Every year I join Fashion Revolution Week because I care about clothes and the people who make them.
Behind the pretty clothes and runway shows, the fashion industry has a very dark side to it and one that has for so long lacked transparency and accountability across the supply-chain.
Fashion is wonderful and it can and should make us feel good…but not at the cost of other people and the planet.
Did you know that we consume over 1.5 times our planet’s resources? Or that the clothing industry is the second most polluting in the world? Transparency around where our clothes come from isn’t very common – so many people can be forgiven for not knowing about it.
And this year it’s set to be even bigger, despite it all being hosted online.
The independent has done a nice intro piece on Fashion Revolution week which you can read here. Refinery 29 has also highlighted their favourite fashion activists during the lockdown and in lieu IRL events, which you can read here. There appears to be an even bigger buzz this year, perhaps because we are aware more aware of the cancelled and unpaid orders happening across the fashion world. COVID-19’s fall-out cannot be fully comprehended, it’s a conversation that I’m sure will be debated heavily across the week.
What is Fashion Revolution?
The Fashion Revolution is a global movement that started after the tragic event at Rana Plaza on April 24th 2013. When the factory in Bangladesh collapsed, it took the lives of 1,138 garment workers. On this day, the Fashion Revolution was born.
Together, the Fash Rev community campaigns for a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry. One where millions of people are lifted out of poverty and provided with fair pay and a decent livelihood.
In these unprecedented times, the world has ground to a halt and left us facing anything other than business-as-usual. But it has proven particularly devasting for the people in the supply-chain. The COVID-19 crisis has led major businesses and retailers to close their doors and cancel supplier payments and orders. All without taking responsibility for the livelihoods of their workers – many of whom rely on their jobs in clothing factories to provide their only means of income.
Why I Join #FashRev Every Year…
7 years on from the tragedy at Rana Plaza and unethical practices remain rife within the fashion industry. Some of the biggest players in the fashion business – who have the means and resources to care for their workers – are not taking responsibility for their workforce. At the bare minimum, brands should be supporting their supply-chain workers. That’s why I join #FashionRevolution every year. Because I care about clothes and the people who make them.
Now more than ever, we must reflect on our relationship with material goods, the broken system and demand that each and every person who makes our clothes are seen and heard.
This week we can all be fashion revolutionaries by bringing more attention to the issues in the industry and holding brands accountable by asking #WhoMadeMyClothes?
How We’re Getting Involved…
In support of this amazing initiative, Roberta Style Lee and Ethical Brand Directory are involved in and hosting a number of ONLINE events and continuing the digital Revolution while we remain in lockdown. These events include:
- Ethical Brand Directory’s Business Support Webinars – this series is designed to give back to small, independent businesses struggling during COVID-19. Find out more and book your tickets here.
- Ethical Brands For Fashion Revolution – Ethical Brand Directory is a proud sponsor of this event, where I’ll also be speaking and interviewing some of the EBD family. Find out more here.
…more info coming soon!
