A year ago, a Bangladesh clothing factory collapsed, killing 1,129 people. I write this number** but I still barely believe it: one-thousand-one-hundred and twenty-nine human beings died while creating garments for Benetton, Mango, Primark, El Corte Inglés and many other brands: tops, dresses, coats, clothing we get for, really, very little money.
At the time there was so much written about it, petitions pushed forward, many brands signed pledges to strive to improve workers’ conditions, to ensure every person involved in the process of creating a garment could work in complete safety and for a fair pay.
However, it only takes a short look into the fashion industry to realise that, this is not something that is easily done by brands – it takes a lot of money, time and ultimately, will. More importantly, if the customer expects to pay a tenner, five dollars or euros for a t-shirt, then the conditions in which the garment is produced are going to be extremely cheap, quite basic, and with pretty slim safety checks.
So, have my shopping habits changed since the Rana Plaza disaster? Do I shop and if so, am I willing to pay more for clothing that’s not made in sweatshops?
As a freelancer, at this moment in time cash is pretty limited, so you could say I’m the perfect consumer for low-cost brands. Whenever I get some money, I could easily walk into H&M, or Primark, and score an outfit for less than 20 euro. Get a fashion fix, think nought of the consequences.
I love fashion, and I used to fantasise about having a HUGE wardrobe. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t genuinely curious about the latest Topshop collection, or that I don’t get excited when I hear of H&M designer collaborations, but lately, there is a little voice inside of me that tells me that this wouldn’t be right.
This year I decided to stop eating meat, I did so because I feel strongly about animal rights, and because I believe there is an excess of meat in supermarkets. Too much waste, too many animals kept in horrible conditions, and way too many chemicals injected in what’s supposed to be our food. I’m tackling my fashionista habits in the same manner: I have stopped going shopping. I unsubscribed from Topshop newsletters, “unliked” Facebook pages by Zara, Mango and H&M, deleted their Apps from my phone, and I avoid the areas in Barcelona in which these stores are located.
So, while I’m not boycotting brands per se – which, maybe, could be the only way forward -, I have began to shop differently, driving my attention away from these major labels.
I believe there is no denying we buy way too many clothes, there are countless amounts of brand new garments that don’t even make it to the shops. A contact at H&M once told me that from the Martin Margiela collaboration for H&M, certain stores received an excess of stock, with dozens of boxes left unopened. This is the product of hours of underpaid work in a factory: waste.
So, how do I go about finding cheap fashion? Currently I’m focusing on several alternatives: charity shops, Ebay, and vintage stores. Recycling has never been easier, and with more and more websites like Vestiaire Collective to do so, it’s become a lot of fun, and for some, the only way to shop. It’s kinder to the environment and goes against the main point of fast fashion: we don’t just throw it away, we give it further life. I recently scored a Zara leopard print coat via Ebay. I could have bought any of the replicas the brand has produced since, but I decided second-hand (and cheap) was the only way to justify the purchase.
This post is not written with the intention of tooting my own horn. I simply wanted to give my own take on the video above. I could do more, and sometimes it’s hard to resist the power of shopping therapy. I also understand that not everyone is prepared to shop differently. Maybe it needs to be a combined effort: our responsibility as consumers to drive sales of ethically sourced fashion, and of the brands with the most money and influence to find a way to really and truthfully change the way they do business.
After the Rana Plaza disaster, brands like Zara, Topshop and H&M continue to enjoy successful sales and huge profits. Their Apps are still downloaded, their Facebook and Twitter accounts attract hundreds of thousands of followers. H&M has developed their eco-friendly line further, but it’s a small side of their business. Most of their stock is still produced in “questionable” factories in Asia. Whether they can actually control what goes on at the end of the production line, remains to be seen.
Am I a dreamer? Should I be doing even more? Does anyone actually care about where our clothes come from? Do you ever think about sweatshops? Do let me know, on the comments below, or via Twitter, I’m always up for a friendly discussion 😉
Picture: Fashion Limbo
*Further reading: thanks to blogger and stylist Arash Mazinani for directing me to this:
“Why do we need a Fashion Revolution” by fashionrevolution.org. Worth checking out, they are organising an awareness day, on April 24th 2014, to get consumers to ask brands where their clothes come from. More info via their website and Twitter @Fash_Rev.
**Regarding the Rana Plaza death toll, 1,129 is the number on Wikipedia, while other sources claim it has gone up to 1,133.
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