Fair Trade Fashion From India

Secret Projects is a social enterprise working to ensure that women in India receive a fair wage for their work in the textiles industry. It aims to empower women by providing them with access to the global market for their skills and the products that they make: the final link in the chain they previously lacked.

Secret Projects now works with over 300 makers in six different states in India, making clothing a homeware. The makers are the most integral part of the business, and you are in invited to come and meet some of them:

Meet Lissy, our quality control expert. A former quality controller for Fab India, Lissy works in our Bangalore Production Support Unit checking all our products before distribution to ensure they are of the highest quality. We asked Lissy some questions about her work with Secret Projects…

How did you become a quality checker?

I was working in the garment factory a helper for a year. My supervisor found me diligent and so asked me to take on the role of quality controller. I used to do the measurement and final quality check before products were sent out. This job requires following the entire cycle of the production. But I found the work in the factory very strenuous, and I could not manage it and my family at the same time, as I was never given leave. Then two years ago I came across Secret Projects, and I have been working here ever since.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Secret Projects team?

I am able to work based on a timetable that is convenient for me. I am not in constant fear that I used to have in my previous jobs, as there is very good support.

What impact has being a quality checker with Secret Projects had on you and your family?

Personally, I am happy to be independent. I am able to manage my children’s school fees with the income. This has meant that I have retained my dignity, as I haven’t had to borrow money. I am no longer stressed, and I feel very happy.

How does it compare to other jobs you have had?

My previous jobs were always based on the management’s needs, whereas this job enables me to negotiate my timetable based on my own schedule.

Deepa is a member of our Bangalore Maker Network.

Deepa, how did you start sewing? 

I have always had an interest in sewing, and my husband supported me to become a seamstress. I have been sewing for more than 10 years.

What impact has being a maker had on you and your family?

We were living in a very dilapidated house without much space at home. But through my income, we were able to save up and move into a bigger house that could also accommodate my sewing. This means a lot to me. I feel a sense of gratitude for what I have and am able to do. I hope in the future I can scale up my impact even more.

And what about your wider community?

I live in an urban settlement in Bengaluru. Members of my community often find themselves in distressing situations, and many of them are single mothers. There is a high suicide rate, as they often see no future for themselves. I can proudly say that I have been able to train many of them to sew, and they have found a new lease of life. Initially, when I train them, we support each other in the sewing and share the income. Once they are confident enough, they set up their own sewing unit at home, but it takes a long time to be able to save up to own a sewing machine.

I grew up in a small village. People there are very hard working but don’t have access to many job opportunities. I am keen to take Secret Projects to my village and share the opportunity that I have had with other community members. It would make me really happy to be able to do that.

How does it compare to other jobs you have had?

I used to feel hopeless and un-productive when I was staying at home and only doing household chores and staying at home. Now I feel that my life is so meaningful.

As consumers we are becoming more ethically conscious. We now recognise the importance of understanding who is making our clothes and where they are coming from. Luckily, there’s a growing opportunity to buy straight from the source as, with the support of non-profit organisations, ethical brands are increasingly being given the platform to bring their products to market.

Safe Child Thailand is a UK-based charity that works to safeguard at-risk children in Thailand. The organisation has partnered with a women’s centre in Thailand to bring beautiful handmade ethical jewellery to British consumers while empowering vulnerable women in Thailand.

Thailand has a long-standing reputation for sex-tourism, with hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting each year to take advantage of its nightlife. The number of sex workers in Thailand is estimated to be as high as 2 million. Chonburi province, just south of Bangkok, is a sex-tourism ‘hotspot’ and home to tens of thousands of prostitutes who work in bars, massage parlours, nightclubs and brothels under the watchful eyes of traffickers, pimps and bar owners.

The centre never looks down on marginalised women, it’s about empowerment, giving energy and self-confidence – Mee* who attends the women’s centre

Kai found herself working in Chonburi. She, like many other women, came from a poor rural community. She had left her family, children and home in an attempt to earn a living in the city, but she quickly found herself consumed by a dark world of exploitation. So many vulnerable women share a similar fate to Kai and end up working in a degrading and low-paid job, with little freedom, no dignity or opportunities to educate themselves, gain vocational and life skills or even realise their basic human rights. Fortunately for Kai, she found a women’s centre – established to support and empower women who have nowhere else to turn.

As well as providing support, the women’s centre has several courses including a bespoke jewellery course which offers a real alternative to a life spent working on the streets. The course provides design and craft training, commercial knowledge, peer mentoring and professional support to empower women to create and sell their own jewellery. Jewellery that builds a brighter future and gives them the chance to escape a life of exploitation. The women at the centre created a brand for their jewellery – Jit-win-yan (จิตวิญญาณ) which means “spirit” or “soul”.

The logo they created represents the Thai word for “woman” and the blue colour symbolises support, strength, warmth, security, peace and love. Not only did they create a beautiful line of unique jewellery but they also created a community and a safe place for women like themselves. Before they started making their unique pieces, they made simple leather blue friendship bracelets to symbolise unity and sisterhood.

They made matching friendship bracelets to give to all the women at the centre so that when they were out working in the street and saw someone else wearing one – they knew they had a friend. – Charlie, Head of Programmes at Safe Child Thailand

Kai joined the jewellery course and learnt how to design and craft jewellery, source semi-precious stones and a host of entrepreneurial skills to market and sell her jewellery. It gave her the opportunity of a new life, away from prostitution and bar work. She was even able to move back to her family home to be with her children.

