This week we are celebrating Fashion Revolution Week, and the campaign that asks big fashion brands #whomademyclothes? During this week, brands and producers are encouraged to respond with the hashtag #imadeyourclothes and to demonstrate transparency in their supply chain.

This campaign was started following the Rana Plaza disaster on the 24th April 2013 where a commercial building in Bangladesh, including garment factories, collapsed killing 1134 people and injuring many more. The building owners ignored the cracks in the structure that had appeared the day before and garment workers were ordered back to work the following day when the building collapsed during the morning rush hour.

The Fashion Revolution is a global movement that runs all year, with the aims of scrutinising industry practices and raising awareness of the fashion industry’s most pressing issues. Brands and consumers alike are invited to take part in the campaign by getting involved in different types of fashion activism, with the focus on moving the industry towards a fairer, safer environment for people along the supply chain.

There are lots of ways to get involved this year, from panel discussions and workshops to social media posts and direct messaging to brands online. Our Digital Communications Volunteer and vegan fashion blogger, Sarah (@grandermarnier), has put together her top ten ideas for fashion activism and we wanted to share them here to give you some inspiration…

1. Use the hashtag #whomademyclothes on social media to ask your favourite fashion brand to tell you who makes their clothes and demonstrate more transparency.

2. Watch ‘The True Cost’ documentary and find out more about the social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry – don’t forget to share what you’ve learnt with friends and family!

3. Host a clothes swap and enjoy getting new clothes without actually buying anything new – it’s a great activity to try with friends or at work (and something we’ll be doing at our next WINS Bristol Hub event..)

4. Support independent retailers, as they will often have much smaller supply chains and be able to tell you about all the people they work with and the conditions, etc.

5. Learn to mend broken clothes; if we are able to do simple mends in our clothing we will end up throwing less away to landfill. In the UK, the average lifetime for a garment of clothing is estimated as 2.2 years, extending the active life of clothing by nine months can significantly reduce its environmental impact. (Source: www.wrap.org.uk)

6. Attend a Fashion Revolution Week event near you – check out their list of events and see what interests you!

7. Get political – the Bangladesh Accord is the legal agreement that was created after Rana Plaza that holds brands and retailers accountable for the safety of the factories they use. However, following a recent lawsuit the Accord is under threat and you can help by writing a letter to the Bangladesh government asking them to support the agreement.

8. Reduce, reuse, recycle; apply this mantra to all aspects of your life, but especially your wardrobe! Reduce the amount of clothes you buy, reuse old items that have gone unloved and recycled textiles into something new or at a recycling plant.

9. Buy second hand – when you do need something new, buying from charity shops, thrift stores or vintage clothing shops is a great way to make the fashion industry more circular and it saves clothes from going to the landfill. Plus you can always get more for your money!

10. Veganize your wardrobe! Steering clear of cow leather, wool and silk are the best ways to ensure your wardrobe is having less of an impact on the environment. Click here to read the report measuring the environmental impact of different materials.

Read the full article here: https://www.grandermarnier.com/blog/ideas-for-fashion-activism