tamsin Lejeune Common Objective 41
SOCIAL MEDIA Fashion Revolution is a de-centralised, global movement. We use social media as a means to raise awareness and spread the message among a varied range of demographics and to those we would otherwise never reach. Public posts to brands can create a level of accountability that offline methods could never reach. A large part of the campaign runs through social media channels, including Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and email newsletters.
761,195 Total online following
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FASHION REVOLUTION WEEK 22nd – 28th April 2019 Fashion Revolution Week is the time of year when all of our voices come together to make the most noise. During this week, we ask #whomademyclothes and encourage brands and producers to respond in support of greater industry transparency. We host events worldwide to encourage people to be curious, find out and do something. We write postcards to our policymakers and we ask people to evaluate their relationship with their clothes by writing a love story to their favorite items. Together, during this week especially, we are Fashion Revolution.
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CAMPAIGN FILM During Fashion Revolution Week 2019, Kate McGuire of Converted Closet attended some of our London highlights like Fashion Question Time and Study Hall, along with a lineup of amazing Fashion Open Studio experiences. This film is a glimpse at what it means to take part in a week filled with asking questions, finding out, and making change.
Watch the film here 45
700m
289m
total impressions of posts made using Fashion Revolution hashtags on Instagram during April 2019
total reach of posts made using Fashion Revolution hashtags on Instagram during April 2019
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55,230
1,117
followers gained across all social media channels during April 2019
newsletter sign-ups during April 2019
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7 DAYS, 7 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED... 1. ask #whomademyclothes 2. s end a postcard to a policymaker 3. write a love story 4. take part in a #haulternative 5. go to an event 6. buy a fanzine 7. donate www.fashionrevolution.org/get-involved
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55,177 posts made using the hashtag #whomademyclothes during April 2019
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Top ‘#whomademyclothes’ posts during April 2019
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12,689 posts made using the hashtag #imadeyourclothes during April 2019
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BRAND RESPONSE
BRAND RESPONSE
See the videos here
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BRAND RESPONSE
BRAND RESPONSE
Watch the video here
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BRAND RESPONSE
For the past six years Fashion Revolution has focused on highlighting the people working in fashion supply chains. We have seen hundreds of thousands of people use hashtags in order to demand greater transparency from the fashion industry. Thousands of fashion brands have shared details about the facilities and people who make their clothes and thousands of garment workers, artisans, farmers and producers have told their stories about working in the supply chain. Our voices are being heard but human rights abuses, gender inequality and environmental degradation remain rife in the global fashion industry. 57
Use of Fashion Revolution hashtags during April from 2015 to 2019
180
178,000
160
173,000
140 120 100
113,000
Number of posts (thousands)
80 70,000
60 40
42,000
20 0 2015
2016
2017
2018
2019 58
W E N E E D TO K E E P AS K I N G # W H O M A D E M YC LOT H E S TO P U S H F O R G R E AT E R T R A N S PA R E N C Y A N D H E L P I M P R OV E T H E L I V E S O F T H E M I L L I O N S O F P E O P L E WO R K I N G I N T H E FAS H I O N S U P P LY C H A I N .
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EVENTS Thousands of events are held throughout the year, the majority during Fashion Revolution Week. Events not only help to spread the message of change, they also seek to teach new skills, broaden minds and connect and support local communities. Panels and Q&As allow us to discuss ideas and collaborate, providing to engage with those with different experiences and ways of thinking.
1800 events in over
60 countries
Read more about our global events here 60
“Coming together at annual ‘question time’ events and hearing the views of various stakeholders and of panellists is always enlightening and interesting.” Survey Respondent
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photo by Rachel Manns
L to R: Mary Creagh, MP and Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee; Hendrik Alpen, Sustainability Engagement Manager, H&M Group; Laura Balmond, Project Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation; Mark Sumner, Lecturer in Sustainability, Fashion & Retail, University of Leeds, and Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey
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On Wednesday, 24th April 2019, Fashion Revolution hosted the fifth annual Fashion Question Time at the V&A Museum in London, UK. Chaired by Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey, this year’s event brought together leading figures across government and the fashion industry to discuss its future. Members of the public were invited to ask questions to the panel around the theme ‘Tomorrowland: how innovation and sustainability will change the fashion panorama’. A blog post with more details about the event and the questions asked can be found here.