Using her new skills, Kai has set up a small business making and selling jewellery and now teaches children and their mothers in her village how to make their own jewellery that they can sell at schools and local markets. She has become a wonderful role model for her children and the community, making sure they are not subjected to what she went through.

Through purchasing unique ethical jewellery, you can empower vulnerable women directly and give them a chance in life.

On 2^nd December 2015, Fashion Revolution launched its first white paper, It’s Time for a Fashion Revolution, for the European Year for Development. The paper sets out the need for more transparency across the fashion industry, from seed to waste. The paper contextualises Fashion Revolution’s efforts, the organisation’s philosophy and how the public, the industry, policymakers and others around the world can work towards a safer, cleaner, more fair and beautiful future for fashion.

“Whether you are someone who buys and wears fashion (that’s pretty much everyone) or you work in the industry along the supply chain somewhere or if you’re a policymaker who can have an impact on legal requirements, you are accountable for the impact fashion has on people’s lives. Our vision is is a fashion industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure”

explained Sarah Ditty on behalf of Fashion Revolution.

Carry Somers, co-founder of Fashion Revolution, said

“Most of the public is still not aware that human and environmental abuses are endemic across the fashion and textiles industry and that what they’re wearing could have been made in an exploitative way. We don’t want to wear that story anymore. We want to see fashion become a force for good.”

The paper was launched at a joint event with the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Brussels and hosted by Arne Leitz, Member of the European Parliament to mark the European Year for Development.

The event included contributions by Dr Roberto Ridolfi, Director at the European Commission Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation, Jean Lambert MEP, and Sergi Corbalán, on behalf of the Fair Trade movement.

“We need an integrated approach, from cotton farmer to consumer, and we need EU support,”

explained Sergi Corbalán.

Fashion Revolution lays out its five year agenda in the paper. By 2020, Fashion Revolution hopes that:

• The public starts getting some real answers to the question #whomademyclothes
• Thousands of brands and retailers are willing and able to tell the public about the people who make their products
• Makers, producers and workers become more visible
• The stories of thousands of actors across the supply chain are told
• More consumer demand for fashion made in a sustainable and ethical way
• Real transformative positive change begins to take root.

With many congratulations on the launch of the white paper, Dr Roberto Ridolfi proclaimed:

“My ambition, as of tomorrow, is to become a Fashion Revolutionary!”

Although our resources are free to download, we kindly ask for a £3 donation towards booklet downloads. Please donate via our donations page

[download image=”https://www.fashionrevolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/FRD_resources_thumbnail_whitepaper.jpg”]Download our White Paper ‘It’s time for a Fashion Revolution‘, published December 2015.
Download[/download]

Fashion Revolution also launched a new video for the European Year for Development at the event: Why We Need a Fashion Revolution.

The Beat of Africa hit Milan fashion week for the third time as Biffi Boutique and ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative collaborated to bring African fashion talent to the Italian fashion capital. The weeklong designer showcase launched for Vogue Fashion’s Night Out.

Biffi Boutique is one of Milan’s legendary fashion stores, owned by Rosy Biffi. The Milanese boutique located in Corso Genova displayed the Spring/Summer 2016 womenswear looks of four designers selected by the Ethical Fashion Initiative: MaXhosa by Laduma (South Africa), Mimi Plange (US-Ghana), Sindiso Khumalo (South Africa) and Sophie Zinga (Senegal). MaXhosa by Laduma will also show some menswear looks.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative is a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. The Ethical Fashion Initiative works with the rising generation of fashion talent from Africa, encouraging the forging of fulfilling creative collaborations with artisans on the continent. The Ethical Fashion Initiative also enables artisans living in urban and rural poverty to connect with the global fashion chain. Under its slogan, “NOT CHARITY, JUST WORK.” the Ethical Fashion Initiative advocates a fairer global fashion industry.

Simone Cipriani, founder and head of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, said:

“There is a mountain of talent in Africa. When I was young, Italy was about creativity and artisans. Today Africa is the same.”

DESIGNERS

MaXhosa by Laduma

MaXhosa by Laduma is a South African knitwear brand founded in 2010 by Laduma Ngxokolo. The South African Xhosa manhood initiation ritual practiced by amakrwala was behind the launch of the brand as Laduma sought to create Xhosa-inspired modern knitwear that would be suitable for this tradition. Since, the Xhosa aesthetic has come to be part of the DNA of the knitwear brand as Laduma has explored and reinterpreted traditional Xhosa beadwork, patterns, symbolism and colours to inspire his modern knitwear line. Through his work, Laduma is an agent of change, shifting and evolving with the changing times and further engaging in the dialogue that keeps pushing traditional culture toward the future.

Mimi Plange

Mimi Plange is a modern womenswear brand launched in 2010 by American-Ghanaian designer, Mimi Plange. Lost African civilizations inspire the Mimi Plange clothing and gives the collection a depth of meaning. High quality craftsmanship is reflected in each Mimi Plange piece and the brand prides itself on making well-constructed and fitted clothing. The Mimi Plange woman moves in international circles and is successful, cultured and conscientious. Mimi Plange says “I design clothes for a woman who wears what suits her. She has nothing to prove.” Mimi Plange’s designs have gained the seal of approval from American first-lady Michelle Obama, pop-queen Rihanna and tennis star, Serena Williams.

