‘Big brands and retailers produce too much too fast, and manipulate us into a toxic cycle of overconsumption’
On April 24, 2013, the global fashion industry was in the spotlight not because of a new style trend or a design wunderkind, but because of a tragic incident that took place in Bangladesh. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building took the lives of over 1,100 workers while working for many of the biggest brands in fashion. This event opened the eyes of many to what truly happens behind the seams of today’s fast fashion, producing new breeds of social activists fighting to make the industry accountable for its crimes against its workers and the environment. While many of fashion’s big players have created innovative ways of finding solutions to a number of concerns, there are still more things to address in making clothing sustainable and fair to the people that created them and the planet where it sources its materials.
Continuing to educate consumers on the true cost of their clothing is Fashion Revolution. A global movement present in 92 countries, including the Philippines, Fashion Revolution invites everyone to join the rebellion with Fashion Revolution Week (FRW) 2022, happening from April 18 to 24. For this year, FRW plays with the theme “Money Fashion Power,” which is about how the “mainstream fashion industry relies upon the exploitation of labor and natural resources.”
“Wealth and power are concentrated in the hands of a few, and growth and profit are rewarded above all else. Big brands and retailers produce too much too fast, and manipulate us into a toxic cycle of overconsumption,” Fashion Revolution says. “Meanwhile, the majority of people that make our clothes are not paid enough to meet their basic needs, and already feel the impacts of the climate crisis—which the fashion industry fuels.”
For seven days, the global campaign aims to address the issues such as unfair pay among workers, greenwashing, and why “the most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.”
“We will expose the profound inequities and social and environmental abuses in the fashion supply chains. From the uneven distribution of profits to overproduced, easily discarded fashion, to the imbalances of power that negate inclusion. Meanwhile, inspiring new designers, thinkers, and professionals all over the world are challenging the system with solutions and alternative models,” Orsola de Castro, Fashion Revolution’s co-founder and global creative director, says. “Fashion Revolution Week is all of this, scrutinizing and celebrating fashion, globally and locally, wherever you are.”
Here’s what to expect this Fashion Revolution 2022:
- Revival of the ”Love Story” campaign where people can share the story of their favorite piece of clothing to highlight how #LovedClothesLast.
- A discussion about cultural appropriation with Janine Chiong of Habi Lifestyle happening on April 20, 7 p.m., on Fashion Revolution’s Facebook page.
- An online book club for an in-depth discussion of Fashion Revolution’s first fanzine “Money Fashion Power” from the global Fashion Revolution teams via Youtube live on April 22, 9:30 p.m.
- The third Wear Ahead Fashion Mixer and Conference by Wear Forward co-presented by Fashion Revolution Philippines and Moda Circolare, Canada’s premier Sustainable Fashion Consulting Agency on April 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m..
Visit @fash_rev_ph on Instagram or www.fashionrevolution.org to know more about Fashion Revolution Week 2022.
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