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photo by Study Hall
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Hot on the heels of a successful partnership with the United Nations in February, the first international edition of Study Hall was held in London, UK at Central Saint Martins college of art and design, in collaboration with Fashion Revolution. Study Hall x Central Saint Martins x Fashion Revolution gathered leading industry experts in fashion and textile manufacturing, paired with cultural influencers, academics, activists and artists. Study Hall continues to be among the most culturally diverse events of its kind, this time exploring the central theme of “Sustainability as a Culture�, and themes of racial justice, responsible sourcing and manufacturing, circularity, and authenticity in design. You can watch the entire event here. 65
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT WE MAKE 400 BILLION M 2 OF TEXTILES ANNUALLY. 6 0 BILLION M 2 IS CUTTING ROOM FLOOR WASTE.
# FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N
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FASHI ON OPE N STU DIO FASHION OPEN STUDIO, FASHION REVOLUTION’s showcasing initiative, launched in 2017, is a week of presentations, talks, openings and workshops shining a light on emerging designers, established trailblazers and major players, celebrating the people and processes behind fashion and accessories collections, promoting industry transparency and longevity through simple, authentic narratives that resonate with consumers and creatives alike.
#FashionOpenStudio
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Watch the film here 68
1165
39
people attended Fashion Open Studio events during April 2019
Fashion Open Studio events took place during April 2019
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“I think its really bringing awareness from production to consumer, all the way along the chain and making people really think about who made their clothes. � Priya Ahluwalia Designer 70
RESOURCES Fashion Revolution is proud to be an opensource platform, meaning it provides brand assets, cutting-edge research reports, practical how-to guides, inspiring Get Involved packs, informative educational resources and action-oriented campaigning tools as free, digital downloads on the website. Being open source allows everyone, across the globe the ability to access content, regardless of income. Fashion Revolution feel very strongly about this aspect of its work and will always strive to provide this service. View the resources on the website here
18 new or updated resources published since
April 2018 71
The average British woman hoards £285 of clothes they will never wear. That’s £30 billion of unworn clothes. # FAS H I O N R E VO LU T I O N
CAMPAIGN ASSETS
INFOGRAPHICS
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
POSTCARD & EMAIL TEMPLATES
ACTION KITS
HOW-TO GUIDES
REPORTS
VIDEOS
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“Fashion Revolution gave me, and continues to give me, the resources I need to cause change� Survey Respondent
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FASHION TRANSPARENCY INDEX
Read the full index here
This is the fourth edition of the Fashion Transparency Index, which we conduct annually. This year we reviewed 200 of the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts. The highest scoring brands - Adidas/ Reebok and Patagonia - achieved 64% of the 250 possible points, showing even leading brands have significant room for improvement. Of the brands reviewed since 2017, their scores have increased by almost 9%. This progress suggests that inclusion in the Index has motivated many major brands to become more transparent.
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FINDINGS-AT-A-GLANCE
5
HIGHEST SCORING BRANDS
Adidas
64%
Reebok
64%
Patagonia
64%
Esprit
62%
H&M
61%
Average score in each section
Number of brands publishing suppliers lists 2017
2018
2019
48%
27%
KNOW, SHOW & FIX
TRACEABILITY
12%
SPOTLIGHT ISSUES
17%
14%
32 55 70
9%
increase in average score amongst 98 brands reviewed since 2017
Processing facilities
14 27
BIGGEST MOVERS
38
(% CHANGE SINCE 2018)
Dior Sainsbury's
GOVERNANCE
First-tier manufacturers
*out of 250 possible points
5
POLICY & COMMITMENTS
22% Tu Clothing
21%
Nike Converse, Jordan and Nike
21%
New Balance
18%
Marc Jacobs
17%
Suppliers of raw materials
0 1 10
5
BRANDS SCORING ZERO POINTS
Youngor
0
Jessica Simpson
0
Mexx
0
Elie Tahari
0
Tom Ford
0
4%
increase in average score amongst 150 brands reviewed since 2018
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VIEWPOINT: GARMENT WORKERS LIKE ME DESERVE MORE TRANSPARENCY FROM BRANDS AND RETAILERS
JENNY DEWI GARMENT WORKER CENTER
I have been a garment worker since 1999, and a member of the Garment Worker Center for six years. I joined the GWC because their mission is to organize Los Angeles workers to change the local industry for the better, and emphasize the importance of fashion brand accountability. Transparency is at the heart of brand accountability, and would be helpful for garment workers in Los Angeles and across the globe. We also need more local, national, and international policies that ensure such transparency is enforced in order to stop sweatshop labor. I want Fashion Revolution to expose the problems prevalent in the fashion industry so that customers, the public, and the government will demand real changes from retailers and brands. Over 45,000 garment workers in Los Angeles are working in a sweatshop industry. Every sector of the industry needs to take part in ending the exploitation, and making the working conditions better for garment workers in Los Angeles and across the globe.
