"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger & unhappiness". — Mahatma Gandhi
The aforementioned words could not be any more true given the context that even in these extraordinary times when the whole world is dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the spike in Coronavirus cases and petrifying surging mortality rates, the fate of the garment workers in developing countries has hit a rough patch as they are denied their bare minimum living wages on the grounds of the cancellation of almost completed or in-process orders by big International Brands.
We have all heard about the social and environmental impacts of the fast fashion model. But do we really introspect our buying actions? Do we seek answers from those High-up in the Fashion Industry about unfair wages, child labour, sweatshops, carbon emissions, water usage and those pesky microfibers? Let’s face it, ‘We’ don’t! What we truly care about is ‘Which celebrity donned the similar dress that we own?’ instead of ‘Who made that dress?' or 'Are the workers being treated fairly and humanly?’ We take pride in not having to repeat a piece of clothing for months instead of caring about those who have to sit through all the discomfort and unfair treatment to bring to you the joy of finally owning the item that you have had your eyes on for a while.
Why can’t we recycle the clothes that we already own, mix and match styles rather than making continuous impulsive weekly purchases? You don’t ‘need’ a separate piece of clothing for walking your dog or for going grocery shopping. That’s just an unnecessary want. It might not cost much for you monetarily but is that the only thing you should be looking at? Think about a child who is denied education and persuaded to work day in day out just to meet the never-ending demands of the fast-churning Fashion industry. Sweatshops impact children globally with more than 10 million of them between the age group of 5-14 years working 80 hours per week.
The plight of the pregnant garment workers cannot be put into words as they are made to work without proper maternity leaves and proper intervals during their work hours in those closed factories resonating with harmful vibrations and disastrous radiations. Lower wages, indecent workload, unavailability of proper safety equipment, lack of hygiene and sanitation just goes on to show how the basic human and labour rights have gone for a toss in these factories. All for what? Your favourite little black dress?
Obsessive consumerism is malicious! Rana Plaza is everywhere but the sad reality is; it is not being brought into light.
“When you are discontent, you always want more, more, more. Your desire can never be satisfied. But when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, ‘Oh yes – I already have everything that I really need.’” — Dalai Lama
When the whole of humanity stands united to fight the spread of the Coronavirus, the spirit of Humanity seems to be dying to prevent economic crisis in certain third world countries like Bangladesh as their government ordered 600 Garment factories to open in the month of May while the cries of Labour rights group calling the safety measures as ‘Illusory’ fell on deaf ears.
Responsible consumption and production are the needs of the hour to slow down the trajectory of Fast Fashion that is depleting the ecological services and exploiting the human capital so there is a great urgency to sought the balance between short-term rates of use against long-term availability to ensure a sustainable future.
In July 2018, Burberry faced global outrage when it was revealed they burned almost $40 million-worth of unsold clothing as well as other luxury items in a bid to prevent unwanted stock from being sold at lower prices besides the clothing production process itself is often seen as resource-intensive, wasteful and waste-generating. In total, up to 85% of textiles go into landfills each year. That's enough to fill the Sydney harbour annually. Thus, there is a great need for the fashion industry to strive to be more circular as well as for consumers to replace the current throwaway culture with a more conscious one that values recycling and long-term use.
The industry needs to bring about a change in the way it functions by adopting efficient manufacturing processes, resilient infrastructure and fuel innovations in the field of textiles, clean sources of energy, raw materials and manufacturing. A study from 2015 shows that 97% of what goes into making clothes are new resources, with only 3% of it being recycled materials and adds up to an annual resource input of 98 million tons – including oil to produce synthetic fibres, fertilisers to grow cotton and an endless list of chemicals needed to dye & finish fabric. The global fashion industry emits a hefty amount of greenhouse gases every year and contributes massively to global warming as the vast majority of our beloved clothes are petroleum-based and made from fossil fuels, including polyester, acrylic & nylon which require significantly more energy in the production phase than natural or recycled fibres.
The above-mentioned figures are terrifying but eye opening. Fashion industry is highly flawed and unless we re-imagine and rethink the problems ahead of us, we will stay incompetent in dealing with them. Fashion Revolution has always been about achieving Utopia in sustainable development through Social, Environmental and Economic interaction. The time has come when we as individuals take the responsibility to make the transition to a more conscious world of Fashion that can embrace and embed changes with not just empty promises but acting upon those to deliver improved societal and environmental outcomes - for the betterment of my generation as well as for those to come. It’s high time that we acknowledge how the Fashion industry has so many flaws and loopholes and demand a change; a revolution for a sustainable future. You don’t have to deprive yourself of happiness during the process instead focus on a happier and conscious world.
“Buy less. Choose well. Make it last.” — Vivienne Westwood
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