Global Garbs - Issue 07 - The Activist Issue by Global Garbs

global garbs A SUSTAINABLE FASHION MAGAZINE Issue 07

ADITI MAYER CARRY SOMERS JEWHER ILHAM TOLMEIA GREGORY Interviews with advocates around the world

THE

ACTIVISM ISSUE

With Human Rights Foundation

THE HARSH REALITY OF WORKING AT A FAST FASHION COMPANY An ex-designer shares her story

GLOBAL GARBS Editor-in-chief Lauren Tanaka-Fortune

In partnership with

Editorial and Marketing

Contributors & Interviews

SPONSORED BY

COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF

ISSUE 07

Samera Hayashi

Esme Buxton Tolmeia Gregory Aditi Mayer Carry Somers Jewher Ilam

GOEX REKA

ADITI MAYER OF ADIMAY

GLOBAL GARBS Issue 07

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR'S LETTER

LIFESTYLE

SUSTAINABLE OBSESSIONS

51 SHOPPING GUIDE: THESE BRANDS HAVE COMMITTED TO ENDING UYGHUR FORCED LABOR

EDUCATION 15

HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY In partnership with Human Rights Foundation

WHAT DOES FASHION ACTIVISM MEAN TO YOU? An interview with four activists around the world

THE HARSH REALITY OF WORKING FOR A FAST FASHION COMPANY An ex-designer shares her story

HOW TO BREAK UP WITH FAST FASHION 3 tips to break up once and for all

INTERVIEWS

FEATURED PARTNER: HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION

An interview with Jewher Ilham; Uyghur advocate, spokesperson for the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labor

CARRY SOMERS Founder of Fashion Revolution

46 39

TOLMEIA GREGORY Climate activist and artist

ADITI MAYER Fashion blogger, photo journalist, and labor rights activist

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR In an industry worth over 1.2 trillion dollars globally, it’s not surprising to see exploitation, labor rights issues, and even forced labor going on. But how did we get here? With fast fashion companies dominating the industry, huge corporations have been taking advantage of smaller countries with low wages and disregarding any labor rights or working conditions. In an era where profit is valued above people and the planet, there also comes a rise in activism and advocates for human rights in the fashion industry. In fact, if you think about it, fast fashion in general is a newer industry to the fashion industry as a whole. Prior to say the early eighties, most people

COVER PHOTO BY:

were actually paying a fair price for clothing. The

The Human Beauty Movement

prices are probably no that different than what fast

Photographer: Kathryna Hancock

fashion is priced at today; if that’s not a big enough red flag on its own! The truth about conscious consumerism is that we have been led to believe that we can make a difference through our individual purchases. Yes to some extent that can be true. If we buy less and companies take notice, they’ll make changes, right? However, in order to create real, lasting, and meaningful change we still need new laws and systems put into place. Advocates for human rights in the fashion industry is a somewhat newer space in that fast fashion is really what started this whole mess in the first place. It’s an endless cycle of production, toxic chemicals, and bad working conditions. Even at the corporate level of fast fashion in the U.S., workers are seeing the toxicity and exploitation happening - so you can only imagine what happens in less developed countries. In issue 07, The Activism Issue, we are taking a look into the different organizations, human rights advocates, and true change-makers. Whether they are working for an organization like Jewher Ilham

We’ve partnered up with The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) which is a nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Their Wear Your Values programs engage the fashion industry in the human rights movement through a series of events and exhibitions designed to educate consumers and to promote supply-chain transparency in countries ruled by dictatorial regimes. I’m very proud of this issue and for the many individuals who not only allowed me to interview them, but for their everyday fight for human rights. At the end of the day, that is what truly matters. People should not die for fashion. They should not be enslaved and forced into labor. We as humans have got to do better. After reading through this issue, I encourage you to take action. Whether it’s signing up for HRF’s newsletter or signing a petition to help end Uyghur forced labor, we can all take small steps. Just like sustainability, we can do our part but ultimately it’s our combined voices that can create true change by changing the system altogether.

who we spoke to about her advocacy work with the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labor, or Carry Somers - the founder of Fashion Revolution - the largest fashion activist group around the world; it’s voices and leaders like these who inspire us to do more than just shop sustainably. We cannot shop our way to sustainability. Anyone who tells you this has got to dive deeper.

Lauren Tanaka - Fortune Global Garbs founder 6

LIFESTYLE

Sustainable OBSESSIONS 2

ABLE CADY WRAP DRESS $150

The Cady is a midi length wrap dress featuring a v-neckline and a relaxed dolman sleeve with a cuff detail. The two buttons at the waistband allow for a tighter or looser fit and can also be adjusted with the tie, which hits at the hips. Made of puckered gauze, the breathable fabric makes this a great dress to wear on warmer days with sandals or dressed up with heels.

SWAIR DRY SHAMPOO

Get it here!

Did you know most dry shampoos are toxic, drying, and just really bad for you and the environment? Well, not Swair! Made with love from a personal experience not being able to find good dry shampoo not in the form of an aerosol or powder than can often lead to flakes, this shampoo refreshes your mane without drying and alcohol (the most common ingredient in most dry shampoos).

Buy it here!

GOEX

As a member of the Fair Trade Federation, Goex tees are made from US grown cotton, recycled polyester and rayon. Every triblend shirt contains the equivalent of approximately 5 plastic water bottles! Mega-factory shirts will typically travel 16,000 miles in their production journey — leaving toxic oil residue in the ocean. Our cotton is sourced right here in the US, shipped only 1,200 miles to Haiti to be sewn into shirts, and shipped back to the US for sale.

Get them here! GLOBAL GARBS PARTNER

VESTAIRE COLLECTIVE

The leading global app for desirable pre-loved fashion, dedicated to transforming the fashion industry for a more sustainable future by promoting the circular fashion movement as an alternative to overproduction and overconsumption and the wasteful practices of the fashion industry. Shop here

LUXE BOTANICS AT BEAUTYOLOGIE

This high-performance skincare line features Global Botanical oils whose molecular structure mimics, balances, and protects our skin. In fair trade alliances, organic and wild-harvested oils are sourced to support the environment and local communities. Shop the collection at Beautyologie.com

LA RELAXED LINEN WRAP TOP

A dreamy linen wrap top featuring full sleeves edged with smocking and a wrap front. An antique metal hook and eye at the center front adds extra coverage if desired. The wide ribbon style wrap can be tied in the front or the back. FACT: Linen is made from the flax plant, which can be grown with minimal water, and used in it's entirety after harvesting, leaving a low carbon footprint and even improving soil quality.

