Fair fashion: how sustainability became more than a buzzword

‘We are not a charity” is the mantra of the

[ The Ethical Fashion Initiative ]

. It was formed as part of the

International Trade Centre

, itself a joint agency of the

United Nations

and the

World Trade Organisation

. The initiative aims to make sustainability a permanent factor in fashion retail: a necessity that is much more than a worthy cause.

“Sustainability” has become a buzzword in fashion. This is not surprising, given the many accusations of worker exploitation and the adverse environmental impact that has been wreaked by decades of fast fashion.

On April 23rd, 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building in Bangladesh, was evacuated due to several cracks appearing on the building's facade and walls. It was home to a bank, several shops and a slew of garment factories. The bank and shop workers did not re-enter the building; the garment workers did. They had orders to fill, and the threat of docked wages loomed over their heads. The next day, the building collapsed. The Rana Plaza tragedy killed 1,137 people, most of them garment workers, and most of them young women. More than 200 people were never found.

In the aftermath of this disaster and other controversies, the sentiment towards sustainable fashion seems to have changed for the better. Vivienne Westwood, a partner of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, who manufactures many of her bags in Kenya, is adamant: "This is not charity. This is work." The initiative's other fashion partners include Stella McCartney; Marni; and Sass & Bide. It is seeking to cultivate local trade in developing countries that can empower workers without patronising or disenfranchising them.

Things must change

The word “sustainability” is often thrown around without a full understanding of what it means. For some, sustainability means keeping manufacturing environmentally friendly. For others, it means better pay and working environments. For others still, it means building a business model that can be carried on after an initial investment period has ended. In reality, it is all three. Sustainability is not just a buzzword that aims to improve moral fibre. It has a very literal translation: the current fashion industry model is unsustainable, and things must change.

Sustainable fashion starts at home, and Prairie Organic, an Irish based T-shirt company, is the first of its kind to be registered as a Fairtrade company in Ireland. Prairie's organic cotton is produced to exacting standards in India, ensuring a superior product and fair employment conditions for cotton farmers. The company launches in March, and will have a range of T-shirts available for wholesale or printing to specifications.

Monkee business

Monkee Genes, an ethical denim company, has taken what seems like the opposite approach. It is in the process of turning itself into a registered charity in order to properly illustrate how high-street clothing can be manufactured and delivered ethically.

Monkee Genes’ campaign “Stop Taking the Pennies” is an attempt to illustrate how that can be done, by spearheading awareness campaigns and educational initiatives financed by the company’s profits. Fifty cent from the price of every pair of Monkee Genes – which is in and of itself a great high-street denim brand, with flattering cuts and quality material – will also go towards building schools in Bangladesh.

Sustainability is a global issue; it is not confined to developing countries. Small business owners and young designers can find it hard to get a leg up without sinking into debt or developing massive overheads.

Print All Over Me is a new clothing company that styles itself as a creative community, in which designers and artists can upload their work on to a preset design and have it digitally printed in-house. The company operates in the United States and just outside Shanghai, where their workers are paid at least four times a fair wage and are given full health coverage. Anyone can upload their own designs to be printed, with the added bonus of earning extra money should anyone else make a purchase. That's true sustainability; helping oneself by helping others.

[ printallover.me ]

[ monkeegenes.com ]

[ prairietraders.com ]