One of the arguments against fair trade or ethical fashion I hear consistently is that it is not a profitable model. Is this true? Maybe the fashion business needs to reconsider their assumptions. People Tree is just one example of a fashionable, profitable and fair trade fashion label:
Inside Fairtrade fashion – a day in the life of People Tree
Thanks to New Consumer TV for the clip.
As followers of SA likely already know, this online lab was developed as a result of my research, ‘Social Alteration: Sustainable Design Solutions through Socially Responsible Design Education’ at Athabasca University. A few months in, SA has grown to include the work contributing writer and collaborator Nadira Lamrad, as well as contributing writer Katrine Karlsen, and has already created the SA Fibre Analysis as our first piece of free downloadable curricula.
I’m excited to report that Fashioning an Ethical Industry has added this work to the student project/dissertation section of their site! Thank you for your support!
Click here to check it out, as well as to learn more about these inspiring student initiatives:
22 magazine
Louise Boulter
University College for the Creative Arts (Epsom)
BA (hons) Fashion Promotion and Imaging
What is ethical wear?
Anita Costanzo
Universita IUAV di Venezia
Corso di laurea in Design della Moda
‘Six’
Danielle Fell
Nottingham Trent University
Fashion Marketing and Communications
Graduate
Can El Salvador develop and sustain homegrown design
Carolina Gomez
Chelsea College of Arts and Design
Textile Design
3rd Year
‘Make-Do-And-Mend’
Nathalie Gottschalk
Ma Ethical Fashion Graduate
Consumer Guidebook Nectar
Cathy Gray
University College of the Creative Arts
Work done in 3rd Year – now graduated
FILM CLIP and ‘Ethical Shopping Guide’
Kelly Levell
Arts Institute at Bournemouth
BA Fashion Studies Degree
Installation in response to exploitation of garment workers
Polly Pocock
North Devon School of Art
FdA Fine Art
‘Designing Happiness’
Anna Vening
Chelsea College of Art and Design
BA Textile Design
“A cautionary story of labor and greed, Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags follows the decline of the once-robust apparel manufacturing industry in the U.S., while chronicling the industry’s relationship with unions and government. From the “Garmento” to the seamstress, from the designer to the marketing maven, from the small businessman to the financier, Schmatta offers a firsthand account of how the industry helped generations of Americans march out of poverty and right into the golden age of the American middle class. But while Schmatta reminds us of the early days of the garment industry and its heyday, it also probes its troubling decline, which has occurred largely within the last 30 years. In 1965, 95% of American clothing was made in the U.S.A.; by 2009, only 5% is manufactured here.
Director Marc Levin focuses his lens on Manhattan’s Garment District, an eight-block area on Manhattan’s West Side which gave birth to the domestic industrial labor movement, and played a key role in major American political activities. From its immigrant origins in the 19th Century, the labor movement rose quickly against deplorable sweatshop conditions. In recent years, however, the realities of automation, deregulation, globalization and outsourcing – all part of the race to the bottom line – eventually eroded the industry’s unprecedented momentum (more)” (HBO Synopsis)
Click here to read the review by Women’s Wear Daily, “HBO Heads Inside the Garment Center” by Rosemary Feitelberg.
Premieres Oct. 19 th-click here for showtimes.
There has been a lot of attention given to the use of chemicals used in textile and apparel production in the past. We have heard of pesticides in cotton farming, dyeing and the finishing treatment of jeans. Many retailers have responded to the pressure from NGOs as well as consumers, and the use of organic cotton has grown exponentially since 2006.
There was only a matter of time before the footwear industry would have to take responsibility for the production of shoes. There are many components in a shoe which have been an excuse many footwear retailers have used to avoid the subject. However, large brands like NIKE and Timberland have showed that it is possible to exclude and replace certain chemicals to make safer products.
On September 14th 2009 the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation published the report ” Chemicals Up Close – plastic shoes from all over the world” where 27 plastic shoes purchased in 7 different countries were tested for hazardous chemicals such as phthalates, heavy metals and tin organic compounds. There was found traces of all in most of the tested shoes.
The damaging implications of these chemicals are large, both for people and the environment. Cancer, liver failure, skin allergies and burns have been identified among workers who are exposed to large amounts over time.