$88 Get one here!

KES VENUS DROP SHOULDER DRESS

The Venus Drop Shoulder Dress is designed in a flattering oneshoulder silhouette, cut on the bias from luxurious, biodegradable Silk Charmeuse that lays languidly around the body. Mid-length with an asymmetric hem that begins around the knee. Features delicate ruching details on the shoulder and a slightly loose asymmetric neckline that creates an artful cowl drape. $420 kesnyc.com 12

EDUCATION

How to Advocate for Human Rights in the Fashion Industry

In partnership with Human Rights Foundation (HRF)

hen it comes to human rights and fashion, the

industry as a whole is still incredibly unjust, toxic, and often linked to abuses perpetrated by authoritarian regimes. As one of the world’s largest economies (worth an estimated $1.5 trillion in 2020), the most labor-intensive stages of production in the fashion industry are still done in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and China, where workers’ rights are continuously violated. For example, did you know that there’s a 1 in 5 chance that your clothes are at high-risk of being linked to Uyghur forced labor? In the northwest of China, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, known as the Uyghur Region, millions of Uyghurs ― along with Kazakhs, Tajiks, and other Muslim groups ― are incarcerated in a statesponsored modern-day slavery system.

EDUCATION WHO ARE THE UYGHURS, YOU MAY ASK? Uyghur people speak a distinct language, and practice a unique culture that is different from the dominant Han Chinese group. The majority of the Uyghur population is Muslim. There are currently more than one million Uyghur Muslims who have been detained and are working in forced labor camps across China. This system of abuse has been recognized by the United States and other global democracies as a genocide perpetrated by the Chinese government. There are many fashion brands that have been found to be linked to such forced labor and are profiting from the exploitation of Uyghurs, one of which is The Gap. In June of 2021, as part of its Wear Your Values program, the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) initiated a campaign, mimicking a viral fashion marketing campaign by Yeezy x Gap, called “Uncomfortable Truth,” to bring attention to the links between the apparel industry and the Uyghur genocide. As showcased in this video, Yeezy fans took the bait-and-switch when HRF marketed a blue jumpsuit with a QR code — the same marketing strategy that The Gap x Yeezy used for a blue jacket that sold out immediately.

This time, though, Yeezy fans were surprised to find that when scanning the QR code, they were shown something quite shocking: details about what was really happening with regard to Uyghur forced labor camps. The campaign went on to raise awareness about what’s really happening behind closed doors, and website traffic, shares, and impressions increased to over 7M.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Multiple fashion brands and international companies have been found to be profiting from the exploitation of Uyghurs. Some do so openly, others cover up their ties to forced labor by claiming that they cannot completely trace their supply chains. When you buy from these brands, you are unknowingly supporting suffering and violence in the form of torture, gender-based sexual abuses, erasure of cultural heritage and identity, and attempts to eradicate an entire people. In an effort to bring further awareness to this dark reality, HRF recently released a Google Chrome extension called the Uyghur Forced Labor Checker that generates a pop-up to inform you when you’re shopping from a brand that has not publicly committed to disengaging with Uyghur forced labor.

EDUCATION From there, you are given the choice to keep shopping or to leave the brand’s site. This database of brands is based on the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region's advocacy and research efforts. By downloading this extension, you’re taking just one step toward becoming more aware of the brands we can avoid. If a brand has not committed to publicly disclosing its entire supply chain or ending forced labor in the Uyghur Region, how can you trust it? In our eyes, this is just unacceptable. Profiting from this exploitation and turning a blind eye to how your supply chain operates — especially if you are one of the LARGEST businesses in the world — should be considered a crime. But similar to the way authoritarian leaders can get away with despicable acts, large companies can do the same — especially large FASHION companies.

ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION (HRF) The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. Since 2005, HRF has spearheaded creative initiatives dedicated to uniting the world to stand against tyranny by partnering with world-changing activists and individuals/organizations from various industries to create innovative solutions.

Ultimately, the industry needs to commit itself to creating big change. The Human Rights Foundation and its Wear Your Values program is just one initiative you can support and get involved in to learn more about ways to be your own activist and align with the causes that are going to create true, long-lasting change.

ABOUT HRF’S PROGRAMS HRF’s ongoing programs range from combating issues within the fashion industry, to supporting dissident artists, to bringing attention to dictators who whitewash their human rights abuses by bringing sporting events and concerts to their country, and much more.

ABOUT THE COALITION TO END FORCED LABOUR IN THE UYGHUR REGION HRF is a member of the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, dedicated to ending forced labor and human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese government against the Uyghur population and other Turkic and Muslim-majority people. The Coalition consists of more than 100 civil society organizations and trade unions calling on brands to ensure they are not benefiting from Uyghur forced labor. 18

INTERVIEWS

JEWHER ILHAM

Uyghur advocate, author and daughter of imprisoned scholar Ilham Tohti 19

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. HOW DID YOU GET INTO ADVOCATING FOR UYGHUR RIGHTS? To be frank, I did not choose advocacy work, advocacy work

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT WITH YOUR ADVOCACY, IN REGARDS TO UYGHUR FORCED LABOR? BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

chose me. My father was unjustly

Labour in the Uyghur Region.

arrested at the airport in Beijing

We have been calling on

when we were trying to catch a

leading companies to ensure

flight together in 2013. That was

they are not supporting or

my last time seeing my family.

benefiting from the extensive

My father was sentenced to life

forced labor of my people and

for “separatism-related” charges,

to exit the Uyghur Region at

when all he ever did was

every level of their supply

promote peaceful dialogue

chain. The Coalition urges

among the Han Chinese and the

governments to strengthen

Uyghurs. When I arrived in the

and enforce existing laws

US alone, I knew I had to do

prohibiting trade in goods

everything in my power to help

produced using forced labor.

release my father. A few years into my work, I realized it is not

So far, 9 fashion brands have

only about my family, there are

publicly committed to

hundreds of thousands of

Coalition’s Call to Action,

families being subjected to abuse

including Eileen Fisher, Asos,

at the hands of Chinese

and Marks & Spencer.

authorities.

