5 Years Since Rana Plaza, 5 Pieces of Good News on Fashion
Today marks the sad and somber anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, where over 1,100 people working in that factory complex in Bangladesh died making the kinds of clothes we wear every day. The news headlines today (rightly) are highlighting the work still to be done — on worker rights, labour conditions, modern slavery, and so many other issues —and there is a great deal still to do.
But some things have shifted, albeit slower than many of us would like, in the last five years. So maybe it’s that third coffee I had this morning, but my natural optimism is shining through. Here are five pieces of good news about fashion to inspire you to keep working hard to make sure what happened in Rana Plaza never happens again:
- Transparency is on the rise.
When we did the first round of ratings for Not My Style in 2016, publishing their supplier list was one of our highest rated indicators of transparency. And one of the least used — less than 6 brands were sharing their supplier lists. Flash forward two years and the count is above 30. Imagine where we’ll be in 2020?
We’re already seeing how increased transparency can move the whole sector forward to better practice. Projects like the Open Apparel Registry are taking this to the next level, using this type of data to create a tool that will identify factories worldwide.
Among many concerted efforts across actors and sectors, the Modern Slavery Act in the UK has helped spur brands along and move much needed corporate resources to transparency and tracking in the supply chain.
2. Technology is helping us inch closer to sustainability.
The news about tech is very doom and gloom these days, but there are so many incredible innovations being created today that will help make the fashion of the future more sustainable, humane and dare I say it, even circular. We love Po-Zu’s pineapple leather shoes (and Star Wars theme for the geek in our life) and Provenance’s blockchain technology, VitroLabs, who are engineering tissue to create leather from cow, crocodile and ostrich cells, and Worn Again, who recycle discarded textiles. And we’re not the only ones paying attention to the commercial viability of this technology. The Fashion for Good accelerator, supported by fashion heavyweights like Kering, Adidas and C&A, are supporting fashion and tech startups that put sustainability at the heart of their work.
3. Ethical fashion is getting more fashionable.
Those of us who love ethical fashion have been saying for years that it’s not all hemp and hippies, but now it seems like the rest of the world is catching up. It’s not just the future princess who has taken notice, but ethical fashion has become much more accessible in recent years. We’ve loved Reformation since we first set foot in their NY flagship store, and we’re not alone — the brand has grown dramatically since them, expanding around the US, and even hosted an extended pop-up in London last year. From top to toes, you can dress in ethical brands like Birdsong and Veja without sacrificing on style.
4. The high street is wising up to the value of healthy, empowered workers.
One of the most exciting trends we are seeing is when high street brands are thinking holistically about how partnership can help them put action behind a brand purpose. I’ve been a fan of SEWA since my grad school days, a trade union in India that focuses on poor women workers and helping them, among other things, gain more dignified, better remunerated employment. Imagine my delight to learn that Primark has been partnering with SEWA and CottonConnect to help SEWA’s members learn better growing practices that net more sustainable cotton. The results? The women who have participated in the programme have seen an average profit increase of 247% and a reduction of input costs.
When companies can move beyond charity partnerships to create transformational, mutually beneficial initiatives that are sustainable while also focusing on social impact, we all win.
5. Young people get it.
Much to do has been made about millennials and their ethical purchasing habits — or, depending on who you read, lack thereof. For every person who touts how young people are the most conscious consumers, you get another three citing that price is still the key factor in a buying decision. But guess what? Millennials are getting older and gaining more disposable income. They’re using this to grow the ethical buying market year on year. And Gen Z, you might still be scraping by on pocket money, but we’ve got faith in your ability to put your values behind your purchases.
In our experience, our most excited and engaged Not My Style users have been women in their 20s, who just intrinsically “get it.” They want beautiful clothes but they care where they were made. They may not be the driving force of the economy yet, but just wait.
