(Originally published July 2017) Fashion Revolution was born after 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We all need to become more curious about how our clothes are made and who made them. Who grew the cotton, spun the yarn, chipped the plastic, glued the seams.
Fashion Revolution make a point that's way more serious than we often realise and it's important to ask the question - and get an answer - especially in the very complex world of modern-day fashion, where different parts of our clothes have come from all over the world.This point was somewhat ironically called out by the Duchess of Cambridge who was criticized on a visit to India a couple of years back, for wearing clothes made by Mumbai dressmakers on 3 pounds a day. As it turns out, the seamstress knew no more of the Duchess than the Duchess knew of the seamstress so sometimes it's hard to know you are 'taking advantage of' or even if you are.
Still - you will never be in a position to know if you don't ask. While this seamstress was particularly happy with her life and working conditions, many are not and that is why we need to ask. And think not just about who stitched the clothes, but what they are made out of, who grew or made that fabric and the conditions under which it was manufactured.
Fashion Revolution are on a mission to get more brands to show us who made our clothes. The more noise they make, the more people listen and the more aware we all are. We want to thank the growers, the manufacturers, the makers, the warehousers, the shippers, the sellers, the everyones who touched the thing that ended up on our back. And we want to thank the Fashion Revolution for making us think about it.