In December 2021, U.S. Congress passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which essentially makes the Coalition’s Call to Action the law of the land. This bill will go into effect in June.

The biggest challenge that I have faced for the past two years is raising awareness around the urgency of this issue. Many corporations have chosen to turn a blind eye in order to protect their profits and preserve their market share in China. Meanwhile, millions of Uyghurs are suffering from egregious human rights abuses.

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THE COALITION TO END UYGHUR FORCED LABOR. WHAT IS THEIR CALL TO ACTION? The Call to Action is a set of actions for companies to take to make sure they are not complicit in the Uyghur forced labor scheme. By committing to the Call to Action, a brand or retailer is providing assurance both to our Coalition – but also, crucially, to Uyghurs worldwide and to consumers – that it will take all steps within its control to ensure it is not profiting from the abuses against the Uyghur people.

WHY SHOULD THE AVERAGE PERSON GET INVOLVED IN THESE ISSUES? HOW CAN THEY GET INVOLVED IN BECOMING AN ACTIVIST?

No matter who is reading this, even though we don’t know each other, you and I at least share two similarities. First, we’re all human beings. Second, we’re all consumers. Consumers hold power, and with this power, we can make change. Whether we know it or not, almost all of us have something hanging in our closet right now that was made with Uyghur forced labor. Together, we can work to change that.

WHAT IS YOUR HOPE? I hope that one day my people are able to practice our religion and culture freely in our homeland. I also hope that in the future it is easy to make ethical choices when shopping, and one day, I hope the ethical choice is the only one we have.

LIFESTYLE

BRANDS COMMITTED TO

ENDING UYGHUR FORCED LABOR

~In partnership with Human Rights Foundation~

LIFESTYLE

ypically when [regular] fashion magazines create a shopping guide, it’ll be a mixed bag of high- and low-priced items, and always a handful of fast fashion. But one thing they never take into consideration is that the garments they are promoting are potentially using Uyghur Forced Labor. It is up to us to wear our values and show the Chinese government that Uyghur forced labor will no longer be profitable.

Did you know an estimated 1 in 5 cotton garments in the global apparel market is at high risk of being linked to Uyghur forced labor? (Source: The Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region)

LIFESTYLE As one of the most trendy / “it girl” brands these days, Reformation is known for its transparency and ensuring its workers have a voice. In addition to owning its own factory, Reformation works with industry groups like the Fair Labor Association that conduct on-site social responsibility audits.

Publicly committed to exiting the Uyghur Region

WHAT TO BUY: Known best for its form-fitting silhouettes, feminine prints, and bright color offerings, shop Reformation if you’re looking for dresses that go from day to night with a figure-flattering appeal.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is perpetrating mass human rights abuses in the Uyghur Region, located in northwestern China, targeting the Uyghur population and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples.

LIFESTYLE

As one of the leading retailers based in the UK, Marks & Spencer has publicly committed to ending Uyghur forced labor, and is beginning to manage its supply chain more directly and transparently by incorporating more inhouse private labels.

Leading the major retailers...

WHAT TO SHOP: Perfect for someone who needs many different styles and labels to shop from. From sportswear to dresses, Marks & Spencer has got it all. Although based in London, the company ships worldwide.

LIFESTYLE

As a brand that is a true pioneer in sustainability and a certified B Corp, it makes perfect sense that Eileen Fisher would be on board with supporting the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region’s comprehensive call-toaction.

Human rights come first for EILEEN FISHER

WHAT TO BUY: Known for luxurious fabrics and comfortable silhouettes, shop Eileen Fisher when you’re looking for simple, comfortable minimalist pieces that can easily become your favorite capsule collection.

Right now, more than one million innocent people from these ethnic groups are arbitrarily detained and working at forced labor camps across China. According to the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region, “Virtually the entire apparel industry is tainted” by such forced labor.

LIFESTYLE

If you’re planning on visiting the ocean, or just love a good nautical aesthetic, then check out Seasalt Cornwall, which has also publicly committed to ensuring Uyghur forced labor is not in its supply chain.

From head to toe, shop at Seasalt Cornwall

WHAT TO BUY: Known for its heritage maritime designs, Seasalt Cornwall’s pieces can be worn for many seasons with just the right amount of classic, yet modern silhouettes.

What does

FASHION

ACTIVISM

mean to you?

Insight from four different activists 34

It means calling out the harm being done by fashion brands across the board. It means standing in solidarity with garment makers and those protesting and campaigning in the countries which are producing our clothes. It means highlighting the links between the fossil fuel industry and fashion. It means talking about consumption and how we need to stop calling ourselves ‘consumers’ and start taking action as ‘citizens’.

- TOLMEIA GREGORY, Artist & Climate Activist

Fashion activism to me is making sure our relationship to fashion is one that acknowledges fashion’s two key pillars: land and labor. And to have a sustainable relationship to fashion is to have a symbiotic relationship to the land and labor behind the label.

- ADITI MAYER, fashion blogger, photojournalist, labor rights activist

Using our voice and our power to bring about change. We help to reshape the fashion industry every time we ask the question #whomademyclothes and demand an industry free from child labour, modern slavery and all forms of exploitation. And when we ask #whatsinmyclothes, we are telling brands we want them to use materials which don’t generate massive environmental impacts, leak microfibres into our oceans and compromise human health and nature’s ecosystems. - CARRY SOMERS, founder of Fashion Revolution

To me, fashion activism means only working with brands who aren't exploiting their workers or the planet's resources. Even if it means I don't get jobs as often as my peers who are happy to work with fast fashion brands. I have to put my integrity before profit for the sake of our future.

- ESME BUXTON, ethical photographer

t’s not every day that you come across an individual who makes you feel like there is hope in a world full of fast fashion and consumption.

