Have you ever wondered what goes behind those fashion labels? How and where your clothes are made and what happens to people who make them? Most shoppers are unaware of the exploitation {in the fashion industry} that goes behind that beautiful garment hanging on a rack.
When globalization started in the fashion industry, its goal was to provide consumers with lower-cost clothing, while creating jobs in less prosperous parts of the world. It was kind of a perfect win-win solution. But unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked out that way.
The fashion industry somehow got mixed up in a system that includes harming, enslaving and even killing people. Yes, while millions of jobs have been created in developing countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, and many others, the working conditions of the labour in these parts of the world are less than humane. To put things in perspective, a garment worker in Bangladesh is paid an average salary of less than $60 a month. Most of these workers are women who are underpaid and are forced to work in lethal conditions. Yes, I’m talking about $60 for working sweat and blood for a good 30 days. Shocking? Think about how we spend that kind of money for just one dinner or a pair of shoes we probably will wear only once or twice.
While on one side, fast fashion has made fashion accessible for everyone on the other side of the spectrum the cost of this is paid by others. Plus, we cannot ignore the impact of the industry’s wrongdoings on the planet (landfills, pollution and toxins in oceans) and the suffering that the animals are put through for fashion.
For many years, the dark side of the fashion world was hidden under the shadows. But when 6 years ago, a factory in Bangladesh collapsed, the whole world woke up. On 24th April 2013, when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed, taking the lives of 1,129 workers and injuring more than 2,500 others, Dhaka witnessed the world’s worst garment-factory accident in history. It was a big slap on the face of the brands, some of which were even unaware of themselves where and how their clothes were being made. This brought in the spotlight the problem of lack of transparency and accountability in the fashion supply chain – one of the most complex in the world.
Right after the Rana Plaza collapse, Fashion Revolution was incepted, a non-profit organization committed to enacting genuine change. Their action began with a simple hashtag: #WhoMadeMyClothes? The aim of this campaign was to encourage more curious consumers and demand transparency from companies; a goal that 6 years down has not completely been achieved but the initiative has definitely created a lot of awareness about what goes on in the fashion world.
Many brands like H&M and Zara have launched their sustainable collections, perhaps as an answer to the Fashion Revolution campaign. However, the truth is even these collections focus more on the environmental side as opposed to their social impact. The issues largely still remain.
After this incident, there has been a spike in the growth of ethical brands. There are so many upcoming designers and brands who have beautiful collections that are created ethically using sustainable materials and by paying fair wages to their workers. So now there’s honestly no excuse to not shop ethically and mindfully.
Now, as consumers, the question is What can we do about it?
Join the #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign. Every year during the week of 24th April, Fashion Revolution Week launches the #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign along with a slew of other activities and events to create awareness about the need for sustainability in the fashion industry.
To be a part of this campaign all you have to do is use the hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes on social media, to put pressure on the brands not adhering to their responsibilities.
I also recommend you all to watch the fashion documentary “The True Cost” on Netflix, it throws light on what goes on in the fashion industry – labour, farmers, agriculture, and the environment and what does it mean to us.
So the answer to that question is simple – ask the right questions to demand change and support ethical brands that are doing good.
