Fair Trade Clothing Brands & Human Rights ... the Ethical Consumer Movement

[Melisande]

Are sustainability and fashion mutually exclusive, a contradiction in terms? Can you be stylish and sustainable, or does eco-fashion still equal 'granola' green style?

Do you think about issues such as the environment, anti-consumerism or labour practices when you buy?

Is vintage sustainable when you get it shipped around the world?

Any thoughts, stories, pictures about these issues?

Hi Fash ho'! Good thread, these are all issues I think about a lot. To the first questions: heavens no, sustainability and fashion are not mutually exclusive...I don't understand why the market seems to believe ecological fashion has to equal "granola" style either. Perhaps some random statistic exists that the greatest market of aware buyers prefers this style, I don't know. The only thing I perhaps find regrettable in terms of the fashion business system, besides the way it's manufactured...is that fashion is treated so disposably. I hate the idea of trends, as well as the system of churning out two collections yearly, advertising them to death, and throwing out previous leftovers. I think that, besides the waste, it gets pretty boring, and discourages the production of, and appreciation of, really good pieces that can be respected for decades to come.

Otherwise, haute couture is pretty sustainable, no? I also like to wear good items for a long time, and vintage has always been a favorite way to shop for many reasons.

I'm not sure I understand the question about vintage being shipped around the world, though.

Have you looked in the fair trade thread? It's a good thread, with various sources and issues being discussed. I have a feeling maybe not many people responded because of there being similar threads and because of the wide scope of this one. Thanks for bringing it up, it's a topic that can never be discussed enough.

 

[fash ho']

hi melisande

yes, i searched on 'sustainability' but couldn't find anything. of course, the social side/fair trade is where i should look - thanks for the tip.

the vintage thing - i was just thinking the other day that i sometimes buy dresses from ebay and get them shipped from the US to Denmark, which has its own environmental implication, lessening the overall sustainability.

and there is a vintage shop here that sells dresses bought from a second-hand clothes market in uganda, imported by charities collecting clothes in developed countries such as the UK or DK and sending them to developing countries.

that means you could buy a vintage dress that has been around the world twice!

 

[fashionista-ta]

that's very interesting, i'd love to see something made out of eco-friendly materials...and see how long it lasts...

I have quite a few things made of organic cotton, and they've lasted admirably. Linen is considered green because it doesn't require pesticides, same for hemp. I don't have anything hemp, but I've read it wears like iron. These are the exact same fibers that were used when garments were passed down from generation to generation. Tencel wears very well in my experience.

Now they certainly don't have a half-life ... You may not be able to wear polyester out, but it can certainly be snagged to death.

It wasn't long ago that there were no eco-unfriendly materials. See what I'm saying? This is not something untried--this worked for millennia.

 

[Lena]

Luxury industry - a new direction

sharing extracts of an interesting article i've found at wwd of today..

Luxe Conference Looks at 'New Direction'

By Liza Casabona
The luxury industry may have to adapt to a new moral compass point, industry executives said.

The mood at a conference on "New Directions for Luxury" last week at the Four Seasons here took an unexpected turn as some participants lamented the excess in the luxury market. They also implored their colleagues to increase the social responsibility of the industry and focus their efforts on returning to simple, high-quality products.

Speakers at the conference, sponsored by Vanity Fair magazine and Luxury briefing, pointed to artificial ski slopes in the deserts of Dubai, a glut of celebrity endorsements, dental bling and aspirational lifestyles run amok as evidence of a world that has lost sight of the meaning of luxury. Consumers are weary of excess, they said, noting that a turning point could be approaching.

"For every cash-happy Muscovite luxury enlists to its ranks, there are five others about to go AWOL," said Jeffrey Miller, creative consultant and columnist for Luxury Briefing. The feeling of never having enough for consumers is pervasive and, in the face of terrorism, global conflicts, toxins and other social forces, consumers are growing tired of the message, he warned.

"Embellish your brand with goodness and restore luxury to its lofty heights," Miller said.

Everyone has to find the point that is comfortable for their business, said Jim Gold, president and chief executive officer of Bergdorf Goodman. It's up to an individual company to operate responsibly and run successfully.

"The whole thing starts with how consumer-centric you are and where your customer is ... If you're in a multicultural and multinational world, luxury is relative," Gold said. A return to a quieter, understated luxury may follow over-commercialization, he said.