However, upon discovering Tolmeia Gregory and everything she stands for, one can’t help but feel a sense of excitement, inspiration and admiration for someone who is not only so young but truly fights for what she believes in. Tolmeia also known as Tolly, is based in the UK and grew up wanting to be a fashion designer. At eleven years old she created a fashion blog, but two years later the True Cost documentary was released. After watching the collapse of Rana Plaza she had a light bulb moment that would change the trajectory of her life. “I realised that I could no longer talk about fashion without acknowledging the severe impacts it was having on people and the planet. This led me down a long path of learning and exploring the ideas of sustainability and ethics, and in turn, uncovering the truth that we are facing a climate emergency. I have now been talking about climate change and activism on my platforms for about 4 or 5 years and have been working as a self-employed illustrator, creating GIPHY stickers for sustainable clients along the way. This has helped support my activism and allowed me to travel (within the UK) and take direct-action, as well as continue to raise awareness about the climate crisis in an accessible and engaging way.

Artist + Climate Justice Activist GG: CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL OF YOUR SUCCESS AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE! WHY DO YOU FEEL GENZ HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL GENERATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY YET CONTINUES TO BUY FAST FASHION? WHAT DO YOU THINK BRANDS NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO PUSH THIS CONVERSATION FORWARD TO CREATE REAL CHANGE?

We’re in this very strange position where we are aware that the world is falling apart around us yet we still have to continue living within this broken system - it means a lot of young people are still susceptible to marketing and trends and wanting to stay up-to-date. Fast-fashion is also incredibly ‘affordable’ (to the consumer, at least) which I think is one of the main barriers in peoples way when it comes to transitioning away from it. Real change, in my mind, looks like brands producing far less and consumers consuming far less. This means, it’s a shared responsibility; the less we buy, the less they’ll make and vice versa. I think we need to really drum this home and stop focusing so much on which brands are and aren’t sustainable. The conversation needs to be on labour rights and mass production.

Real change, in my mind, looks like brands producing far less. This means, it’s a shared responsibility; the less we buy, the less they’ll make and vice versa. I think we need to really drum this home and stop focusing so much on which brands are and aren’t sustainable. The conversation needs to be on labour rights and mass production. YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH EXTINCTION REBELLION. DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCES YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? Although I am no longer strongly affiliated with the group, Extinction Rebellion played a huge part in mobilising me into action and allowing me to acknowledge the severity of the crisis. It has many areas in which it needs to improve but XR does a really good job of sounding the alarm bells and allowing people to process what feelings that brings up, along the way. I had some really positive experiences both on a larger scale and on a more local scale, especially

when it came to community building. It felt like having an extended family and I am very grateful for the people who supported me both in an activism capacity and in the capacity of friendship. XR made me realise that we simply cannot deal with a problem so huge without connecting with one another and I will continue to remember that as I move

recognised as an artist activist means a lot to me and it is a true joy to be able to create artwork during such a confusing time. My journey as an activist has also been hugely confidence boosting with the opportunities I have been given, meaning I have a lot more experience in public speaking and using my voice than I ever did before. It’s funny what you learn about yourself,

forward

whilst learning more about how the world works.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT THUS FAR? BIGGEST CHALLENGE? Developing my career as an artist has been one of my biggest accomplishments, I think. Being

My biggest challenge is again, more of a personal one. I find it really challenging to balance the severity of the climate crisis with the reality of life. In the UK, the climate crisis is less visible and 40

less tangible for the majority of us which means holding the weight of the impacts that are happening elsewhere, with the knowledge that it’s only getting worse, at the same time as continuing to live my life as

own designs on Instagram which opened a door to commissions and working with them on a client-basis. My personal GIPHY collection has now been viewed 9.9 billion times and I’ve worked with clients such as

a young woman in her 20s, is really, really complex. I am constantly questioning whether I’m doing enough or whether I’m doing the right thing or whether I should just run away somewhere off grid and try to minimise my impact as much as possible.

Fairtrade, Greenpeace, Octopus Books, Adobe and GIPHY themselves.

I have no idea what future I am facing. I don’t know what world my potential children will be born into. There is so much uncertainty and it can be very difficult to come to terms with, sometimes.

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR ART. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN AN ARTIST AND HOW DID YOU BEGIN TO CREATE GIFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS SURROUNDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND ACTIVISM? I’ve always been artistic and creative. I was in the art clubs at school and I’ve always been making and designing. However, I fell into art as a career unintentionally when I started making GIF stickers for my own personal use. A couple of months in, I noticed some of my favourite brands were using my 41

Of course, I want to use my work for good as much as I can, so, I’ve also worked as an illustrator for Extinction Rebellion, and more recently, the Stop Cambo campaign which is aiming to halt all new fossil fuel projects in the UK.

trying my best to recycle or in my diet as a vegan or by only buying second-hand clothes but really, I’d say the most sustainable part of my life is my activism. Activism is my offset, really. I’m not perfect in any shape or form but I think one of the most important things we can do is use our voice and try to make an impact in that way. My voice and my skills are what I use everyday.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU? ANY FUTURE PROJECTS YOU’RE WORKING ON OR HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU? I’m currently working on Season 2 of my podcast, Idealistically, which will be launching at the end of May 2022. My

WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT BRANDS ARE GETTING RIGHT VS WRONG THESE DAYS WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY? I see very few brands getting it right, to be honest. Greenwashing (the term used when brands make themselves look like they’re doing more for the environment, than they really are) is absolutely rife. The amount of money pouring into marketing campaigns that conceal the true amount of harm being made by brands is staggering, which is a whole other conversation in terms of the PR industry and its role which is why I support a campaign called Clean Creatives, which is calling out this exact issue.

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? DO YOU INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? If I were to choose an exciting day, it might look like waking up in the early hours to go to London for a protest but most of the time, I’m working from home on my laptop, either working on illustrations for client work or producing new social media content or episodes of my podcast, Idealistically. More recently, I might also be found painting at my desk/dining table. I incorporate sustainability in the smaller things like

podcast is about imagination and discussing what we would idealistically want in an ideal world. I speak to activists, artists, scientists, journalists and more, all about what they’re imagining for a world where climate justice has been achieved. So, watch out for that!

INTERVIEWS

Fashion Activism

Around the World AN INTERVIEW WITH CARRY SOMERS FOUNDER OF FASHION REVOLUTION When one thinks about fashion activism, the first

the rubble of the collapse to prove which brands

organization that comes to mind is Fashion

were being produced at Rana Plaza.