Sindiso Khumalo

Based between London and Cape Town, Sindiso Khumalo launched her eponymous label after being a finalist in the Elle New Talent competition. The strong and complex graphic prints used by Sindiso have become the signature of her collections. With a background in textile design, the designer has developed her label with a focus on modern sustainable textiles and works with several NGO’s in South Africa to develop sustainable textiles. In 2013, Sindiso Khumalo was nominated for the “Most Beautiful Object in South Africa” Award by the Design Indaba. Her work has been showcased at the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Smithsonian Museum of African Art in Washington. Sindiso studied architecture at the University of Cape Town and Design for Textile Futures at Central St Martins.

Sophie Zinga

As an avid art enthusiast, Senegalese born Sophie Nzinga Sy pursued her creative talent at Parsons School of Design. This led Sophie to set up her own brand: Sophie Zinga. Her brand is strongly influenced by her travels and the fusion of multiple cultures – specifically Sophie’s African roots and her New York City education and entrepreneurial mindset. Quality is a keystone of the Sophie Zinga brand, which uses the finest materials and fabrics (silk, satin, bazin, semi-precious stones etc.) Sophie’s design philosophy is to give the modern woman the key pieces to constantly re-invent her style while exuding confidence whether she is in a board meeting, attending a gala or traveling between New York and Lagos. The Sophie Zinga woman is socially conscious, well-travelled and is part of today’s cosmopolitan world.

#beatofafrica2015

Currently, markets are dominated by a Fast Fashion model that creates waste and often mistreats human beings in the drive for cheap, disposable clothing. Tripty began with inspiration to take the heritage and skill of Bangladesh and change that model.

We wanted to create a fashion brand that benefits communities, culture and environment and rethinks the way international products are created in developing countries. By combining traditional weaving, stitching and dyeing techniques with innovative and sustainable materials such as pineapple fiber it is possible to create products that are both relevant and timeless. An ethical supply chain is within reach.

The Tripty Project is a Slow Fashion brand based in Bangladesh and Oakland, CA. You can support The Tripty Project’s Kickstarter Campaign here

Find out more about The Tripty Project through their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

On Monday 29 June 2015 in the UK House of Lords, industry leaders, press and political leaders attended the roundtable debate Ethical Fashion 2020: a New Vision for Transparency. The aim of the event was to help to shape a vison of what transparent supply chains could look like in five years time and set out what steps are needed to transform the fashion industry of the future.

The event at the House of Lords, now in its second year, was co-hosted by Fashion Revolution, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion.

Introducing the event, IOSH Chief Executive Jan Chmiel said

“Transparency matters because it can drive improved workplace standards. It can also increase recognition of good health and safety performance. And importantly, it can help ensure more people view health and safety as an investment, not a cost – one that saves lives, supports business and sustains communities. Whereas, a lack of transparency can do the reverse. Crucially, it can mean that firms don’t know the factories that are supplying them, so they can’t actively manage their risks – potentially leading to tragedy, disaster and business failure”.

Co-founder of Fashion Revolution, Carry Somers, set the scene as to why transparency is a crucial issue to address over the next 5 years

“So much is hidden within the industry, largely because of its scale and complexity. The system in which the fashion and textiles industry operates has become unmanageable and almost nobody has a clear picture how it all really works, from fibre through to final product, use and disposal.

The low or non-existent levels of visibility across the supply chain highlight the problematic and complex nature of the fashion industry. A few brands have received a lot of public pressure to publish information about their suppliers and some have responded by disclosing parts of it. Yet, the rest of the industry remains very opaque. It’s not just brands; it’s the myriad other stakeholders along the chain too.  We believe that knowing who made our clothes is the first step in transforming the fashion industry”.

The two hour debate, chaired by Lucy Siegle, acknowledged where progress needed to be made, highlighted opportunities for change and set out a vision for how the fashion industry could and should look by 2020.

Some of the key points made by the speakers are set out below:

Peter McAllister, Executive Director of the Ethical Trading Initiative

• We need to break down what transparency looks like and define what the journey looks like, so we get a virtuous circle.
• Smart regulation drives behaviour. Once the environment is predictable, business can work within that environment. What is difficult is when business can’t predict when wages will rise or fall, when there will be a strike, etc.
• We need mechanisms where workers are represented not where they are just at the receiving end of good intentions
• We want to see the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights become a rallying call to transform fashion industry and see this fully implemented by 2020. Companies need to undertake human rights due diligence, understand the impacts and take the remedial action required. This underpins the need for transparency.
• We can’t wait for a crisis – we need to put national and private mechanisms in place. We need to set up platforms in key places such as China and India to influence change in producer countries.
• Bangladesh is still a young country with weak infrastructure. The Accord and the Alliance were the right response at the right time. It is an attempt to turbocharge the effort of the Bangladesh government to set up their own mechanisms. It is designed to be a contribution to a longer term shift, of which we are yet to see the green shoots.
• Transparency is coming at companies, whether they like it or not – better to get ahead of the curve. The best way to get change is to inspire competition between companies.
• This sector is well overdue transformative change, not just twiddling at the edges