Consumer awareness has already prompted some shifts in the fashion industry. Fair trade-certified fabrics have found their way into major European retailers in response to the ethical concerns of customers. The luxury industry at large can continue to find a way to balance the wants and needs of its customers with global awareness.

"We just have to care," said Gordon Campbell Gray, chief executive officer of London's One Aldwych hotel and the Carlisle Bay resort in Antigua. "We have to care about every product in our stores."

extracts from an article printed at wwd of today
source: www.wwd.com

 

[tott]

Thanks for the article, it's nice to see that the industry seems to be finally reacting...

 

[fash ho']

thanks for merging, Lena


i went to the Crafts Council exhibition and quite enjoyed it, although i had seen many of the same labels or designer/makers at the Ethical Fashion Show last year in Paris. Its still a small, niche market but then, big retailers like Marks and Spencer are starting to develop quotas for organic cotton etc which may bring about a sea change.

I really like the blog I mention above www.fiftyrx3.com. She posts pictures of her outfits and made a dress out of umbrellas that she found on the streets of New York.

 

[fash ho']

interesting. i recently heard of a movement called "voluntary simplicity" which attempts to achieve a better quality of life by minimizing consumption.
I think the main proponent or author is Duane Elgin.

perhaps social, ethical and environmental considerations (embellishing with goodness, as he puts it) will be the new luxe in the same way that organic food is purveyed as 'good quality'.

 

[Lena]

interesting. i recently heard of a movement called "voluntary simplicity" which attempts to achieve a better quality of life by minimizing consumption.
I think the main proponent or author is Duane Elgin.

perhaps social, ethical and environmental considerations (embellishing with goodness, as he puts it) will be the new luxe in the same way that organic food is purveyed as 'good quality'.

agreed, what an excellent point fash ho'

we just decided to merge all 'ethical consuming' discussions in one
(thanks to tott and fff )

 

[mediocrityrules]

ooo i like this thread. its nice to know that the sustainability movement is getting interested in design & art. i usually buy second hand clothing, but would support this if they made things that were more stylish then what i have seen in the past.

 

[astatine]

i did a little search on this, and came up with this article from the people tree website:

Garment factory workers in Bangladesh ask you to put pressure on fashion retailers to improve their working conditions and wages - NOT to stop buying their products.

I was introduced to Amirul Haque Amin of the National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) 6 years ago, in my capacity as the founder and director Global Village, People Tree's sister NGO organisation (which based is Japan). Since then we have been giving NGWF financial support and working together to campaign for the rights of garment factory workers in Bangladesh.


I remember this time last year being stood up by Amin - who is never late for a meeting. Unable to get through to him, I knew something was up.
Spectrum Factory illegally constructed 30km from Dhaka had collapsed killing 64 people and injuring 74. The factory was making orders for Inditex, the owner of Zara and other brands. Amin had been called out in the middle of the night when the disaster struck - people were still being pulled out of the rubble when he arrived. The NGWF organised to take the factory management to court and to fight for workers outstanding wages and severance pay.


Zara set up a fund for £35,000 to provide some compensation to workers' families and the injured, "a very small price to pay for life", but this is more than other brands have done, many of which have not yet given a penny.
People Tree immediately sent over US$2,000 additional funds and launched the People Tree and Global Village 'Fair Trade NOW' wrist band in Japan, to help fund NGWF campaigns for safer factories and garment workers' rights.
But there is still a great deal of work to do; textile factory tragedies happen all too frequently in Bangladesh.

i'm a little confused because i was just in zara today and noticed they have new tees made from organic cotton (i got one!)

so they support organic materials, but not fair trade? don't the two usually go hand in hand?

 

[fash ho']

damn that is a horrible story.
and the compensation amounts are a pittance!

actually, i don't necessarily think that organic and fair trade go hand in hand for big retailers like zara or gap.

 

[fash ho']

Found this online shop of some quite nice sustainable clothes and stuff.


http://www.cocosshoppe.com/http://www.coco
At Coco's Shoppe you'll find a tightly edited selection of boutique fashion and prestige beauty from lines incorporating organic, fair trade, renewable, recycled or sustainable textiles or ingredients into their products without sacrificing an ounce of style.

 

[utopia]

^ great site, fash ho. thanks for sharing. especially loving those ananas bags.