Revolution. As the largest worldwide fashion activist movement, Fashion Revolution has become

She knew that the industry needed revolutionary

the most well known week-long event across the

change and set out to change and raise awareness of

globe where anyone can get involved.

the lack of transparency and responsibility within fashion supply chains.

The week coincides not only with Earth Day but the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in

As Fashion Revolution has just had its ninth year

Bangladesh where 1,138 workers lost their lives due

anniversary, we had the opportunity to sit down

to fashion and greed. It was then that Carry Somers

with Carry to discuss her own journey to

had her lightbulb moment after seeing activists

sustainability, some of Fashion Revolution’s greatest

searching

achievements thus far, and what still needs to be done from both a brand perspective and the fashion

industry as a whole.

INTERVIEWS GG: TELL US ABOUT YOUR SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY. My transparency journey began well over a decade ago. Pachacuti became the first company in the world to be fair trade certified by the World Fair Trade Organisation in 2009 and the following year we were selected as one of six pilot organisations for the groundbreaking EU Geo Fair Trade Project. We collected 68 social, economic and environmental indicators which enabled us to track progress across the three years of the project and traced our panama hats back to the GPS coordinates of our weavers’ houses, many inaccessible by road, high in the Andes, and even traced the raw materials back to each plot of land where they grew on communityowned biodiverse plantations in the cloud forest.

The first Fashion Revolution Day took place on 24 April 2014 and we asked the question Who Made Your Clothes? We talked about how we don’t know

At the time, I often wondered why, if a small brand

the true cost of the things we buy, an issue reflected

like Pachacuti could publish the GPS coordinates of

in this year’s theme of Money Fashion Power. We

our supply chain right back to the raw materials,

set out to raise awareness of the fractured, opaque

what was stopping the big brands from disclosing

supply chains, meaning that the people who make

similar information? I had been banging on about

our clothes have become faceless. This, we made

transparency for years, but it seemed as if no-one

clear, is what had cost those lives. Our aim was to

was interested.

raise awareness of the fact that we aren't just purchasing a garment or accessory, but a whole

When I saw campaigners having to search through

chain of value and relationships. Our hashtag was

the rubble for clothing labels to prove which brands

#insideout in the first year and we encouraged

were producing in the Rana Plaza factory complex,

people to wear an item of clothing inside out. I

it was clear to me that the lack of transparency and

remember how many people discovered wonderful

responsibility in fashion supply chains was costing

linings and new ways of wearing existing items of

lives. I could never have imagined that my crazy

clothing!

idea in the bathtub a few days later would turn into the world’s largest fashion activism movement!

CONGRATS ON 9 YEARS! IT’S QUITE AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT! WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF BUILDING FASHION REVOLUTION AND WHO CAME UP WITH THE WHOLE #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES — WHICH BY THE WAY HAS OVER 910K HASHTAGS NOW!

INTERVIEWS

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT OVER THE PAST NINE YEARS? Helping to make transparency the norm in

farmers, seamstresses, spinners and union

the industry is undoubtedly our biggest

leaders who are now more visible through our

accomplishment. We have seen a

work.

significant and positive increase in disclosure from fashion brands large and small around their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts. In particular, we have been pushing for brands to publish their supplier lists and encouraging progress has been made since our first index when just 12.5% of brands disclosed their first tier suppliers. A decade ago, having public access to information about the factories where our clothes are made seemed like an unrealistic dream for many NGOs and trade unions, but now nearly half of the major brands in this Index publish such a list, helping to answer the question #whomademyclothes? I cannot help but feel very proud when I see the thousands of #ImadeYourClothes posts on social media, telling the stories and celebrating the work of the people who make our clothes around the world – the

Transparency is only the first step towards a fairer, cleaner and ultimately more sustainable industry because you can’t start to tackle social or environmental exploitation unless you can see it. But transparency alone does not represent the sort of structural, systemic change we want to see within the fashion industry. What it does do is help reveal the structures in place so we can understand how to change them.

weavers, dyers, embroiderers, cotton

INTERVIEWS WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING PART IN THE GROWING FASHION REVOLUTION? The biggest challenge ahead is the creation of a common framework for the disclosure of social and environmental information. We need universal, industrywide accountability standards which will help highlight best practice and areas for improvement, allowing both brands and their customers to see how they compare to the rest of the industry. Many brands are simply failing to take steps to ensure their policies are put into practice. We have already seen how the Modern Slavery Act have been instrumental in obliging brands to publicly disclose information about their supply chain activities. Ultimately, greater regulation will be required to get the laggards to move and to level the playing field, which will benefit those brands who already have robust due diligence and reporting procedures. Without legislation, many brands will continue to

DO YOU FEEL THAT BRANDS HAVE STARTED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION? In July last year, we published the 6th edition of our Fashion Transparency Index. We designed the Index not just to compare the level of transparency among the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers, but to incentivise them to disclose a greater level of credible, comparable and detailed information year-on-year by leveraging their competitive tendencies. We found that progress on transparency is still too slow, with brands achieving an overall average score of just 23% while 20 major brands score 0%. Despite significant progress on disclosing where our clothes are cut and sewn, we know that some of the most severe and exploitative working conditions and worst environmental damage happen deep within fashion supply chains where raw materials are grown and fabrics are produced and processed. We would have hoped to see progress deeper in brands supply chains since publishing our Out of Sight report and launching our #WhoMadeMyFabric campaign last year. However, our research found that of 63 brands and retailers with reported links to textile suppliers in the Tamil Nadu region of India, only 2 of them were disclosing a full list of textile production sites, an increase of 1 from the previous year. 49

willingly publish only selected information.

INTERVIEWS

WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT BRANDS ARE GETTING RIGHT VS WRONG THESE DAYS WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY?

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? DO YOU INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?

Transparency is only the first step towards a fairer,

My days are endlessly varied as I work on specific

cleaner and ultimately more sustainable industry

projects, as well as doing a lot of behind the scenes

because you can’t start to tackle social or environmental

organisational work. In the week ahead, I will be

exploitation unless you can see it. But transparency

working on Fashion Revolution’s global strategy

alone does not represent the sort of structural, systemic

document for the next five years, and also organising

change we want to see within the fashion industry.

the communications and contacting sponsors and

What it does do is help reveal the structures in place so

guests about A Textile Garden for Fashion Revolution

we can understand how to change them.

at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May.

