Today marks FASHION REVOLUTION DAY 24th April 2020!
The whole world has been bombarded with fast fashion, and a hundred ways to get your hands on the newest and trendiest goods via our devices. However in the last 10 years, it has been making headlines – the abhorrent treatment of those producing these goods, the factory working conditions, their pay and the very end of it’s cycle – landfills, where the chemicals used to manufacture the clothing leeches into the ground, poisoning the land, making the living conditions of those housed next to these, unlivable dumping grounds.
Now you’re probably sitting there, partially scrolling through instagram right? And it’s for that very reason it’s so important to hit this topic on the head today, as no doubt there’s been a bit of fast fashion thrown in your feed as we speak.
People are now awakening to the facts, and taking a stand by turning towards second hand goods, recycling garments to create new products to keep them from ending up in landfill, signing petitions, and a number of different ways in protest, as there is now too much evidence out there to ignore what has been going on. And then of course, there’s ‘Fashion Revolution’.
Beginning as a social media campaign, “Fashion Revolution Day” strove to bring attention to the devastating effects of fast fashion. Today it is sponsored and promoted by the non-profit group called Fashion Revolution, originally started by Carry Somers and Orsola de Castro. This global movement now has teams in over 100 countries around the world.
(Thankyou Stella McCartney’s winter 2017 collection, Photograph: Harley Weir and Urs Fischer for Stella McCartney)
Fashion Revolution’s cause: “On the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse, which killed 1,138 people and injured many more in 2013, we encourage millions of people to come together to campaign for systemic change in the fashion industry.
We are living in a climate emergency and the fashion & textiles sector is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries. The industry continues to lack transparency, with widespread exploitation of people working in the supply chain. Never before have there been this many people on the planet in slavery, and fashion is a key driver of this reality. Brands and retailers are still not taking enough responsibility for the pay and working conditions in their factories, the environmental impacts of the materials they use or how the products they make affect the health of people, animals and our living planet.” (Fashion Revolution, April 2020)
How to get involved?
There are a number of ways to get involved with the Fashion Revolution. The most popular of these being
Social media platforms: use #whomademyclothes hashtag to confront the brands in their production processes. Fashion Revolution recommends to: take a photo of your clothing label during Fashion Revolution Week, post the photo on social media, and ask the brand of the clothing, #whomademyclothes?. Participants can tag the brand in the photo with #whomademyclothes so they can see your question. Share to your social platforms during Fashion Revolution Week (22nd-28th April) and encourage friends to do the same.
Other ways: Via Fashion Revolution you can Sign a manifesto, buy a zine, or get involved as a citizen, and acquire free posters to plaster on your newsfeeds and the walls of your house… (we are in covid remember? #staysafe). You can read up on these options (and even get educational resources for all ages!) on their website https://www.fashionrevolution.org
Otherwise you can consider your next clothing hauls coming from your local charity stores #haulternative like Oxfam which has an online store, brands like Topshop have included a range of clothing that has been created by sustainable and eco-friendly methods. Etsy and specialty stores that take old garments and make them into new products put a holt on landfill waste, and bring a new lease of life to the wardrobe. You can download the apps: Good on you, GoodGuide, and aVOID to see if the brands you are next considering purchasing from have sustainability in mind (read here how they work). Try Tentree, Rapanui and more. There are actually so many new and old businesses getting on board with this. So, as we sit at home scrolling through our newsfeeds and being tempted by a billion options put before us to indulge in fast fashion, Why not support local and ethical businesses and those who are changing their practices to make a difference. Do the research, and if you are moved, take action by choosing any of the above to challenge and change the unethical treatment, and environmental deluge caused by the fashion industry!