"Excuse me, miss...your clothes are inside out?" were the first words spoken to me as I walked towards the office.
"Yes, I know," I confidently responded. "You mean this is deliberate?" said the confused lady. I replied with an affirmative YES and proceeded to explain to her the significance of this campaign.
Today is Fashion Revolution Day. It was created to commemorate the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh that killed over 1130 people, mostly garment factory workers and injured another 2500 other workers due to illegal extensions made to the building.
It is a call for action to the fashion and retail industry to treat those who made our clothes better. From the machinist sewing our clothes to the farmers growing and harvesting the cottons. Each and everyone in the retail supply chain should be accorded with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Given the global nature of the fashion and retail industry's supply chain, it may be difficult to effect change as retailers can easily shift their apparel productions to other low-cost countries with little labour rights and protection. It is, unfortunately, a race to the bottom as retailers chase their own bottom line. But we - as consumers - can take a stand through our purchasing power. By making an effort to support fairly traded goods, we send a signal to retailers that we will not stand for their exploitation of these poor workers.
So, let's take a stand and start a fashion revolution. Ask them. Who Made Your Clothes?
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