Inspired by Fashion Revolution, the #whomademyclothes movement is a global phenomenon whereby millions of consumers around the world demand transparency from the labels who make their clothes. From personal experience at Stride, I know it’s impossible to help these workers if we don't know who they are.
But it's not just the labels on our backs we should be asking #whomademyclothes, but also the people who endorse them. So let's start keeping our favourite influencers accountable too!
Just like how brands serve their customers, influencers do the same thing for their audience via engaging content. No influencer, or brand, can have a successful career if they don’t listen to the feedback of their audience. This is something that we are personally passionate about here at Stride with the clothes and fabrics we choose and I know that if you don't know the industry, it's hard to know how to ask. So we made you a template! A world-first template that you can use to ask your favourite influencers about the clothes that they're endorsing.
Please use this template from Stride as often as you can and tag @stridestore_ and the hashtags #whomademyclothes #whomadeyourclothes when you post publicly.
Dear (insert influencer name here),
I have been following your content for a while now and I particularly enjoy (say something nice).
However, I've noticed that you are partnering with some brands who have questionable human rights and environmental records.It is very important to me that what I wear matches my values - and I'm sure that you only want to endorse brands that align with your values too.
Has (insert brand here) shared information with you about #whomadeyourclothes?
It's imperative that brands are held accountable by consumers, like myself, as well as successful influencers like you. Have you asked if their supply chain is ethical and fair? Could you please share this information with me?
Thank you so much for reading this and I would really appreciate your reply - together, we can help change the fashion industry for the better!
For more information, please check out Fashion Revolution and their #whomademyclothes movement."
We can't berate influencers into becoming slow fashion advocates overnight. Make sure that your emails/DMs are educational to the point where influencers feel compelled to change their ways for the better - because knowledge is power! All of us were once ignorant to the ills of fast fast fashion.
Ask them questions and raise awareness on issues they may have never thought about. Lots of well-intentioned people support fast fashion, so please don’t think less of any influencers working with slow fashion brands.
Imagine the change we can mobilise if consumers AND influencers are asking poignant questions to brands... it can only lead to positive change!
Jordan, Stride
Images: Stride | @margaret__zhang / Net a Porter See: Original article