But wait, who actually made my clothes?
April 22, aka Earth Day, marked another day of nothing-new features: Turning off lights to save energy (or to casually mourn our ‘earthly’ damages while on our cell phones), retail and tech giants talking recycling, scientists frenzying to save the planet and celebrities more enthusiastic about our Earth than they have ever been.
As a person who is always plotting on what next to wear, a quiet revolution that’s been brewing for a bit caught my eye — The conscious, fashionable lot are wearing their clothes inside-out and are asking their favorite brands, “Who made my clothes?” And, in the absence of an(y) answer, several weavers, tailors, farmers and factory workers are holding up something real, and powerful — posters that read, “I made your clothes.”
Welcome to Fashion Revolution Week, 2019.
Wait, so what is Fashion Revolution?
Founded by London-based designers Carry Somers and Orsola de Castro, this movement was launched a year after one of Bangladesh’s massive tragedies — the Rana Plaza building collapse on April 24, 2013, where more than 1,130 textile workers died and over 2,500 were injured — the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. The incident, which ironically occurred when the rest of the world was celebrating Earth Week, shocked the world because it blew the lid wide open on the glitzy glamorous facade of the fashion industry to expose hideous human rights violations.
The Fashion Revolution day (April 24) is now commemorated every year by ethical fashion advocates to not only remind us that people lose their limbs and lives for the sake of cheap fashion, but also to call for a fairer, safer, more transparent fashion industry, which goes far beyond your next outfit for most.
Do we need another movement?
Me and everyone I know would plot a rebellion if our pay didn’t fall into our bank accounts on time, if our coffee machines at work were broken, or if we have to take on someone else’s assignment (again). Hell, we’d probably quit and never look back if someone yelled at us at our workplace, because how dare they?
Surprise, surprise. Garment workers have 0 choice in the matter.
Of the 75 million people who work to make our clothes, 80% of them are women between the ages of 18 and 35, and are subject to exploitation; verbal and physical abuse, and work in unsafe and dirty conditions, with very little or no pay.
Garments are the second highest at-risk category, after tech, for modern slavery according to the Global Slavery Index 2018. So, hell yes?
What did the revolution do?
It got 3.25 million people to question the business of fashion, think for a hot second about what they were doing wrong, and laid a bedrock of inspiration of how to do it right. According to Fashion Revolution.org, the movement’s impact in 2018 was the loudest it has ever been. Global favorites like Zara, Fat Face, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, G Star Raw, Marks and Spencer, Marimekko and Gildan were among more than 3838 fashion brands and retailers that responded with real information about their suppliers or photographs of their workers saying #imadeyourclothes. With reports surfacing that brands like H&M and Zara are more transparent and are attempting the most at changing their labor practices than luxury brands like Gucci and Versace, this noise is bound to shake things up a bit.
What can we do, you and I?
The especially good thing about this movement is that it reminds us that our voice can change everything, and that it doesn’t take much to get involved:
🧤There’s always a #haulternative: Being mindful about our purchases, buying less, but buying better and keeping things for longer can help cut down on steep environmental and human costs. The latest in this effort is the #haulternative challenge by Fashion Revolution and Greenpeace’s Makesmthng campaign — a way of refreshing your wardrobe without buying new clothes: From shopping secondhand, swapping with a friend/family, renting special pieces, to DIY customization. This link tells you how.
🧤Poster, please: Imagine doing some good, and all it would take is a selfie! You can download and print these Fashion Revolution posters to use with your selfie, when asking brands/retailers #whomademyclothes?
🧤Write a love story, but make it fashion: Write a love letter about an item of clothing that means a lot to you. As someone who is still doe-eyes for her 5-year-old, faded denim jacket, and who will eventually write a love letter for it, I can say that this is anything but silly. This activity is aimed to encourage you to fall back in love with the clothes that you already own, and fulfill their purpose by wearing them again.
🧤Engage with your favorite brand: In the spirit of creating dialog, the org also encourages you to write a letter to a brand and ask #whomademyclothes? Fill in their name, sign yours and share on social media, tagging the brand and @fash_rev. Simply download and print a pre-written letter or edit a Microsoft Word template here.
When we start to truly understand that there are people behind the clothing in our closets, our relationship with fashion will change for the better. Respecting the clothes we own reinforces the fact that we should respect the people who make them.
- Orsola de Castro, Founder and Creative Director of Fashion Revolution on Teen Vogue.
The question is, would you like to know who made your clothes too? Apparently now, all we’ve got to do, is just ask.
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