Fashion Revolution Week 2022
Fashion is great. It's our collective opportunity to visually interpret and express our view of the world and our place within it. It’s also an opportunity to distinguish our own individual identities as unique, and contribute to the ever changing dynamic of our culture.
“Fashion is our chosen skin
fundamentally a part of
what we wish to communication
about ourselves to the world”
But it’s not all fabulous fabrics and inspiring interpretations. It’s also (in NZ) the seemingly far-off and unseen world of entrenched poverty and inescapable pollution.
We see the images on our computers and TVs of sweatshops and hovels where fast fashion clothing is produced, of the dried up lakes and polluted rivers, and it can feel so far away and so huge, and our part in it or power to influence it feels so small.
Image from the Buriganga River, Hazaribagh tannery area in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Enter: Fashion Revolution!
Founded in 2013 in the wake of the collapse of Rana Plaza clothing factory complex in Bangladesh where more than 1,100 people died and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history.
Now in their 9th year, Fashion Revolution is an international network that empowers individuals and communities to learn about the industry, to voice concerns, and celebrate those who are helping to create a just and equitable fashion system for people and the planet.
Banner image for Fashion Revolution Week. Click for link to their guide for 2022 “We know that both people and nature are paying the price of the fashion industry’s unregulated exploitation and waste. Brands are avoiding the realities of climate breakdown by continuing to pursue extractive business models and greenwashing their way to sustainability. In 2022, we need brands to radically reduce their environmental impact by shifting their focus away from growth. Small businesses and independent creatives around the world are already enacting these ideals; their courage and wisdom will lead the charge.” From Fashion Revolution blog: Money Fashion Power
Money Fashion Power zine, produced by Fashion Revolution. Available for download from their website. Click for link.“There is no sustainable fashion without fair pay. Throughout the pandemic, fashion brands have made billions, while the majority of workers in their supply chains remain trapped in poverty. To address this, we are calling for new laws that require businesses to conduct due diligence on living wages. This will transform the lives and livelihoods of the people that make our clothes, and help redistribute money and power in the global fashion industry.” Fashion Revolution blog: Money Fashion Power
“According to the Global Slavery Index, $127.7 billion garments at-risk of containing modern slavery in their supply chains are imported by G20 countries each year. Fashion is ranked second in terms of the industries that pose the highest risk.” From Fashion Revolution blog: Fashions opportunity to be a force for good.
Recently it’s been great to see our New Zealand government respond to the issues of modern slavery and forced labour. We now have a plan for action over the next 5 years to end people trafficking, slavery and slavery-like practices including forced labour, debt bondage and serfdom.
NZ plan combatting modern forms of slavery. Click for link to PDF to read the full report.Government-level change is brilliant, but the action of each of us individually is still vital in creating a fairer future. Check out the Fashion Revolution website for a wealth of amazing resources you can download for free, highlighting ways you can make a difference.
At Stitch Kitchen, we’re here to help.
We take to heart the quote:
“Start where you Are; Use what you Have; Do what you Can”
In a similar theme, Fashion Revolution calls for everyone to “Be Curious, Find Out, Do Something”.
Come and visit us at Stitch Kitchen throughout Fashion Revolution week (open April 20th - 23th, 12-4pm). We have lots of the Fashion Revolution resources available in the studio for you to browse, and we’d love to help you with ideas for how you can ‘do something’.
We are setting up our Selfie Station, ready for you to drop in and take a selfie to post to your favourite fashion labels and ask “Who made my clothes?”.
Plus, we’ll be celebrating local makers with “I made my clothes” and “I made your clothes” to celebrate local home sewing and industry change makers.
Something else you can DO, is join us for an extra special Fashion Revolution week edition of our Mend & Make Awesome workshop on Saturday 23rd April, because a rip, a stain, or a missing button shouldn’t stand between you and a good outfit!
Keep an eye on our instagram and facebook for more ways we’re joining the revolution <3