Rob Wayss – Executive Director of The Bangladesh Accord

• Accord signatories were placing “unprecedented” requirements on their suppliers.
• Even though there had been a positive response to the Accord, much more needs to be done including the increasing the pace of remediation works in factories and ensuring workers are able to raise safety concerns without fear of reprisal. If other workers see that raising safety concerns leads to hassle, they won’t express worries themselves.
• The Accord is based on a 5 year agreement. Health and Safety Committees have been put in place in all factories, remedial action is being taken, factories are working with union representatives.
• Transparency is the key to progress and the way the Accord works. We publish inspection and disclose non-compliance.
• Inspections for the Accord were carried out by world class engineers who worked alongside Bangladeshi engineers. I would like to see the assessments based on scientific engineering principles.
• Money, resources and political will are needed to change the way we do business.
• A kite mark on garments to verify ethical production would be very difficult as would need to verify what is the standard, who is assessing and monitoring. It is very high risk and it is not very meaningful, even though there is an appetite for this amongst consumers.
• The media has an important role to play as it creates pressure. Where there are legitimate article expressing valid criticisms, we respond accordingly. However, some articles in the Bangladeshi press were perhaps generated by factory owners who wanted to see the pace of the Accord slowed down.

Baroness Young of Hornsey – All-Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion.

• You can only make a choice if you have information and that information turns to knowledge
• More businesses need to be more honest.
• We need to think more creatively and outside of the box of usual business models.
• Legislation won’t solve the whole problem but it can promote cultural change, as we’ve seen with the Equality Act.
• The government had to be encouraged to put the transparency clause in the Modern Slavery Bill in place by business. Loopholes in law which still exist around Modern Slavery Act will be stricter by 2020.
• The fashion industry is different to other industries as it has such a widely distributed supply chain. I’d like to see pressure building so companies can make progress on their public statements over the next five years as to how they are addressing modern slavery within their supply chains.
• We need more empowerment of consumers, business and politicians so this becomes so much part of life that we don’t need to think about it.
• The idea of a kite mark on the surface seems attractive but it simplifies what is an incredibly comples area. How do you make calculations which balance the social and the environmental?
• We can’t assume Made in Britain is OK. One member of the APPG saw conditions in a garment factory in East London last week as bad as those you would see anywhere in the world.

Simon Ward – British Fashion Council (BFC)

• The BFC has a three-year strategy to put sustainability at the heart of all we do. BFC is undertaking a collaboration with Marks and Spencer through the Positive Fashion initiative to promote best practice in order to stimulate real and meaningful change, highlighting the practical toolkit for designers which incorporates sustainability.
• There is a a need to find creative solutions and look at things differently. For instance, the BFC worked with the government to set up a draft standard on fashion apprenticeships as a solution to the problem of unpaid interns.
• We’re on an endless hamster wheel, more & more, cheaper & cheaper. How can we break the madness & tell a positive, creative story? People warm to the story and telling the story behind an item of clothin is an entrancing way to give insight into the people behind the clothes. It provides a compelling motivation for change.

Garrett Brown of the Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network

• We need public listing of supply chains
• We need public disclosure of monitoring timelines and remedial action
• We need meaningful participation by workers, including training to give them the information and authority to act without retaliation.
• Sourcing is currently driven by the lowest price, highest quality, fastest delivery, with a window dressing of CSR.
• It is a pre-requisite that governments have the will and the resources to enforce the regulations, but in most places in the developing world this isn’t the case. In Bangladesh, it should be the government enforcing regulation and the Accord is a real step towards achieving this.   Mexico has strong health and safety legislation, as strong as the US, but it has high foreigh debt, so won’t do anything to deter investents. This is why workers need to protect themselves.
• Transparency is only as good as the information that you get

Finally, Lucy Siegle asked the panellists what one thing would make a massive difference by 2020?

Garrett Brown: The Accord model of public discoloure is critical. Brands have to disclose where their factories are and tell us about the conditions.

Simon Ward: A lot of big and complex change is required. We need a magic story to tie it all together so it is understandable.

Baroness Lola Young: Information leading to activism. Supporting organisations like Fashion Revolution which are build on the work of other organisation like the EFF, ETI, Labour Behind the Label. Information needs to be acted on and we need coalitions like Fashion Revolution which can lobby for change.

Rob Wyass: Audits, credibly performed

Peter McAllister: The ETI has made a commitment to develop a public form of the audits of their companies which we hope will showcase some of the best performers.

After the debate, guests adjourned to River Room, overlooking the Thames, for a drinks reception and networking. Baroness Lola Young and Lord Speaker, Frances de Souza, both gave speeches at the reception and many of the guests were filmed for an upcoming series of mini films being produced and directed by Fashion Revolution as part of the European Year for Development.

The event at the House of Lords brought together many of the key people from within the fashion industry and beyond who are at the forefront of creating meaningful change. The challenge now is to translate the vision set out for transparency in 2020 into a reality in order to transform the fashion industry of the future.

Photo credits: Arthur & Henry, Zoe Hitchen, Orsola de Castro and IOSH

Ethical Fashion Initiative is a flagship programme of the International Trade Centre, a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. The Initiative links the world’s top fashion talents to marginalised artisans – the majority of them women – in East and West Africa, Haiti and the West Bank. Active since 2009, the Initiative enables artisans living in urban and rural poverty to connect with the global fashion chain. The Ethical Fashion Initiative also enables Africa’s rising generation of fashion talent to forge environmentally sound, sustainable and fulfilling creative collaborations with local artisans.Under its slogan, “NOT CHARITY, JUST WORK.” the Ethical Fashion Initiative advocates a fairer global fashion industry.