“The environmental toxins in the shoes can spread to people and to the environment as the shoes become worn. There is also a considerable risk of them affecting the people involved in the manufacture of the shoes, says Mikael Karlsson, President of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.”
You can find the report here.
The report refers to the new EU legislation on chemicals, REACH, where some of the tested chemicals are subject to be banned or restricted.
Source: Naturskyddsföreningen
October will have you wishing you could be in more than one city at the same time.
If you find yourself in Paris, Chicago, Providence, Portland, Hong Kong, London or Seattle this October, be sure to check out these amazing events. Click on the event you are interested in on the Events Calendar and we should link you straight into the events homepage.
Also, if you are near London in Oct. Nov. or Dec., be sure to stay tuned into the London College of Fashion, for Clash! Creative Collisions in Fashion and Science.
Last but not least, if you have an upcoming event you think are readers would be interested in, be sure to drop us a line.
Retailers have a responsibility to understand the social and environmental impacts of the products they sell. Unfortunately, “the cotton supply chain is fragmented, complex and not very transparent.” (CREM, 7) Although CREM’s new handbook, “Sustainable cotton on the shelves,” was developed with mainstream retailers to in mind, it can also be used as a tool for apparel / textile/ fashion (etc.) designers to turn to for help on getting more educated on the fibre.
Designers have a responsibility to understand the true social and environmental consequences of their designs. “While efforts are being made to have full traceability of conventional cotton, at present such a system does not exist (to date only certified cotton is fully traceable).” (7) The use of conventional cotton is an irresponsible design choice. While fully sustainable cotton is not an option, this handbook will guide you through the in’s and out’s of initiatives, certification, third-parties, retailers and the better cotton initiative. The guide also breaks down industry definitions and categories.
*If you are a design educator, the guide contains excellent visual aids. For example, “How Clean is my Cotton?” (pg.5) could be useful when explaining the social, environmental, and economic impact of cotton production to your design students.
*If you are a designer, please be sure to also read this report by Urs Heierli “Where Farmer and Fashion Designer Meet: Globalization with a Human Face in an Organic Cotton Value Chain.”
*If you are a design enthusiast, please, spread the word.
About the report:
“Using the perspective of new-comers in the world of sustainable cotton, the handbook attempts to explain complex issues in an accessible manner, answering the key questions that textile retail managers, buyers or marketers may face: What type of sustainable cotton is the most suitable for my business? Can I source it from my own supply chain, at what conditions? Is there a consumer demand for sustainable cotton? What are my options if I am a small or medium sized retailer?
Through concrete questions and straightforward answers, the handbook provides an overview of issues and trends in the production and marketing of sustainable cotton. The handbook ”Sustainable cotton on the shelves” is the outcome of a project run in the Netherlands by the retailers HEMA and de Bijenkorf, the Dutch association for large textile retailers (VGT), the NGOs Oxfam Novib and WWF, and the consultancy CREM.
Pascale Guillou, senior consultant at CREM, says “We are extremely pleased that the result of this two-year research and consultation process with numerous stakeholders can be widely shared with mainstream retailers. We hope that this handbook will help textile retailers making strategic decisions and operational choices at a time when they experience the will or the need to better perform on a triple bottom line”
Click here to download the handbook.
Source: EcoTextile News and CREM
Project Laundry List, Permacouture Institute and Make Do & Mend have joined forced for an exciting new partnership: The New Again Coalition.
“We want to make the clothesline and some time-tested ways of doing laundry new again. We want to make natural dyes and some traditional fabrics and fashions new again. We want to start a trend of patching clothes and upcycling that will make our wardrobes new again.”
First order of business? A petition to change clothing care regulations:
“Our first letter is a push for manufacturers and importers to provide consumers with a label that encourages optimal green behavior in the cleaning and care of an article of clothing. This could be as simple as “cold water, hang dry” or more complex with specific conscious care instructions. We know that many manufacturers currently print the minimum requirements for garment care, not realizing the environmental consequences of these vague instructions.”
Social Alterations has signed the petition, and encourages you to get involved and spread the word on this important matter. Click here to sign.
