On 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed. 1,138 people died and another 2,500 were injured, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. Thats when Fashion Revolution started.
Last week was Fashion Revolution Week and this is relevant to us all, from the people making clothes to the people wearing them.
I've copied their mission statement below:
"We want to unite people and organisations to work together towards radically changing the way our clothes are sourced, produced and consumed, so that our clothing is made in a safe, clean and fair way.
We believe that collaborating across the whole value chain — from farmer to consumer — is the only way to transform the industry.
Our mission is to bring everyone together to make that happen."
As consumers we've lost sight of where our clothes come from. We no longer need to buy good quality items of clothing or look after the ones we have, as replacements are available at prices cheaper than you can buy in charity shops.
By no means am I suggesting that everyone can afford to have an entire wardrobe made from fair trade organic linen, but the question needs asking: "Who made my clothes?". When you're paying £1.99 for a t.shirt, someone, somewhere has got a pretty raw deal.
I'm resisting the urge to have a rant about the environmental disaster that is conventional cotton; I'll save that for another post!
If you want to find out more, get involved or take action, follow the link below:
https://www.fashionrevolution.org/about/get-involved/