Over the past few seasons the Fondazione Pitti Discovery has been setting aside a special area for the rising stars on the world’s economic and creative stage with the Guest Nation project. This edition, in cooperation with the ITCEthical Fashion Initiative, focussed on fashion from Africa with a special event “Constellation Africa”, to promote young and talented designers from the continent.

“I believe that Pitti Uomo is the best platform to showcase these innovative designers from Africa, the continent which hosts the future of fashion and couture“, says Simone Cipriani, Head and Founder of the ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative. “The richness of materials and the beauty of their designs are truly unique. This is where our global society is going: interconnectedness. Global and local dimensions brought together through fashion“.

The four participating brands were:

ORANGE CULTURE // Adebayo Oke-Lawal from Nigeria

Orange Culture is a contemporary menswear brand created by Nigerian designer Adebayo OkeLawal in 2011. The brand combines classic and contemporary western silhouettes with an African edge. Orange Culture fuses Nigerian silhouettes, print fabrics and contemporary urban streetwear. Orange Culture is more than a clothing line, it is a “movement” for a creative class of men that are “self-aware, expressive, explorative and art-loving nomads”. Orange culture has been featured by top fashion magazines and was recently shortlisted by Vogue Talents for Africa and LVMH’s 2014 Young Fashion Designer Prize.

MaXhosa by Laduma // Laduma Ngxokolo from South Africa
MaXhosa by Laduma is a South African knitwear brand founded in 2010 by Laduma Ngxokolo. The South African Xhosa manhood initiation ritual practiced by amakrwala was behind the launch of the brand as Laduma sought to create Xhosa-inspired modern knitwear that would be suitable for this tradition. Since, the Xhosa aesthetic has come to be part of the DNA of the knitwear brand as Laduma has explored and reinterpreted traditional Xhosa beadwork, patterns, symbolism and colours to inspire his modern knitwear line. Through his work, Laduma is an agent of change, shifting and evolving with the changing times and further engaging in the dialogue that keeps pushing traditional culture toward the future.

PROJECTO MENTAL // Tekasala Ma’at Nzinga & Shunnoz Fiel from Angola
Projecto Mental is an Angolan fashion brand, founded in 2004 by creative duo Shunnoz Fiel & Tekasala Ma’at Nzinga, which fuses fashion and art. The brand was created in the aftermath of the civil war as a platform to help reshape Angola’s cultural identity, after the country was ravaged by decades of civil war. Suits with an experimental twist are the signature item of the Projecto Mental brand. Projecto Mental takes an avant-garde approach to tailoring as the designers re-imagine and re-invent the traditional suit for men and women. Strong block colours combined with prints & patterns bring boldness to each design.

DENT DE MAN // Alexis Temomanin from Ivory Coast & UK
Dent de Man is a menswear brand created in 2012 by British-Ivorian designer, Alexis Temomanin. Dent de Man’s approach to luxury style is defined by a mix of classic tailoring with colourful patterned fabric. The Dent de Man lifestyle is defined by freedom, quality and “esthétisme”, empowering individuals to dress for themselves. Self-expression is core to Dent de Man’s philosophy. The brand prides itself on the use of vintage fabrics and celebration of ancient printing techniques, Dent de Man adapts decadent and bold Java prints forming unique garments that allow individuals to own distinctive and irreplaceable pieces. All Dent de Man fabric is carefully sourced and possesses its own story and meaning.

Thanks Zara.   Bold title for an ethical and sustainable blog? Perhaps a little, I know, but this “thanks” to Zara is completely justified and I believe completely deserved. Want to know why?

A few weeks ago I took up the challenge launched by Fashion Revolution and the Asociación Moda Sostenible for Fashion Revolution Day encouraging us to ask the brands ‘Who Made My Clothes?’, with the aim to make us reflect about how the clothing we wear is made and to make the brands realise that, even if their garments are produced in workshops subcontracted by other companies, they have a huge responsibility to know who made them and, above all, under what working conditions.

Okay, so for my challenge I asked the Spanish brand Zara who had made my hoodie.

The truth is that when I recorded the video  I did not expect that Zara, flagship of the Inditex group, would answer. Who was I that this kind of multinational brand would pay attention to my question?

Well I was completely mistaken, because just a few days after tweeting the question to the brand, I started to get messages from Zara Care (Twitter account for Zara’s customer services) informing me of the process of my query until, on the 14^th April, the brand replied to my question via Facebook. I’ve pasted the messages below.

Zara Facebook message:

Hello, the item from your video is a hooded jacket sold by Zara in 2009. This garment came from a Turkish business (Uniteks Gida Tekstil) who carried out the production in two factories: BGB Tekstil and Tekova Tekstil. Both factories are located in Izmir (western Turkey); the first has around 140 workers and the second about 100. Uniteks, just like BGB and Tekova, continue to form part of Inditex’s current supply base. Their workshops have surpassed the most recent full social audit in January 2014 and in July 2013 respectively (audits of those manufacturers that obtain high ratings are carried out every 24 months), and subsequent to these dates they have received visits from technical assistance (related to implementation of improvements) as well as regular production controls (necessary to ensure complete traceability of our products).

We hope that this information is useful to you.