Time and again we have to underline that transparency

I live in the countryside, so sustainability is very

is not the same as sustainability and that our Index is

important in my everyday life. This weekend, for

not a shopping guide. Being transparent doesn’t mean

example, I will be collecting water from the lake and

that companies are behaving in a responsible and

river in my village and analysing it for microfibres as

sustainable manner. A brand may publish a

part of a citizens’ science morning for Restorying

considerable amount of information about its policies,

Riverscapes, a project Fashion Revolution is running

practices and impacts and still be contributing to poor

with Keele University. And I have broad beans bursting

working conditions and environmental degradation,

out of their seedling containers and natural dye plants

particularly if it is producing huge quantities of

that need potting on, so if the weather stays as glorious

clothing every year. On the other hand, brands may be

as it is now, I hope to spend most of the next few days

doing excellent work behind the scenes, but if they

outdoors!

don’t share this information publicly then no one may know about it and this learning cannot be shared more widely with others who may find it useful. Ultimately we believe that the fashion industry needs far reaching systemic change in order to tackle poverty, economic inequality, gender inequality, climate change and environmental degradation and this change needs to happen at three different yet interrelated levels: government, industry and culture.

ADITI

MAYER

A look at fashion and culture through a lens of intersectionality and decolonization.

s a fashion blogger, photojournalist, labor rights activist and frequent speaker on topics of social and environmental justice, Aditi Mayer’s work is the perfect blend of inspiration, education and transformaton. While her photos on Instagram could be straight out of Vogue (which she has been featured in), Aditi’s voice and work through the lens of intersectionality and decolonization goes far beyond promoting the next sustainable fashion brand.

human history: an eight-story factory collapse that killed more than 1,132 workers and injured over 2,500. Rana Plaza catalysed a new understanding of fashion for me. No longer was fashion just about a pretty dress. It was about the politics of labour, to the industry’s disproportionate burden upon communities of colour worldwide. But the fall of Rana Plaza also marked a key moment in the world of fashion and the sphere of sustainability and ethics.

From there, I wanted to understand the historical and sociopolitical underpinnings that allowed the fashion industry to function in a colonial manner, rooted in exploitation and extraction of both labor and the natural environment. Since then, my work has existed in a few different domains: from grassroots organizing in Downtown LA’s garment district to educating folks on the importance of diverse perspectives.

Aditi has an incredible sense of style and understands how to reach her audience through various forms of content whether it’s via a personal 1-1 video speaking of an important topic or even promoting new sustainable initiatives with brands making a difference. In our eyes it’s the perfect blend of inspiration not only from an artistic point of view but educational stance as well. Like many of us who came into the sustainable fashion movement, Aditi’s ah-ha moment happened in 2014 after the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN SUSTAINABILITY? In 2014, I had my start in the sustainable fashion movement after learning about the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse. Rana Plaza was an eight-story garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that was producing apparel for household name fashion brands. On April 23rd, 2013, structural cracks were identified in the building. However, due to pressure from upper management, workers were called into work the next day to finish orders for brands including Zara, Walmart, Benetton, and Mango. The next day, Rana Plaza framed one of the biggest industrial disasters of 52

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT OR PINCH ME TYPE MOMENTS YOU’VE HAD IN YOUR CAREER THUS FAR? I think the most impactful experience for me has been the opportunity to organize alongside garment workers in LA who have been actively resisting the exploitative conditions that plague the garment industry; we often have a narrative of garment workers as victims, but it’s important to highlight and amplify the resistance we are seeing from garment worker communities globally. This last year we saw the passing of the Garment Worker Protection Act, which eliminated the piece rate in favor of an hourly wage minimum, increasing accountability between brand, retailers, and manufacturers, to transparency measures across the supply chain. The moment was incredibly powerful for me, because it framed the type of change we need in the fashion industry: workercentric, grassroots measures that are influencing policy and a culture of accountability.

I’VE HEARD YOU SPEAK AND CONTRIBUTE TO MANY DIFFERENT PANELS OVER THE YEARS AND I’M ALWAYS IN SUCH AWE OF YOUR INDEPTH KNOWLEDGE - ESPECIALLY SURROUNDING DECOLONIZATION AND INTERSECTIONALITY FROM A FASHION PERSPECTIVE. HOW DID YOU BECOME SUCH AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD, AND WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS TOPIC IN PARTICULAR? Thank you! I think when I entered the sustainable fashion space in 2014, I was taken aback on how the narrative was often limited to conscious consumption– which, don’t get me wrong, is incredibly important, but often is a narrow vantage point to ceases to understand how we have a dominant fashion model that is rooted in exploitation and extraction. And to understand that, we must understand how the fashion system itself is colonial in nature, because it’s evolved from colonialism and slavery in many ways. Conscious consumerism is important. However, the onus of ethics shouldn’t be solely on the individual, but rather on the industry that largely normalized

violence as part of its business model. We must question the systems and structures that set the conditions for the fateful day of the Rana Plaza tragedy. The collapse was not an unpredictable disaster. It was simply the manifestation of a system that is rooted in growth at all costs, even human lives. Rana Plaza spoke to a deeper system of oppression, a system that was built on the oppression of Black and brown bodies, based on an institutional form of racism inherited from a colonial past. What is the historical context that created a system that operates in this way? As a South Asian woman, I was led to study how the British empire in India was an empire of cotton. In 1664, the East India Company was established as the largest importer of cotton to Europe. A systematic plan was implemented to subdue the Indian textile industry and economy by coercing Indian farmers to abandon their farming of subsistence crops in

favour of the cotton crop. Not only would this eventually subject farmers to a cycle of interest-laden debt, it would also eventually diminish the food supply greatly. India was to constantly supply cotton that would be taken to Britain's Lancashire cotton mills and the market for British cloth, ensuring that the colonized remained subdued and profitable for the colonizer. India became an exporter of only raw material, that was only to be sold back in India at rates that left local spinners and weavers unable to afford the cotton required for their production. The extraction and destruction of artisanal industries and agricultural practices that the land could not sustain ensued. What is important to note is the pattern of exploited labour around the world, and the positioning of Britain as the “workshop of the world”. British-manufactured cloth severely undermined the Indian cotton industry during the nineteenth century, due to the speed of the U.S. – British 54

INTERVIEWS cotton production system, which was predicated with the use of slave labour in America. In that process, however, I also was able to see how decolonial approaches of fashion are about returning to ancestral forms of fashion– and this to me is true sustainability. Sustainability isn’t about reinventing the wheel – it’s about following the lead of the cultures that have always held regenerative, symbiotic relationships to the planet. That’s to say, sustainability is decolonization.

