Today in our continuing effort to advance Eco-friendly, ethical fashion we've happily joined the mass of Human Friendly Fashion Bloggers (HFFB) in the worldwide campaign to improve working conditions for the many beleaguered fast fashion garment
slaves, er, employees.
Dreamed up by
Ms. Wanda's Wardrobe, the HFFB's goal is to drum up support for Ms. Wanda's
1% Campaign urging big fashion companies to invest just 1 measly percent of their profits in improving conditions & wages for their workers.
Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? So why don't they do it?
Maybe because we, the Eco-fashion cognoscenti, aren't speaking up and out, so let's DO IT!
Not everyone will go so far as to buy bold, hand made, upcycled and often times pricy garments like we make here at Jag & Nevie thus reducing their ecological footprint, but everyone will buy something from Target, the Gap, TopShop and the like. So, the least we can do for our fellow man is demand those companies source their inexpensive clothing from manufacturers that ensure worker health, safety and decent pay.
In the words of HFFB:
"As part of
Blog Action Day Fashion Mob founder, Esther
Freeman, explains why it’s dangerous to
point the finger of blame at consumers for human rights abuses by the
fashion industry.
Since
the collapse of the Rama Plaza
building in Bangladesh, the media has been full of discussions and head scratching
about fashion. One comment that keeps coming up is the responsibility of
consumers around fast fashion.
Quite frankly this is nonsense. Furthermore it is dangerous to
suggest so.
All
too often high street chains whine about how hard it is for them to improve
human rights, and how they’d change but consumers don’t want it. It’s become
their get out clause. And by saying consumers have some kind of responsibility,
we reinforce that myth.
It
also overlooks that slavery, poverty and disaster happen at the higher end of
the fashion too. There have been several campaigns against Adidas and their
refusal to compensate workers and pay a living wage. And designer brands
like Dolce &
Gabbana have been in the firing line too.
In
an interview for the film Apparel Truth, a trade union leader in
Bangladesh is very clear where the responsibility lies. He said:
“The main
profit from this business is going to the multi-national company…The
multinational company is putting pressure on the local business to pay a living
wage. But also the multinational company is putting pressure on the local
business to reduce their price.”
So
let’s point the finger where it should be pointed – at the global brands who
create human rights abuses as fast as they create fashion.
That’s not to say consumers have no role to play in creating
change.
People
power is incredibly important. That’s why we launched The 1% Campaign. The
campaign calls on the fashion industry to invest 1% of their profits in solving
issues in their supply chain, especially around human rights. We need more time
and investment in activities like better auditing, health and safety training
and improved working with NGOs and trade unions at local level.
Consumers
are in a powerful position to demand this. And if we all work together we can
help bring about a solution.
>> Sign the 1% Campaign
petition and demand that multinationals take responsibility for what
happens in their name. "
Thank you for reading today!