So my hoodie had been made by two Turkish businesses subcontracted by a third one that Zara had originally subcontracted? “That’s a lot of contracts!” was my first thought. No wonder they took 15 days to be able to reply… Still, I suppose that, whether we like it or not, in multinational businesses it’s like this every day. In the end, big businesses also subcontract me to help them develop part of their communication strategies and Corporate Social Responsibility.

The second thing that surprised me was Zara’s ability to let me know the traceability of their garment manufacturing. I understand that it has to be like that, but that didn’t stop it being a pleasant surprise. As you can see in the messages, to find out exactly they asked me for the model of the jacket. If I’m not mistaken it was Uniteks Gida Tekstil who subcontracted both BGB Tekstil and Tekova Tekstil.

The third part that caught my attention was that six years later the three companies are still working for the group and that they had social audits in 2013 and 2014 carried out by Zara. But, what exactly does this “social audit” mean?

According to Zara’s webpage:

The production facilities of all suppliers whithin Inditex’s supply chain are audited periodically by Inditex’s CSR teams or specialist external auditors in order to assess their level of compliance with the Code of Conduct for Manufacturers and Suppliers. These audits have been developed in accordance with Inditex’s Tested to Wear methodology, designed in 2007 in collaboration withIndustriALL (formerly ITGLWF), the Cambridge Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics and Inditex. The methodology is reviewed periodically to incorporate appropriate updates and factor in the experience gained. The last review took place in 2013.

Once a supplier has signed Inditex’s Minimum Requirements, its facilities and any other factories and workshops it works with undergo an initial CSR audit.

These audits consist of facility inspection, documentary due diligence (management systems, payrolls, work hour ledgers, production records, employee documentation, permits, etc.), verification of waste management, emissions and water and energy usage, and interviews with factory managers, employees, union representatives and health and safety staff, among things.

For the duration of its business relationship with Inditex, the suppliers and their associated facilities undergo periodic audits.

I know audits can’t guarantee that the workers’ social and labour rights are respected in these subcontracted factories, given that it’s really difficult to gauge the actual reality of a company from one of these inspections (all of us have experienced one of these audits at work and surely no one – at least I haven’t ever – has actually been privately questioned by the auditor to find out exactly how the company treats them. And if it does happen, that that brave person has been able to criticise their bosses without fearing reprisal…). Still, this is the system that exists and we have to trust it. Here you can see the conditions that Inditex requires from their providers.

Not just settling for Zara’s reply, I took the opportunity to find out some more information about the businesses mentioned on the Clean Clothes Campaign (international campaign which focuses on the working conditions of garment workers), but I haven’t been able to find any reference to these three Turkish companies. If anyone from the CCC reads this and has any more info, please get in touch! I did, however, find the analysis of Zara that ‘Ropa Limpia’ (Clean Clothes in Spain) did in 2010.

Whatever the case may be, I hope that after reading my post you understand this ‘Thanks Zara’ in the title. And, as far as I know, of all the videos from the #retomodasostenible that have been recorded for Fashion Revolution Day in Spain, only this one and María Pérez-Hickman’s, who asked Esesoese, have received a response. Have a look at #retomodasostenible on facebook y #retomodasostenible on Twitter. Check #whomademyclothes to see global questions and responses.

Thanks again to Zara for paying attention to this challenge and, in this way, stepping up to Fashion Revolution Day.

From here, I encourage the brand and also the whole of the Inditex group to continue working so that all of us fashion lovers can feel proud to wear their clothing now that we’re adults and have more awareness, with the same emphasis that we used to when we were teenagers.

For my generation, Zara allowed us to be the first ‘fashion’ kids and teenagers in history; they gave us the opportunity to be fashionable at an affordable price; they made us believe that through hard work a small business could conquer the whole world. Now that we’re adults – and I think I speak for my whole generation – we would love Zara to prove that this hasn’t been achieved at the cost of other people’s health and quality of life. And if, out of ignorance, or greed or a lack of awareness, at any point in the business’ history this has been the case, I would be satisfied knowing that this is already a thing of the past and that from now onwards no one will ever see their human and workers’ rights violated so that a t-shirt might cost me a few euros less or so that the company selling it might earn a few euros more. Deal? Given Zara’s response to my question, I think it’s a deal.

Thanks in advance, Zara.

Thanks to Kezia Cochrane  https://thefiveanddime.wordpress.com/ for the translation

People sometimes ask me why I choose to work in Fairtrade gold and I always respond ‘Why wouldn’t I?’ I think that if there is an opportunity to make a positive difference then you’ve got to take it

Jewellery as an art form is so closely linked with the human experience, having been used throughout history to convey sentiment, love, wealth and power – and as my work is so directly inspired by this historical legacy it would almost seem disrespectful to use my materials callously.

There has always been a great deal of human exploitation and suffering inflicted in the quest for the creation of ‘beauty’. Unfairness may have been accepted, or ignored in the past, but now that we live in a world where knowledge is power and information is so accessible, we have a duty to exercise our freedom of choice and make positive changes where we can – it’s about being a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

There is a tremendous sense of camaraderie in being part of the Fairtrade movement. We support each other and share information constantly I find it hugely inspiring to know that individual creativity can affect positive change and that collectively as jewellers, our voices can be heard.

The actual process of registering to become a Fairtrade gold licensee is more straightforward than you might think. There are numerous refining companies now registered, all offering an ever-increasing number of Fairtrade products and components and the recent launch of the Goldsmiths Registration Scheme has made it even easier to get involved no matter what your production capacity.