This year, we were able to include case studies and viewpoints from people working within the fashion value chain, including garment workers, trade unionists, a cotton farmer representative and young fashion consumer. Learning about these experiences helped show us why it is so important to continue our fight for transparency.
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77
FTI 2019
transparency
42,500 accountability reads since April 2019
change 78
FREE ONLINE COURSE
Watch the trailer here
This year’s online open course titled ‘Fashion’s Future and the Sustainable Development Goals’, was hosted by FutureLearn and available to take online for free. In the course, we heard from experts across a number of fields and explored how our clothes are made, how fashion supply chains work and what impacts our clothes have on the environment and people working across the industry. Learners were introduced to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they link to the global fashion industry, the clothes we wear and our role as consumers and citizens.
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ONLINE COURSE
“Engaging, eye opening and relevant, up to date and concise info. Positive as well as negative and challenging stories. Brilliant.� Survey Respondent and registered learner
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ONLINE COURSE
11,108 Registered learners of the free online course
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HAULTERNATIVE
You don’t need to buy new clothes to enjoy a haul. Instead of the traditional fashion haul, where you go shopping and post a video of what you’ve bought, try a #haulternative; a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes. STEP 1 Pick a #haulternative STEP 2 Make your video STEP 3 Upload and share Find out more information in our Haulternative guide
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HAULTERNATIVE
Traditional hauls tend to do well on YouTube and they’re easy (i.e. unoriginal) content to make. Honestly, buying that much junk was tiring, it filled up my closet with trendy pieces I don’t want in a month, and it was boring to make. I’m so much happier to share clothing that I had to hunt or search for to make it sustainable and worth showing on my channel! Arden Rose from the ‘Power of Influence’ blog series 83
HAULTERNATIVE
67,612 views on videos tagged #haulternative in 2019
video by Alli Cherry
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CONSUMER SURVEY REPORT Fashion Revolution commissioned a survey of 5,000 people aged 16-75 in the five largest European markets, including Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, to find out how supply chain transparency and sustainability impacts consumers’ purchasing decisions when shopping for clothing.
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CONSUMER SURVEY REPORT
6450 reads since November 2018
“68% of people agreed that the government has a role to play in ensuring that clothing is sustainably produced.” Consumer Survey Report
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HOW TO BE A FASHION REVOLUTIONARY Fashion Revolution and British Council’s revisited How to be a Fashion Revolutionary booklet. It’s full of inspiration and ideas about how you can use your voice and your power to transform the fashion industry as we know it.
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HTBAFR
11,676 reads since December 2018
FASHION REVOLUTION
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HOW TO GUIDES As part of Fashion Revolution’s partnership with DEAR, a series of short and informative ‘how to’ videos and accompanying guides were released that narrate a range of revolutionary fashion skills. From mending holes, to eliminating waste, to using your voice as an activist, these personal stories offer bits of wisdom from everyday citizens and industry experts.