YOU PARTNER WITH A LOT OF BRANDS. HOW DO YOU VET THESE BRANDS AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU WHEN DECIDING TO WORK WITH THEM? I always make it a point to work with small, emerging labels that are rooted in sustainability in a holistic manner– from their use of natural textiles, the fair treatment of workers, to an ethos of longevity in their quality. That’s also meant highlighting a lot of homegrown South Asian labels that highlight

a myriad of different artisanal practices throughout the country. For larger brands, I want a consistent commitment to sustainability that is holistic as well– not limited to a conscious collection, but a reimagination of how their value chain truly operates.

“THE ESSENTIAL SHIFT WE NEED IN THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND THE PLANET IS SEEING SUSTAINABILITY AS SOMETHING EMBEDDED IN THE DNA OF A CULTURE (OR BRAND), AS OPPOSED TO AN ADD-ON (OR LIMITED TIME COLLECTION).” WHAT DO YOU FEEL HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED YOUR SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY IN TERMS OF BOTH FASHION/BRANDS AND IN GENERAL? IN YOUR OPINION

DO YOU FEEL WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS? Sustainability was a fringe idea a decade ago, whereas now, it’s become front and center in the cultural zeitgeist, which also means the buzzword-ification of sustainability. I think we’re at a critical juncture where sustainability can either become the guiding principle of our industry, or reduced to a marketing ploy. We as citizens play a role in making sure we pay attention to who's truly doing the work, and call out those that are erasing the true meaning of sustainability.

WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT BRANDS ARE GETTING RIGHT VS WRONG THESE DAYS WHEN IT COMES TO SUSTAINABILITY? The essential shift we need in this critical juncture for both people and the planet is seeing sustainability as something embedded in the DNA of a culture (or brand), as opposed to an add-on (or limited time collection).

WHAT DOES FASHION ACTIVISM MEAN TO YOU? Fashion activism to me is making sure our relationship to fashion is one that acknowledges fashion’s two key pillars: land and labor. And to have a sustainable relationship to fashion is to have a symbiotic relationship to the land and labor behind the label.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR YOU? ANY EXCITING NEW PROJECTS COMING UP? HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU? I’m getting ready to go to Europe for a month for a series of speaking engagements at very different events, followed by a 6-month stint in India to document stories of social and environmental justice alongside the fashion supply chain. You can follow and support my work over at my Instagram, @aditimayer! 55

The Harsh Reality of Working for a

Fast Fashion Company AN INTERVIEW WITH AN EX-FAST FASHION DESIGNER The fashion industry is often seen as such a

These types of situations are still going on

glamorous industry and yet not many people talk

regularly in downtown Los Angeles. And If these

about the harsh reality - which is that it can be

are the types of working conditions for a factory

extremely exploitative and bad for the

located in the US, one can only imagine what

environment.

happens in developing countries where there is even less regulation.

Fast fashion in particular is the worst offender. Not paying their workers, awful working

The fast fashion industry is a scary, harmful,

conditions, and even abuse, these companies will

unjust, and absolutely disgusting business model.

do whatever it takes to turn a profit.

Until we can have more legislation to protect workers and prohibit companies like these from

We had the opportunity to sit down with Kara

causing not only harm to people but the

(name has been changed) to discuss her

environment, we have a long way to go in order

experience with working as a designer with one

to create real change in this industry.

of the largest apparel manufacturers in downtown Los Angeles that specializes in fast fashion. The stories and situations she speaks about do not sound like something you would hear

I never really thought I was going to end up in the

happening in the US. Not only are they shocking,

fashion industry. I was working at a sushi bar as a

but please keep in mind while reading this - that this happened recently; not 10-20 years ago.

GG: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR BACKGROUND, AND WHY YOU LOVE FASHION?

waitress, and the owner's sister really liked some of the clothes I was making. She's the one who told me I needed to go to fashion school. She actually cosigned a loan for me like the next week, so that's how I ended up going to FIDM It wasn’t something I sought out, it’s just I’ve always liked fashion. I've always really liked shopping for vintage clothing as a young kid, and I always gravitated towards old antique things.

WAS WORKING IN FAST FASHION YOUR FIRST JOB ONCE YOU GRADUATED FROM FIDM? No, I got lucky. The first job I ever got in fashion was working for a high end gown designer. That was the best job I ever had because it was just a very small studio. It was just me and the designer, a pattern maker and a seller. He designed for a lot of celebrities, which was great because then we would spend like a week working on a dress. Unfortunately, he decided to take a break maybe two or three years after I started working for him. So that's when I got into apparel manufacturing in Los Angeles. And that's when I realized the harsh reality of the real industry.

WHAT WAS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU AT THIS COMPANY? At that time, I was a design assistant so I was sourcing a lot of fabrics and trends. I would help sketch the designs and pick fabrics and manage the sewers and work with the pattern makers. They had several designers and assistants, at least five, four or five assistants there were two pattern makers, three production pattern makers (in design). It was quite a large company.

another country but I was in downtown LA. The owners were really mean - like abusive. They would yell at their employees, curse the production team frequently in front of everyone which was really uncomfortable. It was not a healthy work environment. We were working really long hours, sometimes on the weekends. The company did more imports so I didn't see as much of the domestic production but it was not a fun place to work.

WHAT WAS THE COMPANY CULTURE LIKE? The company was based in Vernon and it was an eye opening experience. I felt like I was working in

AT WHAT MOMENT DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO QUIT AND WAS THERE ANY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE THAT PUSHED YOU OVER THE EDGE? 60

Not one in general, it was just the collective

literally fill up huge semi trucks worth and I just

miserable employees working long hours not

knew that we were 1 out of 1000’s of what was

getting paid, as well as they initially said. They

going out of the factory daily. It was just sad. I

would often lure you with promises of

have two nieces and I think about the future that

promotions later, which never happened.

they're gonna have to live with.

