Transparency is vital in any business. As consumers, it helps us understand, it helps us be curious and ask questions. Initially, when it comes to fashion, it tends to give us a bit of a shock. When we realise that the reason our clothes are so cheap is because those making them are paid next to nothing, or when we see evidence of the appalling conditions they are working in.
This became heartbreakingly clear on 24 April 2013 when 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 were injured when the Rana Plaza clothing factory collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, following complaints about the building not being safe. The tragedy was a wake-up call for many and Fashion Revolution was born.
The initiative encourages transparency and highlights the lack of information around where our clothes come from and who made them. This year Fashion Revolution Week takes place later this month, on 18-24 April, with events across the globe and on the World Wide Web where we’re encouraged to ask brands #whomademyclothes by uploading photos of our items and their labels. The fair trade movement and conscious brands being open about their supply chain is a step in the right direction but this is currently not the norm so we need to keep asking, keep demanding, for us to be able to make conscious decisions when shopping.