What the Handicrafts Sector can Learn from Fashion Revolution Week?

No More Slaves to Fashion…or Anything Else: Fashion Revolution Week

It's Fashion Revolution Week, a period that remembers over 1,000 people killed and over 2,500 injured when Rana Plaza, a building housing garment factory workers in Bangladesh, collapsed due to preventable structural problems. It falls at the same time as another important event: Earth Day, a day on which millions of people come together to demonstrate their support for and commitment to environmental protection actions. 

Both initiatives call upon global citizens to pause and take a long hard look at how we can do more to safeguard against the exploitation of human resources and natural environment in the making of the items we use and love every day.

Fashion Revolution Day Evolves to Fashion Revolution Week

The tragic deaths following the Rana Plaza collapse  left many people horrified, and raised public awareness about the ill-treatment of garment factory workers who make the clothes we buy on the high street. An issue that had previously been debated by a small section of the fashion industry and consumers was now a headline issue, and the names of high street and high end retailers linked to this factory were ones most  in the West were very familiar with. 

We were suddenly confronted with the knowledge that someone working in slavery-like conditions might have made items sitting in our closets and homes. A sobering thought. 

According to the organisers, “An annual Fashion Revolution Day will keep the most vulnerable in the supply chain in the public eye. We need it to show the world that change is possible. The true cost of the current fashion business model must not be forgotten. 

“Fashion Revolution Day is the day on which we will celebrate fashion as a positive influence, and all those who contribute to making it so. It will rally the high street, the high end, the new, the ancient, the innovators, the buyers, the shoppers, the media, the commentators, the activists, and everyone in between.” 

What Impact has Fashion Revolution Week had?

Looking back over the years, since its inception, Fashion Revolution Day has sparked many positive changes in the fashion industry, including:

1. Increased transparency: Fashion Revolution has encouraged fashion brands to disclose more information about their supply chains, including where their garments are made, who makes them, and under what conditions. This has led to greater transparency and accountability in the industry.
2. Better working conditions: As a result of Fashion Revolution's efforts to improve working conditions, many fashion brands have implemented fair labor practices, including better wages, working hours, and safety standards for their workers.
3. More sustainable practices: The Fashion Revolution has also prompted fashion brands to adopt more sustainable practices, such as using organic cotton, recycled materials, and eco-friendly dyes in their garments. This has helped to reduce the industry's environmental impact.
4. Consumer awareness: The Fashion Revolution has also raised consumer awareness about the impact of their clothing choices on the environment and workers in the fashion supply chain. This has led to more people making conscious choices about the clothes they buy and supporting brands that prioritize sustainability and transparency.

Overall, Fashion Revolution Day has had a significant positive impact on the fashion industry, promoting transparency, sustainability, and social responsibility. While there is still much work to be done, the initiative has made important strides in improving the industry's practices and raising awareness about the need for change.

Lessons for the Handicrafts Wholesale & Retail Industry

What can players in the Handicrafts sector learn from Fashion Revolution Day and the events that led up to it?  The global fashion  industry  is dominated by large multinational corporate brands with highly developed supply chains whose products are manufactured in a number of countries in East and South Asia. Their brands rely on building and maintaining good reputations, and it is relatively easy to trace their supply chains to manufacturers.

 In contrast, the main distribution channel for handicraft products is independent retailers, making it a highly fragmented industry. This means that the value chain can lack transparency because of the presence of middlemen who act as aggregators between makers and buyers. Retailers, whose budgets and resources do not allow them the privilege to travel to every maker, find themselves relying heavily on these importers, exporters, and middlemen, and they rarely make contact directly with the maker and artisan communities who create their products. 

But how can an industry that promotes ethical sourcing, fair trade, and sustainability truly ensure that those very principles are being practiced across the entire supply chain by the operators that exist between makers and buyers? Do wholesale buyers have the tools to audit and verify claims made about the origins of products? Are the needs of those at the bottom of the supply chain being safeguarded in any way by policymakers and advocates?

The more we engage with makers in the African handicrafts sector, the more we uncover examples of unfair and unethical practices by brands and agents that wave ethical and sustainable flags. The more determined we are to change the landscape by offering makers alternative ways to generate revenue. More on that later.

Suffice it to say, for Meekono, the issue of ethical and sustainable production and ethical business remains paramount, and we’re committed to always engage partners that share our principles of treating workers, the environment, and our customers with the utmost respect.

This week is a reminder to always uphold those values and to share this important message with our friends and followers.