 

[Nyx]

interesting. i recently heard of a movement called "voluntary simplicity" which attempts to achieve a better quality of life by minimizing consumption.
I think the main proponent or author is Duane Elgin.

perhaps social, ethical and environmental considerations (embellishing with goodness, as he puts it) will be the new luxe in the same way that organic food is purveyed as 'good quality'.

How interesting! Voluntary simplicity... What do you think that could mean to you in your own lives?

Although this is the first time I hear it, I feel that the term sums up my ethical/aesthetical ideals perfectly. For me, the ultimate luxe in life is to live in a certain "material peace".

What I mean by that is a life without the constant hassle of taking care of things I own, responding to impulses imposed on me by commercials, thinking what to buy next, making up material needs when what I really lack is, for example, the company of friends, or a moment to relax on my own. It means peace from the constant intrusion of commercial impulses.

This has meant that I try to cut down on all material consumption, and where I can't avoid consuming, I try to choose the most ethically/ecologically sustainable option. I have also given away my tv and have banned ads from my mail. It has not been any sort of a sacrifice but something I felt I needed to do in order to protect myself, my sanity and the sanctity of my home as a place where I calm down and recharge.

My bottom line is that frugality and aesthetics need not be mutually exclusive, on the contrary. I love beautiful clothes and things as much as the next tFS:er. But I find that I need to be very critical about what things I let into my life. The beauty of things needs room, both spatial and temporal, so that it can be fully appreciated.

As for the style aspect, I only buy clothes that I am positive I will wear and love a long time. That the clothes are almost exclusively second hand is both ethical and aesthetical choice. Using second hand doesn't need to mean vintage style either. By now there is such and overabundance of things in the world that almost new clothes will be dumped to charity shops, and from the way I dress you could never tell where my clothes come from. Almost all my clothes are made well of high quality materials, silks, wools, cottons that feel sublime on the skin, and will last ages. I don't have a master bedroom sized closet, but I know that the things I do have are all just what I need.

The modern commercial lifestyle has turned material consumption into something ridiculous. Buying things, thinking about buying them, talking about buying them, all this is taking up more and more space in the lives of people. I find it terrifying to meet a friend, and afterwards realize that all we talked about was what we had bought, intended to buy or wished we could. It feels clear to me that this is not a lifestyle that can be sustained over longer periods of time anymore: the ecosystem simply cannot handle it. So as well as for my own peace of mind, I think that a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity is the right thing to do towards other people and the planet, too.

I'm sorry I've babbled on so long. The idea just struck a cord with me! Now I'd love to hear other thoughts on the subject, too

 

[Belle Princesse]

I think it's a good idea, but most of the things I've seen are very plain, besides I'm not really into ethical causes although if I saw something I really liked I would definately buy it.

 

[fash ho']

What I mean by that is a life without the constant hassle of taking care of things I own, responding to impulses imposed on me by commercials, thinking what to buy next, making up material needs when what I really lack is, for example, the company of friends, or a moment to relax on my own. It means peace from the constant intrusion of commercial impulses.

Great post, Louna. There is so much that I agree with here.
Ironically, I read your post, taking a tea break after spending the whole day sorting my wardrobe out; moving winter clothes, boots, coats to the attic, hanging out summer clothes, weeding out stuff to sell at the flea market, give to the charity shop or get tailored.
I have spent so much time on this recently; last sunday i spent all day selling stuff at a flea market, before that I was bringing stuff down from the attic and sorting out.

About halfway through today, i just felt really bogged down with all this crap that i have accumulated. Part of the impetus for this big sort-out was to get some 'lightness' and clarity in my life.
I also buy about half of my stuff vintage and am proud of my collection of beautiful old things, but I am not immune to trends and want to move towards lighter and more discerning consumption of clothes. If I loved each item of clothing more, i wouldn't need so much . . . .

(on a purely superficial note, I have come to the realisation that part of my over-consumption of clothes is the elusive promise that an item can bring in terms of making me look skinny and fabulous. its pretty stupid that if some of the time i have spent thinking about clothes, buying them, washing and ironing them etc, I could have spent at the gym or doing yoga or something and then i might not have needed a new garment to make me feel better.

i think when you look after yourself, you can use clothes to express yourself truly, rather than then hide/cover/disguise yourself or boost your self-esteem)

sorry that was a digression . . . .


