Fashion Revolution Week – The meaning behind a movement

by Sophie Newman

Now that Fashion Revolution Week 2018 (April 23-29th) has drawn to a close, we are left buzzing from the afterglow of a week of activism, compassion and connection.

But what is the meaning behind 402,000 instagram hashtags? And where do we go from here?

We’ll aim to provide momentum and context by answering these and other simple questions below.

How did it start

The April 24, 2013 Bangladesh Rana Plaza disaster sparked the ground breaking documentary True Cost and was the catalyst for the world’s biggest fashion activism movement Fashion Revolution. But how did this single event stand out against the landscape of human rights issues, and cause a reaction that reverberated across the globe? Because the loss of life occurred in the name of high volumes of cheap garments created at the expense of people and the environment; fast fashion that young women in the western countries were consuming as fast as their pay-checks would allow. And the party was over.

“There were 29 brands identified in the rubble. It would take years for some of them to pay compensation. For some families, providing DNA evidence to claim that compensation, would never be possible. To this day a high percentage of survivors are unemployed and suffer from severe trauma.” (Source: Fashion Revolution ANZ)

It was no longer possible for the public to deny that their ‘one-night-only’ party dresses were the cause of the destruction of not only resources, but lives.

Beginning with UK Fashion Revolution founders Carry Somers & Orsola de Castro, the branded movement has grown to incorporate a global co-ordination team facilitating communications and events across 93 countries.

Image: Fashionrevolution.org

What is the meaning behind 141,000 #fashrev and 261,000 #whomademyclothes hashtags on instagram

Unsurprisingly, the biggest buyers of fashion have different moral values to the large corporations producing them, “Millennials are typically thought to be more ethically and community minded than previous cohorts, with a deep desire to leave the world in a better shape that today…they shun traditions and have different financial priorities than previous generations.” (Source: Good Company 2017). And the disparity between them continues to widen as more and more people ask #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES . This call to action by the Fashion Revolution movement acknowledges the power of the consumer to influence the policies of big brands both socially and using their dollar. #Fashrev encourages people to share their intention to buy sustainable and ethically made fashion with their friends and followers. #whomademyclothes is a direct invitation to a brand to respond to a customer’s enquiry about the ethics behind their clothing manufacture, and sometimes the ‘crickets’ are deafening.

Customers ask Brands #whomademyclothes for #fashrev
Image: instagram.com/ethicalfashion_review

Due to the power of social media and eagerness of Gen’s X & Y to get behind a rally cry, fashion labels can no longer hide behind the once mutually-beneficial wall of don’t-ask-don’t-tell when it comes to how fashion is made.

Where to from here?

Five years on from the catalyst for the movement, there is still a lot of work to do. The aforementioned ‘deafening silence’ from some of the large fashion brands who are asked about their manufacturing practices is a culture that will continue to shift as more people start to shift their dollar to buy ethically made and transparent fashion labels.

As individuals, the subtle changes we make as consumers have wide-reaching ripple effects. To make a start or grow on your ethical fashion journey, we recommend the following;

Re-use – Mend, alter and extend the life of your existing wardrobe. Change ‘new is best’ ideology with ‘longer is kinder’
Recycle – Donate and buy from charity shops, swap with your friends, sell on groups and ensure your discarded clothing doesn’t end up in land fill.
Rent/Borrow – Hire or loan items you’ll only wear once from friends or clothing hire libraries. Most of them will deliver to your door!
Research – Only buy from brands who are transparent and know without a doubt that the people making their clothes are paid a living wage with fair and safe working conditions.