A Look Back At Fashion Revolution and Its Timeliness Now
As sustainable baddies, one of our primary goals is to highlight the rampant sustainability issues in the fashion industry and support causes that work to reform the fashion space. A decade ago, Fashion Revolution pushed into the limelight the stacking shortcomings of the fashion industry, inspiring a worldwide movement for sustainable change. This Fashion Revolution Week ‘24 we are delving into the origins of its mission and its continual impact on the sustainable fashion movement.
What Is Fashion Revolution?
Founded by Carry Somers and Orsola de Castro, Fashion Revolution is a global movement to promote transparency, sustainability, and ethical practices in the fashion industry.
The movement was born as a response to the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh in 2013, where a garment factory building collapse caused the death of 1,138 people and injured many more.
The collapse shed light on the poor working conditions and exploitation that garment workers face, as well as the environmental damage caused by the fast fashion industry. Since then, Fashion Revolution has been working to raise awareness and push for change in the industry, encouraging consumers to ask, "Who made my clothes?"
The fashion industry concerns a wide range of people, from factory workers to consumers and brands to policymakers. Accounting for these varied stakeholders, Fashion Revolution has become the world's largest fashion activism movement, mobilizing citizens, brands, and policymakers through research, education, and advocacy. They provide tailored resources to those interested in learning more about the state of the fashion industry and the progress made towards sustainability based on their goals and point of view, whether they’re a brand, a teacher, a journalist, or a global citizen.
At present, our culture views clothing and fashion as temporary and disposable. Fashion Revolution’s “Who Made My Clothes?” campaign centers around the reality that most consumers don’t think about how they came to acquire an item of clothing. Their collaborations with artists and activists help to reframe the narratives embedded in the culture of fashion and provide tools for people to make changes in their personal lives and work. Fashion Revolution also conducts research that explores the social and environmental impacts of the global fashion industry. They highlight where the industry is moving too slowly and push for more immediate change. Each of these aspects of Fashion Revolution contributes to safe, dignified working conditions and living wages for all people across the supply chain.
Fashion Revolution Week
Fashion Revolution Week is an annual event that takes place on the week coinciding with April 24th, the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse. The event creates space for conversations about how to achieve a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. The week includes a range of events and activities like clothing swaps, panel discussions, film screenings, and social media campaigns. Fashion Revolution Week encourages consumers to become more conscious of their clothing purchases and to support brands that prioritize sustainability and fair labor practices. It also calls on individuals to take part in social media campaigns and share photos of their clothes with the hashtag #whomademyclothes. This year's Fashion Revolution Week theme is "Manifesto For a Fashion Revolution" which calls for a radical change in the way that the fashion industry operates. This manifesto outlines the values and principles that the movement stands for, including transparency, sustainability, and fair wages for workers.
Why and How You Should Support
Sustainable baddies unite! One way to show support is by signing the Fashion Revolution manifesto. By signing the manifesto, you would be making a public commitment to these values and joining a community of baddies who believe in a better future for fashion. If you have the means, donate to support Fashion Revolution’s work. You can also take a moment this week to hold brands accountable for the role they play in fast fashion. As consumers, we have the power to demand systemic change. Email or message brands through social media to ask about their supply chain, sustainability practices, and worker conditions. Fashion Revolution also has posters you can pose with and post to tag brands and ask #WhatsInMyClothes? Let’s put pressure on brands to be more transparent and ethical in their operations. And always always remember to support small and sustainable designers who are making a positive impact in the industry (and follow us to see such designers featured regularly across our platform!).
At Sustainable Baddie, we plan to support Fashion Revolution by using our platform to spread awareness and educate our community of susty baddies about the importance of this week and the work that Fashion Revolution does (ofc we also signed the manifesto!) In addition to the work we do to share sustainable fashion resources, we will also be holding ourselves accountable by evaluating our own practices and making changes where necessary. We are excited to see what this week has in store for sustainable baddies across the globe!
Will you be attending any Fashion Revolution events this week?