i know i can sometimes get in a 'bubble' with the whole sustainability thing, but i don't understand not 'being into' ethical causes as such. i am definitely no evangelist and so far my sustainable choices only really extend to vintage, but the more i know about clothing production, the more sustainable clothes make sense to me.
its like, since the bse crisis in the UK and the whole media thing about 'mechanically recovered' meat, i find it more difficult to eat hotdogs (or any kind of meat in a 'tube').
of course, when i have had a few drinks, a shawarma or kebab can seem like a good idea, but in the cold light of day, now that i know about intensive meat production

 

[Lena]

excellent posts and links

ethical consuming is the best thing that happen to social behaviourism in ages.

on a personal level i'm on my way to excell in being an anti consumist, the less i buy the better i feel

 

[fashionista-ta]

How interesting! Voluntary simplicity... What do you think that could mean to you in your own lives?

Although this is the first time I hear it, I feel that the term sums up my ethical/aesthetical ideals perfectly. For me, the ultimate luxe in life is to live in a certain "material peace".

What I mean by that is a life without the constant hassle of taking care of things I own, responding to impulses imposed on me by commercials, thinking what to buy next, making up material needs when what I really lack is, for example, the company of friends, or a moment to relax on my own. It means peace from the constant intrusion of commercial impulses.

This has meant that I try to cut down on all material consumption, and where I can't avoid consuming, I try to choose the most ethically/ecologically sustainable option. I have also given away my tv and have banned ads from my mail. It has not been any sort of a sacrifice but something I felt I needed to do in order to protect myself, my sanity and the sanctity of my home as a place where I calm down and recharge.

My bottom line is that frugality and aesthetics need not be mutually exclusive, on the contrary. I love beautiful clothes and things as much as the next tFS:er. But I find that I need to be very critical about what things I let into my life. The beauty of things needs room, both spatial and temporal, so that it can be fully appreciated.

As for the style aspect, I only buy clothes that I am positive I will wear and love a long time. That the clothes are almost exclusively second hand is both ethical and aesthetical choice. Using second hand doesn't need to mean vintage style either. By now there is such and overabundance of things in the world that almost new clothes will be dumped to charity shops, and from the way I dress you could never tell where my clothes come from. Almost all my clothes are made well of high quality materials, silks, wools, cottons that feel sublime on the skin, and will last ages. I don't have a master bedroom sized closet, but I know that the things I do have are all just what I need.

The modern commercial lifestyle has turned material consumption into something ridiculous. Buying things, thinking about buying them, talking about buying them, all this is taking up more and more space in the lives of people. I find it terrifying to meet a friend, and afterwards realize that all we talked about was what we had bought, intended to buy or wished we could. It feels clear to me that this is not a lifestyle that can be sustained over longer periods of time anymore: the ecosystem simply cannot handle it. So as well as for my own peace of mind, I think that a lifestyle of voluntary simplicity is the right thing to do towards other people and the planet, too.

I'm sorry I've babbled on so long. The idea just struck a cord with me! Now I'd love to hear other thoughts on the subject, too

Louna, I love what you said, it's definitely something to aspire to.

I have the same approach to clothes in terms of buying a few high-quality things I really love.

I'm far less acquisitive than I used to be ... I realize now that a constant need to acquire "stuff" says something about me, and it's not something good I need to get better about giving things away that I no longer want or need. I've gotten a lot better about what I bring in, but not too much has really left

I also like the idea that being less acquisitive makes it possible to *experience* more, in terms of great food and wine and travel ... things that add richness rather than physical drag to my life ... and needless to say, being less acquisitive makes it possible for me to do more to benefit others rather than just grabbing more that I don't really need, and only temporarily want, for myself.

 

[thesiren]

i tried to stop wanting so much awhile back and it felt great. then i came back down to reality and continued to watch too much tv, spend too much time online, and shopping excessively.

i chalk it up to being so young, but i will try and try to stop wanting things and i can't. the phase i went through was start though...even when i get something really nice, i still move on to wanting the NEXT bag or NEXT pair of shoes...which isn't at all healthy for anyone.

i had no idea velvet was an eco/ethics friendly label. i've shopped that brand for years and everything has held up incredibly well, unlike my edun t-shirts.

 

[shoegal2183]

This company is pretty interesting. I think I posted it somewhere before, but couldn't find it looking back. Pictures from the Ad Busters website

http://adbusters.org/metas/corpo/blackspotshoes/home.php


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Once a shareholder you get every other pair of Blackspot sneakers for only $55. That means that if you are buying two pairs today, you'll get $6.50 off.

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