WHAT DO YOU WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT FAST FASHION?

WHAT WAS THE WORST THING YOU EVER SAW/EXPERIENCED?

It's not a glamorous job. A lot of times you're

One of the companies I worked at, I found out

working in warehouses in factories that are

that they were hiring undocumented workers.

honestly disgusting - even the bathrooms. I

And people who had had a previous criminal

mean, people assume oh, you work in LA-

background that obviously made it difficult for

working fashion…they have this perception of

them to find jobs, so they knew they could pay

like, glamor and luxury. But really, you're seeing

them less.

a lot of struggling. Workers who are just trying to get by in terrible working conditions.

One day the Labor Board came, and half our sewers just got up and left. I didn’t realize what

WHAT DID YOU WITNESS IN TERMS OF WASTE? That happened later when I worked at another company who did primarily domestic production. And that's when I was seeing the leftover cuts of the samples daily that would 61

was happening until they came. And I’m not even kidding you, but there was a murder in the building I was working at. Because they were hiring previous criminals. It was on the news and everything. I thought to myself, I could have been in the elevator.

How to Break up with

By Lauren Tanaka-Fortune

e’ve all had our love affair with fast fashion. Years before watching the

documentary The True Cost, I was constantly on the hunt for my next outfit. When I moved to New York City, I was amazed by the incredibly chic women, and working in the fashion industry meant that I had to look the part - but on a college grad salary. I remember my first time stepping foot into an H&M mega store. I couldn’t believe the prices. I was ecstatic that I could afford at least three items on my usual $60 budget (I never liked to go over $100; so $60 seemed frugal). Then in 2010 they opened a mega Forever 21 in Times Square! It was amazing. I believe it was open almost 24 hours (which is insane). I recall shopping at times past 9pm - just because we could. In hindsight, my shopping addiction was fueled by my constant feeling of “keeping up”. Keeping up with my colleagues, the current trends, and probably to a certain extent avoidance of other issues. It wasn’t until five or so years later that I would watch The True Cost. It was then that I had my “ah-ha” moment and realized that the fashion industry especially the fast fashion industry - was beyond toxic for both people and the planet. It truly opened my eyes to all of the horrific ways people in developing countries are treated, and the huge wakeup call that capitalism and greed goes beyond just money.

I realized corporations will do

altogether or rent clothes if

anything to exploit (mainly

needed for a special occasion. I

women) working in these

also had to just get over the fact

factories in order to benefit

that I wasn’t able to have as

themselves and profit.

many outfits or new outfits for going out. Of course I would slip

I decided then and there to stop

up occasionally with a random

my obsession with shopping for

purchase, but being aware that I

bargains and break up with fast

had made a slip up was much

fashion.

more conscious than I ever had been in my entire life.

But, it was NOT an easy task. For one, I was still on a budget.

Being a conscious, sustainable

Living in NYC is not cheap.

consumer doesn’t happen overnight. But rather than

But what I realized when I dug

having the “all or nothing”

deeper is that shopping fast

mindset, it’s better to take small

fashion was more than just an

steps that will create real change

addiction and went much

over time.

deeper. If you start to question

We have to remember it’s about

why you are buying something,

progress versus perfection.

versus do I really need this item, it becomes much easier to stop. I powered through and chose to stop buying new clothing 65

ways to help break up with fast fashion: #1 WATCH THE TRUE COST DOCUMENTARY

2.Attempt to repair items that can have a longer lifespan that you truly love - especially shoes. Most

And if you’ve already watched it,

people forget that shoe repair is

commit to watching it at least once

centuries old and something that is

a year or other fashion

truly a dying craft. Support your

documentaries such as River Blue.

local cobbler and seamstress by

By keeping these topics, and more

getting your shoes repaired and

importantly images and

clothing mended.

experiences of those affected by fast fashion, you’ll be able to curb

3. Don’t follow the trends: edit

your fast fashion cravings once

your wardrobe and don’t worry

and for all. (Similarly to watching

about what others think. Do we

docs like Food Inc, if you’re

really think skinny jeans are out?

looking to go vegan).

Go with what works for your body and what you like wearing.

#2 DO A MINIMALIST CLOSET

4. Play with different outfits

EDIT

and take photos of them so you can

Do you remember those

remember what works. We often

makeover shows like What Not to

forget to shop in our own closets

Wear? I remember them

before buying something new.

completely purging people’s closets and literally having

5. Once you’ve edited your

nothing left to wear. They would

closet, make a list of items you feel

then go and spend thousands on

could add value. Start with

an entirely new wardrobe.

shopping second-hand first before buying something new. Not only is

This is not sustainable. Not only is

this more budget friendly, but it’s

it not sustainable, but who can

more sustainable (besides not

afford that type of budget?

buying anything obviously). Swapping or renting are also great

So when I say you should do a

options before buying new.

minimalist wardrobe closet edit, it involves the following steps:

6. Once you’ve completed steps 1-5 you can then decide whether

1. Donate or sell items that you

you truly need to buy something

no longer wear or fit. Or if you

new. If that’s the case then head

can afford a stylist, hire one to

over to Good On You or even our

help revamp your existing

website to find some great

wardrobe. You’d be amazed at

sustainable brands for any budget.

what a fresh pair of eyes can do

But we’ll save the sustainable

with your existing pieces.

shopping guide for another issue as that’s a whole other topic!

#3 GO DEEPER WITH LEARNING AND MENTAL HEALTH: We’re often shopping to fill a void. Similarly to overeating and even overdrinking, a shopping addiction can also be something we do to avoid issues, treat boredom, etc. Stop following fast fashion brands or influencers on social media. By unsubscribing to constant product pushing, you’ll begin to open up space for new hobbies or experiences that are much more fulfilling. Read books such as Overdressed, or The Conscious Closet, both by Elizabeth Cline. You’ll not only gain even more insight about the fast fashion industry, but you’ll begin to understand the psychological meaning and perhaps even decide to get more involved beyond being a conscious consumer. ◼️

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