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HOW TO GUIDES
Love this. Everyone should know how! Thanks for bringing back life skills. How-to video viewer
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HOW TO GUIDES
50k views of the how-to video series
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FANZINE LIBRARY “Making fanzines was something we had always wanted to do, so when the occasion arose we jumped at it wholeheartedly. For a creative campaign such as ours, the medium is ideal as it can convey complicated messages in a visual way, without taking anything away from the rigour of the conversation. Each zine has its own identity which also to me reiterates how the multiple issues we tackle are so different, and have a different set of solutions.�
Fashion Revolution Co-founder Orsola De Castro
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FANZINES
37,400
34,900
have read Zine #1 ‘Money, Fashion, Power’
have read Zine #2 ‘Loved Clothes Last’
12,200
2000
have read Zine #3 ‘Fashion Environment Change’
have read Zine #4 ‘Fashion Craft Revolution’ 93 93
PRESS & MEDIA Press and media support help Fashion Revolution to increase public awareness, generate an activist depth of feeling and develop the community into a movement for change. It also helps to engage more businesses, policymakers and governments. Press and media is an important part of Fashion Revolution’s growth as a movement.
1754 articles published globally during
April 2019
View the press page on the website here 94
PRESS & MEDIA Read the full article here
Read the full article here
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PRESS & MEDIA Read the full article here
Read the full article here
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PRESS & MEDIA Read the full article here
Read the full article here
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PRESS & MEDIA
1.4bn total reach of press during April 2019
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GOING FORWARD Fashion Revolution, along with the systems it wishes to change, is a constantly evolving movement. As such, it aims to always be doing the most and best that it can to accommodate the needs of its revolutionary community. With the hopes of past years slowly becoming a reality, the message now moves forward. What would you like to see from Fashion Revolution in the years to come?
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GOING FORWARD
60%
of people would like to see more information on the environmental effects of the fashion industry
51%
of people would like to see more information on how to effect policy change
51%
of people would like to see more information about people in the supply chain
43%
of people would like more information on how to mobilise others
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GOING FORWARD
W E N E E D TO K E E P AS K I N G # W H O M A D E M YC LOT H E S TO P U S H F O R G R E AT E R T R A N S PA R E N C Y A N D H E L P I M P R OV E T H E L I V E S O F T H E M I L L I O N S O F P E O P L E WO R K I N G I N T H E FAS H I O N S U P P LY C H A I N .
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GOING FORWARD
I would like to know better how to help to raise awareness. I believe changes have to be made through government policies and I would like to know how to contribute in them. Survey Respondent
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GOING FORWARD
W E W I L L E N CO U R AG E A N D S U P P P O R T E N GAG E M E N T W I T H P O L I C Y M A K E R S TO E N S U R E W E S E E G LO BA L S U P P LY C H A I N T R A N S PA R E N C Y A N D R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y I N P R AC T I C E , N OT J U S T P R I N C I P L E .
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GOING FORWARD
I am a knitwear designer. Most of the information I have seen from Fashion Revolution focuses on end products. More information and/or resources for makers would be helpful. Survey Respondent
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W E W I L L CO N T I N U E TO M O B I L I S E C I T I Z E N S A R O U N D T H E WO R L D, R E AC H I N G O U T TO T H O S E WO R K I N G W I T H I N T H E FAS H I O N I N D U S T RY A N D P R OV I D I N G T H E M W I T H T H E I N F O R M AT I O N A N D CO N F I D E N C E TO D E M A N D A C L E A N E R , SA F E R , M O R E FA I R I N D U S T RY. 105
SUMMARY In our 2015 White Paper, our wish was to start getting some real answers to our questions. We hoped to see thousands of brands and retailers willing and able to tell the public about the people who make their products. We hoped to see makers, producers and workers become visible, with thousands of their stories told. We hoped to to see more consumer demand for fashion made in a sustainable, ethical way and we hoped to see real transformative positive change begin to take root. We believe these hopes have begun to be fulfilled, however, since 2015, new hopes have been expressed, new goals have been set.
We will be publishing our new White Paper in December 2019. In it we will reflect on the changes over the past 5 years and what we would like to see happen in the next 5. As always, we thank our dedicated and passionate team of global revolutionaries. Your voices and actions make this change possible .
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JOIN THE FA S H I O N R E VO LU T I O N B E C U R I O U S . F I N D O U T. D O S O M E T H I N G
www.fashionrevolution.org
fb.com/fashionrevolution.org
@fash_rev
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