Fashion industry responds to #whomademyclothes

There is hope of better working conditions in the global fashion industry that has often been accused of doing little to end exploitation in its value chain.

And at the heart of it is UK-based Fashion Revolution, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company which advocates transparency in the fashion industry value chain.

American Apparel, Marimekko, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Zara were among more than 1,000 fashion brands and retailers that responded to Fashion Revolution’s challenge to demonstrate commitment to transparency across the length of their value chains with a recently launched initiative #whomademyclothes?, a British website Creative Industry Hub has reported.

Over 70,000 fashion lovers around the world asked brands #whomademyclothes? during Fashion Revolution Week in April 2016. Of the 1000 companies that responded with #imadeyourclothes, 300 are global fashion brands, the report said.

The first edition of the Fashion Transparency Index was launched in April 2016, and scored 40 of the biggest global fashion brands on how they communicate about what they are doing to improve social and environmental standards across their supply chains, and how much of that information they share with the public.

The Fashion Transparency Index will be expanded to 100 for April 2017. Of the initial 40 brands, only 5 brands publish a list of the factories where their garments are sewn.

Carry Somers, Director of Fashion Revolution said: “Together we have truly sparked a Fashion Revolution, both online and in the real world. Our collective voice is getting stronger and stronger. And in 2017 we want to ignite an even bigger global conversation about what we wear and the stories behind our clothes – from the people who make them, the companies that sell them, to how we wear, care and dispose of them.”

In 2016, citizens in over 92 countries took part in the annual campaign to show they cared about who made their clothes. Fashion Revolution Week achieved an online media reach of 22 billion, over 156 million impressions of #whomademyclothes in addition to seeing a series of over 1,400 global events and online initiatives through which fashion lovers were encouraged to be more curious about the stories behind the clothes they wear.

High profile fashion influences supporting the campaign included Amber Valetta, CutiePie Marzia Cameron Russell, food writer Melissa Hemsley, Caroline Issa, Mariah Idrissi, Eco Age founder Livia Firth and bloggers Susie Lau, Gregory Davalos, Jenny Ong and Rachel Nguyen, Kelly Slater and Alex James.