Today is Blog Action Day, bloggers around the world are blogging about human rights. I am a fashion trend forecaster by day and I write a blog about how you can be fashion savvy and sustainable. I have been part of the fashion business for nearly twenty years and have seen it change dramatically, sadly for the worse. Today I am writing about why I think we are all responsible for human rights in fashion and how we can come together to help change our world of fast fashion into one of sustainability, which will improve human rights through-out the industry.
 |
| The Rana Plaza collapse. Image source Wikipedia |
The Rana Plaza disaster has shown the world how a section of the work force who make our clothes have suffered more than any human should. We are all responsible for and in some way linked to Rana Plaza, whether we buy clothes from the retailers who produced goods in Rana Plaza or not. Why? Because at some point I believe all of us have bought cheap fast fashion, if that is not the case and you think you are off the hook, then maybe you fall into the category of over consumption. Over consuming is most definitely linked to Rana Plaza, it feeds the need for the retailer to drive down prices because they are buying in bulk. The more we buy, the more the retailer sells, the more bulk buying, the more price wars rage. It may make for uncomfortable reading, especially if the notion of being involved in a collective is alien to you. We all play a part in the theatre of life and the sooner we understand we are part of the problem the sooner we can become part of the solution.
At some point in our fashion life cycle I imagine we have all bought into the idea that it's ok to either over consume or buy cheap whether it be for ourselves or our family. I am guilty as charged and although I changed the way I consume two years ago and have never looked back, I am not perfectly sustainable in what I purchase. This means in some part I am still driving the fast fashion market. That said I believe the fast fashion concept is out dated and wholly inappropriate. It's part of the cause of the violation against human rights in fashion. Every day I take small steps to change my habits and avoid the temptation of fast fashion. Once upon a time we wanted fast and cheap, this particular fairy tale has no happy ever ending. So lets change this story.
Where did it all begin?
The violation of human rights that led to the Rana Plaza disaster is partly to do with price perception. Price drives the fashion market, consumers want low prices because the retailers provided those low prices by outsourcing our manufacturing in the late 1990's to a global market. Retailers did this to gain market share and increase profits. Nothing wrong with that, one could argue? At the time it was deemed astute and the way forward. Many of our UK factories closed as they became too expensive. Retailers brainwashed us into thinking cheap fashion was the way forward, and changed our buying habits into wanting and needing a fast fashion fix every week. The fashion media jumped on the band wagon, they helped drive demand, feeding our habit with glossy celebrities and fashion models teasing us with the next must have item.
And it's still going on
Over the last twelve years retailers have continued to drive the costs down and at the same time kept their margins fixed, most high street retailers work on a 70% margin. Buyers and merchandisers tend to be pressurised by their management to negotiate with their suppliers each time they place an order. The impact is, the supplier/factory have to reduce their margin to accommodate the retailer. If a supplier/factory refuses to agree the requested price, then the retailer is likely go to another supplier who will agree to the price. This practise is not sustainable, proven, not only by a number of UK suppliers going out of business in the last five years, but also the conditions some factories have ended up operating in. And guess what? Raw materials have not decreased in price they have gone up, deeming it unsustainable for suppliers/factories to reduce costs. So how can the price of the product bought by retail buyers go down? It can't, someone has to pay, which results in corners being cut, practises are compromised, factories take on the work because they want to stay in business. They find some way to make the goods, making little or no profit because they are forced to run their business on a shoestring. The supplier/factory are reliant on the retailer for survival, refusing work may mean closure. Many have closed, Turkey has been especially hit, fabric and garment manufacturers have been forced to shut up shop. Buyers don't always question the supplier/manufacture when the price they want is agreed, the buyer can be ignorant and devoid of corporate social responsibility for the supplier/factory, mainly because they are driven by management to meet margin.
Do consumers know prices are too low?
The retailer believes the consumer should continue to buy at a low prices because market share depends on the consumer buying multiple items and the retail market share depends on it. The Consumer may be oblivious that low prices are not sustainable and will not think to question.
On the flip side
There is good news, prices have slowly begun to rise and practises are more transparent in some retail and manufacturing businesses. There is a lot of good work being done by some of the retailers, and UK manufacturing is having a renaissance with retailers and sustainable fashion businesses realising making British is a viable option. In addition certain retailers have excellent sustainable relationships with their supply chain and promote sustainable work practises throughout. Lets hear about the good stories. Businesses need to tell the consumer about the good they do. This will help drive change for the better and ensure the consumer understands the full picture.
But....
In general low prices have led to over consumption and over consumption is not sustainable.Why do we need so many clothes? Often they are of poor quality and end up in land fill. Why not have the attitude buy better not more of? If retailers produced less and thought more about what type of product the consumer needs, perhaps they could re-educate us by offering smaller capsule collections of trend led product at more sustainable prices and sources?
And my opinion is from where?
I was once a supplier to the high street and consulted for a large retail group. I am responsible in part for creating fast fashion. Now I want to help change the fashion landscape and be responsible for creating slow sustainable clothes that have a cool fashion aesthetic. I love fashion but fashion for the sake of lives goes against human rights, collectively we are lining the pockets of the large corporations while some of them shirk responsibility to evoke change.
 |
| www.partimi.com is a sustainable designer brand based in London. |
 |
| www.reclaimtowear.com Reclaim To Wear take surplus stock, and discarded textiles and recreate something new, they collaborate with high street retailers and are pioneers in their sector. |
Change will not be easy for the average consumer. To be truly ethical and sustainable when consuming fashion is tough and here are some reasons why.
1. It requires a total mindset change
2. It requires educating yourself with what sustainability and ethical fashion stand for, it's a multifaceted subject.
3. It requires discipline and awareness.
4. It requires a certain amount of money - it's not cheap.
5. It requires avoiding buying trend led product from certain retailers because the products have no transparency of origin.
6. Fashion trend led product that is sustainable or made ethically is not widely available and the brands working with a sustainable approach should shout about it.
What Now?
What is possible, is to be fully present and engage with our actions so we can at least begin to make baby steps to change the way we consume. If we as the collective consumer stop and ask questions before we buy and start demanding slow transparent fashion we will see change, because the retailers and fashion houses will see we demand it. Before that can happen we must fully understand what is at the core of the problem. The true cost of fast fashion is literally killing us and eventually our planet.
Please watch the film "The True Cost" by Andrew Morgan which is on my home page on the right and in addition look out for The Fair Trace Tool, it is a mobile phone app that will allow you to track certain fashion products and identify the source they were made in. This link is also on my blog page to the right.
2 comments:
It's so true about the low prices. People are buying multiples of these items and also throwing them away all too easily because of the low prices. Time for a change.
A really informative and thought provoking post. I think the problem we have all become so accustomed to fast fashion and the constant marketing makes it a very difficult habit to change. I agree as consumers we need to make a stand and make our views known,hopefully we will get there eventually.
Post a Comment