Another advantage of registering as a gold licensee is the immediate recognition that the Fairtrade mark carries. It’s a trusted and understood logo that people immediately feel comfortable with. This is of tremendous benefit when trying to communicate a system of provenance to clients – they just get it straight away!

Often the only reassurance I need give is that the gold is of exactly the same quality as non Fairtrade– the only difference is that there is a stamp that goes next to the hallmark proving that the origin of the metal and the circumstances under which it was mined are known.

That being said, there is still a long way to go before gold carries the same amount of consumer awareness as other Fairtrade products do. I am seeing an increase in the amount of customers coming to me requesting Fairtrade metal but it’s still a relatively small amount. So I’m very excited that Fashion Revolution has now welcomed jewellers into their campaign encouraging us to ask not only ‘Who made my clothes?’ but also ‘Who made my jewellery?’

Burkina Faso is the biggest African cotton producer and exporter, so it is no surprise that it boasts a strong textile heritage of handwoven cotton fabric, traditionally called Danfani. Stripes are the signature style of handwoven Burkinabé fabric however artisans are able to weave complex tartan and hounds-tooth fabric designs. Preparing the design on the loom itself can involve three to seven days of work depending on the complexity of the design. Artisans can weave on small and wide looms, the latter makes the fabric more attractive commercially as fashion & design buyers can do more with this larger fabric.

In Burkina Faso, the Ethical Fashion Initiative has worked to create a cooperative which links up several weaving ateliers. The introduction of wide looms and financing of capacity building workshops has also been central to the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s work of bringing brands like Stella Jean, United Arrows and Vivienne Westwood to work with artisans in this area of the world.

In this video, Italo-Haitian fashion designer Stella Jean travels to Burkina Faso with the Ethical Fashion Initiative to meet with handweaving artisans and source fabrics with local weaving ateliers to create her SS14 collection.

Since this visit, Stella Jean has used hand-woven fabric from Burkina Faso in each of her collections.

Many women used to weave on their own account, however many gave up because it was too difficult to sell their stock and make a living from it. Joining the weaving cooperative allows them to receive many more orders, work with others and improve their skills.

Most importantly, more orders means more income for them to take control of their lives. Clémentine, a mother of three children says that since joining the cooperative she has many more orders and “this means I earn more money which improves my life and the life of my family.” Clémentine was also recently able to purchase a motorcycle which makes her independent and helps her get from work to home.

Most women use the income they receive from the orders placed by fashion houses to give a better life to their children. Mamounata says that with the income earned “I can provide for my family and keep my bike in good condition.” Joséphine is able to feed her family with the money earned and has also managed to resolve some financial issues.

Some women had no background in weaving but decided to give the craft a chance to turn their lives around. For example Véronique used to collect sand and gravel to provide for her family. However, since she joined the cooperative she states that her life has changed because “I can now pay the school fees for my children, medical costs and food. In short, I earn enough to provide for my seven children.” Augustine used to cut wood and also collect sand and gravel to sell. She says that she rushed to join the cooperative as soon as she heard of it and says that “Frankly, my life is now much better. I have six children and I can cover all their needs.”

Learning new skills is very important not only to ensure fabric is woven to high standards but also for the confidence of the women artisans. Brigitte began weaving four years ago and since has learnt many weaving skills during this time. She now feels she truly has a profession because before “I didn’t know how to do anything.” Christine began weaving two years ago and says “My life is much better than before” – she now dreams to own a bike of her own.

The Ethical Fashion Initiative is proud to work with many women weavers from Burkina Faso who have been able to improve and take control of their lives through dignified work, producing fabric for luxury fashion houses.

Photo credits: Anne Mimault & ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative

In a mile long ravine in the middle of Guatemala City, a slum called La Limonada houses somewhere between 60,000-100,000 people. Broken into 10 different barrios, or neighborhoods, the boundaries of which are known by the gangs that are so prevalent here. This is considered one of the most dangerous slums in the world.

Poverty is on every corner. Narrow alleyways are lined with concrete walls and metal roofs. Glue bottles litter the streets, the drug of choice here, and an empty sign of the desperation to escape, even if just for a few hours. There is hunger, violence and pain within this slum, and that is seen in the faces of the gang members and their victims alike.

Guatemala has the fifth highest homicide rate in the world. Gangs from LA migrated down into the country during the 36-year civil that declared 200,000 people “missing” who were never recovered. The instability of the country made it an ideal place for the gangs to recruit, children mostly, many of which were either living on the streets at an early age, or were responsible for caring for themselves for hours each day while their parents or guardians worked.

The school system in Guatemala only has children attending for a half day, approximately 3-4 hours of schooling, which not only places them at a disadvantage in their education, but without childcare, many children are on their own. There is no aftercare, no daycare. Sometimes a parent is able to remain home with them, or another relative cares for them.

These exposed children, really just looking for a place to belong and perhaps a full belly, are easy swooped up by the gangs. This becomes their family, people with whom to relate and care for them. It fills a void left by the lack of parental and familial support. It becomes their support system, except it’s one that does nothing but take advantage of them.

It is extremely difficult to escape the gang life. Gangs essentially brand their members by placing gang tattoos in visible places on the face and neck. This defining mark is an identifier for potential employers and that person is automatically labeled as untrustworthy, without room for an explanation of change and a desire to move beyond a darker past. It provides a brutal atmosphere of hopelessness for gang members looking to leave and find employment. Others attempt to escape and are murdered. The gangs trap members in a way that is very similar to human trafficking in other industries. They are coerced, marked, threatened, and sometimes abused to keep them in line with the desires of the ruling gang members.

