Fashion Revolution 2024 sees the annual global campaign bringing together the world's largest fashion movement for a week of action. April 24th marks 10 years since the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing over 1100 people + injuring more than 2500. This preventable disaster awoke the world to the poor labour conditions faced by many workers in factories across the globe. The movement that is Fashion Revolution, was born.
Fashion Revolution has been an important cause for Sans Beast from the beginning, and we use our platform to spread + support this mission throughout the annual week-long campaign. We wish to add to the ethical conversation during Fashion Revolution Week + ensure that non-human animals are also deeply considered when contemplating the impact the fashion industry has. Billions of animals are bred and slaughtered each year for fashion, with massive environmental impacts + immense cruelty.
This year’s theme is How To Be A Fashion Revolutionary, inviting the global community to share a decade of learnings on what it means to be a part of the revolution. Everyone has a part to play in building a fashion industry that puts people, animals + the planet first: we encourage you to visit Fashion Revolution and reflect on where your clothes + accessories came from.
Who Made Your Bag?
There are so many facets that go into making a bag - many hands make the pieces in our wardrobes + often these hands (and faces) are absent from brand storytelling.
The world loves a runway, a fashion shoot, an interview with a designer - yet makers are central to the process + commonly overlooked. We only work with Sedex audited makers to ensure social compliance is in place, fair + living wages are upheld, insurance is covered where appropriate, environments are safe + the right to negotiate with management, are all embedded facets in the workplace.
Our founder, Cathryn, and designer, Maddy, visited the manufacturing teams in China + Hong Kong this month to work on new collections + review production, and Cathryn shared her thoughts on the expertise of Makers:
"I’ve always admired the manufacturing process - whether it was onshore (back in the early 90’s) or offshore in China, India, Italy, Africa, Philippines, Portugal….it has always been an educational + inspiring world to be a part of. Knowing + appreciating how something is made is not as common in the industry as it used to be - clip, copy, email a factory you’ve never met + you can have a product made easily. Yet, I contend that there is so much MORE joy to be found - not to mention trust, friendship, respect + mutual business benefit - in working to build a relationship with a maker. I’m so grateful for all the years I’ve had, learning about how things are made - through trial, error, wearing, carrying, listening, watching."
You can see behind the scenes of CW + Maddy's time with our makers here.
We're looking forward to marking Fashion Revolution week in our own way + highlighting our manufacturing partners - be it the fabric, hardware or handbag makers. Many of the victims of the Rana Plaza collapse were low-wage garment workers, primarily young women, who were producing clothes for international fashion brands, many of these ending up in Australia.
Nobody should die for fashion. Always ask #WhoMadeMyClothes and #WhoMadeMyBag.
Header Image: Blind Consumerism by Aaron Weiss
