“We love fashion. But we don’t want our clothes to exploit people or destroy our planet. We demand radical, revolutionary change.”

 

As you hippies know; We are ADORNED: Mama-daughter eco warriors. Fashion Revolution is something very close to our hearts which we partake in fighting for not just once a year, but every day. And you can help too.

What is Fashion Revolution?

Fashion Revolution is an organisation dedicated to increasing transparency and rights for garment workers. It was set up following the collapse of the Rana Plaza clothing factory in Bangladesh, where over 20% of its 5000 workers died and a further 50% were injured. This was completely preventable. Despite this occurring years ago, this is still happening within the fashion industry and will continue to – unless we step up and ask.

“Fashion Revolution strives to be action-oriented 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.”

Why are we writing this post about it?

Garment workers (mostly women), are exploited to work 14-16 hour days, up to 7 days a week, all to make a wage that most often does not cover that of the living wage. All to make cheap clothing that is not value by the end user – that’s us. Also below standards is the environment they have to work in. Cramped, crumbling buildings are huge safety and fire hazards. Leading to injuries, and sometimes even deaths

How can you get involved?

Fashion revolution is about using your voice, and buying power to create transparency and positive progress in the fashion world. This week each year, on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse, customers are encouraged to turn their clothes inside out and ask their favourite brands:

#WhoMadeMyClothes?

Brands and producers are encouraged to respond:

#IMadeYourClothes

You can do this directly on social media, by email and by post. There are lots of free resources directly on their website here.

Here are some of the beautiful souls in Nepal, India and Thailand who make your clothes. Seeing this really resonates with us and brings tears to our eyes, we’re especially proud.

Your voice can change everything.

Since Fashion Revolution started, people from all over the world have used their voice and their power to tell brands 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. More manufacturers are making their factories safer. More producers are being seen and heard.

Never underestimate the power of conscious consumption; what and where you spend your money is feeding what you wish to see in the world. By shopping ethically; sustainably and fairly, environmentally friendly, you help to bring about this future.

How Does COVID-19 Affect The Fashion Industry?

The world has come to a production standstill with the COVID outbreak. This unexpected halt in manufacturing, it is the most vulnerable, lowest paid people in the fashion supply chain that feel the worst effects. IndustriALL, the global trade union which works to give workers around the world a voice, says that millions of garment makers have already lost their jobs as a result of the virus and have no access to social or financial safety nets to help them weather this storm. Writing for the Business of Fashion, Bangladeshi garment manufacturer Mostafiz Uddin reminds us, “Poverty is a killer too, and many more people die from poverty than from COVID-19”.

While we may be stuck indoors, using social media our voices can still be amplified, especially when we speak up together. That’s why we’re asking our global community to be louder than ever. To ask #WhoMadeMyClothes? and demand that fashion brands protect the workers in their supply chain just as they would their own employees, especially during this unprecedented global health and economic crisis.

Fashion Revolution’s message is one of empowering us, to empower others. We hope you shall join us this week, to really use your voice and skills to bring this information forward to the world.

You can sign Fashion Revolution’s Manifesto, get more resources and information on their website here.

Love & light,
Adorned

created by Aimee & Sarah