But, there are places where hope exists. Where former gang members are embraced with open arms and a nonjudgmental attitude of understanding exists. In the slum of La Limonada in Guatemala City, one such place exists. Otto Garcia, a former gang member himself, understands the complexity of the gang life. He knows what it’s like to be desperate, and he knows how hard it was to leave. Otto grew up with a single mom who worked 2 jobs to support them. He left school after the sixth grade, unable to attend further because of the cost, and began his career as a shoemaker at the age of 10. After years in the gang, he was able to leave, and through a micro loan, eventually began his own shoemaking business. While an obvious goal was to provide for his family, he also had another plan: to provide work for people like himself who wanted to turn their life around. He wanted to provide options: to give people the opportunity to leave the gang, and to prevent the younger generation from ever starting. All of this is possible through a pair of shoes.

Opportunity is key in violent areas such as La Limonada. It will never solve all of the problems, but it can certainly play a role in reducing violence and allowing for new life to begin. It is amazing what a simple job can do in promoting peace and security in vulnerable places of the world. Investing in people and entrepreneurs like Otto can make an incredible difference. He believes in people, regardless of their past, and can see the good in them. His ability to relate makes him an invaluable asset to his community, as a leader and business owner, and he truly believes that change will come. All of this is possible through a pair of shoes.

And Otto’s story is not yet finished. His business is growing and thriving and he has big dreams of hiring more and more people. Not as a way to profit for himself, but as a way to provide a way out. Jobs as a path to peace are critical in communities like La Limonada, options are essential, and opportunity is paramount. Peace can reign in the vulnerable places.

Otto has partnered up with The Root Collective, a US-based ethical fashion company that believes strongly in empowering and uplifting marginalized communities. Having access to a buying market has allowed Otto’s vision to continue to grow and take shape. He’s been able to hire men, like Hubert. Hubert’s story is one of incredible hardship, but you’d never know it by his quiet manner and soft demeaner. Hubert has been given a second chance at life and, as he puts it, “I just love making shoes.” There is hope in his eyes that shines beyond the gang tattoos. And all of this is possible… through a pair of shoes.

Photo credit to Em Grey at Shimmers of Grey

Margaret Mschai, a mother of two, makes her living by completing various tasks at the Wildlife Works eco-clothing factory, and is wholly grateful for it. Her tasks include trimming, folding and packaging the fabric and finished clothes.

“I love what I do mostly because it is an important part in the chain of events that creates unique outfits for export,” she says, adding, “We cannot all be machinists or designers. Someone has to trim the loose threads and fold the clothes so that they are presented neatly for the final consumer.”

As Margaret never had the chance to continue her education past primary school, she was therefore unable to accomplish her dream of becoming a nurse. Like countless girls growing up in rural Kenya during the 1970s, Margaret’s parents did not see the need to educate a female child. Upon completion of her primary school education, she was left with the options to either get married or begin working to sustain her everyday needs.

Against her parent’s wishes, Margaret chose to spend a term at the high school she had been admitted to. However, before she could take exams at the end of her term, she was sent back to her parents for money in order to pay her tuition fees. Sadly, she was unable to obtain the funds and was forced to leave school and abandon her hopes of becoming a nurse.

Unable to fulfill her ambitions, Margaret found herself moving from job to job until 2002 when she got news of the clothing factory near Maungu that was hiring.

“I had a strong conviction that this was the long-term opportunity I had been looking for when I heard about the Wildlife Works eco-clothing factory,” Margaret, who had learned a few basics of sewing through the years, recalled.

Unfortunately, the machines at Wildlife Works were electronic, as opposed to the manual ones she had been used to. Instead of the sewing job she had hoped for, Margaret was hired as a factory assistant. Among the first to be employed at Wildlife Works eco-factory, Margaret was unfortunately laid off in 2008 when the factory closed for a temporary three-year period. She describes these years as the hardest period of her life.

In developed countries, laid off employees are typically able to find a new job and move on with their lives. However, in a country like Kenya, where the unemployment rate has reached a staggering 40%, this is far from the reality. After the closing of the factory, Margaret learned first hand the hardships faced by those who have no job prospects in their area.

“I had a child to feed and no one was willing to employ somebody who had not gone past primary school- not even as a lowly paid house help,” she laments.

Luckily for Margaret, her husband was employed elsewhere and so they were able to survive on the little that he earned.

Fortunately, Daniel Munyao, the factory manager at Wildlife Works, re-employed Margaret and others when the factory resumed production in 2010. According to Daniel, Margaret is one of the most hardworking employees at the factory. Even when there are no orders being processed, she spends her time learning how to operate the electronic sewing machines.

“I love sewing and I hope that I will one day get a promotion to become a seamstress,” Margaret says.

With what she earns as an employee of Wildlife Works, Margaret hopes to start her own local fashion shop, selling imported second-hand clothes. Her enthusiasm is apparent as she speaks of her future ambitions.

While Margaret might not have completed her secondary school education, she has undoubtedly lived a life full of valuable lessons. One of these, which she would like to pass on, is to never give up on life, to learn to rise past your challenges and make the best out of every opportunity.

At Wildlife Works, we wish Margaret all the best for her employment, dreams and future aspirations.