The New Again Coalition will be celebrating with a Mixer, and everyone is welcome. Here are the details:
When: 5:30pm – 7:00pm, Thursday, October 1, 2009
Where: Orchard Garden Hotel, 466 Bush St, Arrabal de San Francisco, Spain.
Tel: 4157868510
Email: info@permacouture.org
For more info on this event, click here.
Title: Sustainable Fashion Forum
Location: Hong Kong
Link out: Click here
Description:
“Sustainable Fashion Forum (SFF) is an interactive half-day event for the fashion industry to come together and discuss a like-minded concern: The Sustainability of Fashion. The forum will address issues such as ethical sourcing, eco-friendliness, moving beyond green washing, what best practice means today, profitability and innovation.”
The Sustainable Fashion Forum is supported by Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP).
Session 1: What is Sustainable Fashion?
Session 2: Is Sustainable Fashion Profitable?
Session 3: Who is Sustainable Fashion?
For more information on sessions and panellists, and to register online, click here.
Click here for the press release.
Start Time: 1:30
Date: 2009-10-07
End Time: 6:30
Image via Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion
“Fashioning the Future brings together a global community of creative thinkers and doers, designers, innovators and entrepreneurs ready to offer the fashion industry opportunities for the future.
Founded in 2008, Fashioning the Future has been developed to include a wider range of disciplines, now with seven separate awards, celebrating and promoting a generation of emerging talent for the fashion industry of the future.
The possibilities for our future lie in the ingenuity of our creative minds. The competition is the leading international platform for celebrating innovation in sustainable fashion design, development and communication and we hope students and recent graduates from across the global fashion industry are inspired and excited to contribute through their work.
The underlying issue of consumption, the theme for the 2008 awards, will continue to be a crucial issue to fashion and its sustainability. Aligned to this, the theme for 2009 is Water, and there is a specific cross-discipline award focusing on this.”
Closing date 7 October 2009 at 1600hrs GMT.
Source: Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion
Thanks to Ethical Style for letting us know about Canadian designer Tal Dehtiar’s new shoe line, Oliberté. Oliberté claims to be the first footwear company to make urban shoes exclusively in Africa – based on Fairtrade principles. The shoes are made from locally sourced materials (leather and rubber) in West Africa (starting in January). Speaking on the issue of poverty in the continent, Dehtiar argues that “the only real way to alleviate poverty on this beautiful continent is to build a middle class that includes fair paying jobs.”
It will be interesting to see how this line develops. As of yet, there are no real details on the Fairtrade and/or environmental nature of its supply chain (i.e. wages or factory conditions- tanning leather is often associated with pretty nasty chemicals, as well as the harsh glues that may be used in assembly, etc.), as the company is not yet certified Fairtrade. I expect that more information on production will be made available on the website soon: Treehugger has reported that “[t]he company is working in partnership with factories to improve their environmental footprint. As they say: ‘we still have a long way to go, but we will continue to do all we can improve our materials, our production and our shoes.’ Oliberte will be supporting local training in the communities where they work.” Treehugger also reports that Oliberté is “consulting with the tanneries to meet environmental standards.” Thus, stay tuned for updates from this Canadian company.
One urban footwear company that has seemingly managed to maintain it’s foothold in Fairtrade manufacturing is Veja.
If you aren’t already familiar with Veja, be sure to check them out straight away. Asking the question “Is another world possible?” Veja uses and supports wild latex production in the Amazonia to fight against deforestation:
Veja soles are made of natural latex coming straight from the Amazon Forest in the Chico Mendes reserve. The Amazon is the only place on earth where wild rubber trees are to be found […] Their activity, which does not require putting down any tree, is a great way to preserve the world’s largest forest. Natural rubber is renewable and biodegradable, as opposed to synthetic rubber or plastic, which is produced by using fossil and non-renewable materials.
Veja also uses organic cotton, supports family agriculture and local cooperatives and uses ecological leather rather than chrome tanned leather (Veja has defined ecological leather as “chrome-free leather tanned with organic compounds only”). For more up-to date information on the happenings over at Veja, be sure to follow their blog.
Sidebar: Veja has just launched its first line of ethical bags, four years after introducing its trainers.
About these bags: organic cotton and leather tanned without chromium.
Source: Ethical Style, Treehugger, Oliberté, The Globe and Mail, PR Web and Veja