Fashion Revolution Week; What I learnt

Fashion Revolution Week takes place once a year on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse which killed 1138 people and injured many more on the 24th April 2013. An event that many people are unaware of and an event where many fashion brands did not know if their clothes were even being made there. The worst part of the disaster was that it was preventable. Many workers had asked not to be forced to work in the building that had large cracks up the side and was known to be unstable, but due to no workers unions, and no voice, the workers, predominantly women had no choice but to enter and lost their lives as a result.

Fashion Revolution Week is therefore not only about sustainable and transparent fashion, but also looking back and ensuring that no other disaster will happen again. The week was filled with inspiring talks, open studios, film screenings, clothes swaps and much much more. Sadly I couldn't attend everything but I did pack in my fair share, from seeing the launch of a beautiful new designer, WE-RESONATE, attending talks about behaviour and social media, along with meeting new people and brands as well.

There were so many inspiring moments through the week that instead of filling you in on exactly what was said by who, I thought I'd share my favourite moments and words instead. I hope they make you think a little about the fashion world and how our decisions do matter because "It's cool to care".

"Why is sustainable fashion not jut called fashion, and everything else called bad or unethical fashion?"

"Did you know that some garment workers work 16 hour days, are only allowed one toilet break a day, are sexually harrased and work 7, yes 7 days a week. That is why we need a fashion revolution"

"We are just trying our best to create a better world where no one suffers"

"You can marry being selfish with being selfless"

"How we act is the opposite way to how we think we should. When we have less money, we buy more cheap fashion and dissociate ourselves from the rest of the world."

"Just because it's designer with a high price tag, doesn't mean the garment worker was paid any more to make it. The company just earn more profit"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, the fashion industry is far from perfect, so you don't need to be. Buying a garment that you know you will love and wear to death from a fast fashion store is ok"

"You can only fall in love with something that is physically in front of you, clothes included"

"In the US 7c per $ is spent on amazon"

"We've become spoilt with fast fashion and rock bottom prices. 2 decades ago we couldn't afford to shop as we do now."

"Why are we so proud of the things we buy for our home that are unique and made by artisans, but not what we wear?"

"What is fair fashion actually fairer than?"

"In just 4 days, top fashion CEOs will earn a garment workers lifetime pay."

So there is my quick round up of facts and words that stayed with me throughout the week. I learnt so much, spoke to so many inspiring people and also learnt about some amazing small brands doing their best in a world where fast fashion and throw away culture are integrated into our day to day lives.

Did you attend fashion revolution? What did you think of the week? Do you want to learn more about sustainable fashion?

Love
Erin