2018 Impact

Fashion Revolution Week 2018
was our biggest and loudest to date

Our movement continues to grow, with more people than ever calling for a fairer, safer, more transparent fashion industry.

Walking the runway in front of Primak in Berlin / captured by Nikolett Madai

From Australia to Brazil, Uruguay to Vietnam, we saw almost 3.25 million people engage with Fashion Revolution in April through events, posting on social media, viewing our videos or downloading resources from our website. Over 1000 Fashion Revolution events were held around the world, from catwalks and clothes swaps, to film screenings, panel discussions, creative stunts and workshops.

More people want to know #whomademyclothes

As in previous years, our social media impact was immense, with 720 million impressions of posts using one of our hashtags during April 2018 – an increase of 35% on last year.

Over the years we have been joined by hundreds of celebrities and influencers including internationally-recognised names such as actress Emma Watson, pro-surfer Kelly Slater, artist Shepard Fairey, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire Italia Antonella Antonelli, Brazilian actress Fernanda Paes Leme, Nobel Prize Winner Professor Yunus and cooks Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, and Bangladeshi ex-child worker Kalpona Akter.

Open Studios

Fashion Open Studio 2018 was a rich and diverse week packed full of studio open days, designer talks, workshops, information sharing, and even the odd poetry reading and dance performance. There were events during Fashion Revolution Week April 22-29 in several locations around the world including Manto Abrigos in Buenos Aires, Biology Studio in Mexico City, A.BCH in Melbourne, Vivienne Westwood in London, Stella McCartney and the RealReal in New York, Veja’s Open Bunker in Paris and Xu Zhi in Shanghai. Our brilliant partners helping us along the way included CELC Masters of Linen, the V&A Museum, Chelsea College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Sarabande Foundation, Barnardo’s (for a memorable DiscoMAKE with designers Matthew Needham and Maddie Williams), and Depop.

More brands are responding

We have again seen a number of fashion brands getting involved and answering, or attempting to answer, their customers’ #whomademyclothes questions. Global brands such as Zara, Fat Face, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, G Star Raw, Marks and Spencer, Marimekko and Gildan are among more than 3838 fashion brands and retailers that responded with real information about their suppliers or photographs of their workers saying #imadeyourclothes, almost double the number who responded last year.

Our collective voice is powerful

By asking the simple question #whomademyclothes to brands, we have ignited a global conversation about supply chain transparency, and started to inspire people to think differently about what they wear.

As we’ve seen over the last few years, the more people who ask #whomademyclothes the more brands will listen. Our questions, our voices, and our shopping habits have the power to help change the industry for the better, and together we are stronger.

The world was listening

There was significant global media coverage about transparency in the fashion industry and ways to consume more responsibly, with over 400 articles written in the UK and and over 2,000 across the world. With an estimated reach of 3500 million articles about Fashion Revolution in April. Significant articles included Vogue, Marie Claire,  FashionUnited, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, Huffington Post, Refinery 29, The Debrief and many more.

Transparency: some progress, but more still needs to be done

Our 2018 Fashion Transparency Index, revealed that many of the biggest fashion brands still don’t disclose enough information about their impact on the lives of workers in their supply chain and on the environment. We are seeing brands begin to publish more about their social and environmental efforts, which is welcome and necessary, and we are seeing an increasing number of brands publishing their factory lists. As of June 2018, we have counted 172 brands across 68 companies/parent groups that are disclosing at least some of the facilities making their clothes. See our post Transparency is Trending for more information and a brand list.

Loved Clothes Last

In the Fashion Transparency Index, while a few brands are reporting initiatives to collect, recycle or donate used clothing, overall brands do not disclose many substantive efforts to address the problem of overconsumption. Fashion Revolution has been working to educate consumers on the impact of their clothing purchases and ways in which they can fill their wardrobes in a more responsible way.

From some of the world’s most famous YouTubers to first-time vloggers, the #haulternative project continues to grow. This year Kristen Leo’s Thrift Store haul had been viewed by over 32,000 people and over 70 high profile vloggers across the globe made their own #haulternative videos, sharing ways to update your wardrobe without buying new.

Who Made My Clothes?

This year Fashion Revolution was proud to announce it was awarded the Best Green Fashion Film award at the Fashion Film Festival Milano for the 2018 campaign film directed by MJ Delaney and produced by Futerra.

Released for the start of Fashion Revolution Week on 23^rd April 2018 and marking five years since 1,134 people died when a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh, the campaign film aims to connect a young, global, fashion-loving audience to the people that make up the fashion supply chain. It has had 850,000 views to date and seeks to inspire viewers to do something about it through downloading resources, online tools and workshops to take action writing to their favourite brands.

Thank you!

Thank you to all of you who took part. It is because of your voice, persistence and continued support that we have grown to become the biggest fashion advocacy movement on the planet. We are stronger when we speak and work together. Thank you so much! Please keep walking alongside us on the journey towards a fairer, cleaner, safer and more beautiful fashion industry.

Help us grow our movement to inspire more people to think differently about the clothes they buy and wear, by donating. Even the smallest donation will help us to continue delivering the resources we need to run our revolution. Use your money and your voice to transform the fashion industry into a force for good.

You are Fashion Revolution and you are changing the fashion industry. Please keep asking #whomademyclothes.

Read the full 2018 Impact Report below