I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that ethical
fashion, in all its avatars, will become more and more important around the
world in the coming years, as we come to terms with the consequences of our
choices. When it was just sweatshops that were the problem, a lot of us could
turn a blind eye. If it doesn’t happen here or to you, but in a land far, far
away, it’s easier to ignore. If a tree falls in a forest, and there’s no one
there to see it, etc…But we are now facing recession (a second recession,
though I can’t remember when the first one finished. But maybe I was too busy
trying to balance my cheque book.) We are also looking at catastrophic climate
change. And if none of this seems like an immediate problem, heck, fashion
prices should be enough to make us hyperventilate.
I’ll confess. I like clothes. Kooky colours, prints put
together in some odd couplings, the sheen of silk, a riot of flowers – it’s all
intoxicating. But the stories behind the clothes – the below-minimum wage paid
to workers, the children that have no choice but to sweat away at the loom, the
hundreds of thousands that celebrities pay for a diamond-studded sandal to walk
the red carpet, the awful working conditions of labourers that will never in a
million years be able to afford the buttons they are sewing on – it’s
depressing. As Marx said, capitalism is a vampire, and can only survive by
sucking on living labour.
So, when I hear about anything to do with ethical fashion, I
feel just a little bit better about my love for fashion. Whether it’s Edun –
the collaboration between Ali Hewson and Bono that promotes fair trade
partnerships with Kenya and Uganda, or a pairing of M&S with Oxfam to
encourage people to recycle clothes, or a commitment to local production and
sustainable practices by indie brands like Beyond Skin shoes – it’s all good,
and I’m hoping, it is more than just a celebrity fad.
And now here’s another way to show a commitment to
charitable causes. Fashion Targets Breast Cancer is an endeavour set up by
Ralph Lauren in 1994 after he lost a close friend to the horrible c-word. Since
then, celebs like Elle Macpherson, Twiggy, Naomi Campbell, Kylie Minogue have
given their face and their time to the campaign. Brands like M&S, River Island,
Topshop, Warehouse, Coast, My Wardrobe, Laura Ashley, Debenhams and others sell
bespoke pieces for the project every year, with at least 30% of the proceeds
going to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
“Buy it, Fight it,” say posters of Georgia May Jagger and
Pixie Geldof, who are fronting the campaign this year. Look out for these
denim-clad ladies in their street-chic during your early morning commute. This
year’s offerings include jazzy festival wear – think woven bracelets and
imprinted t-shirts, and one-shoulder dresses, fascinators and teapots for a
royal theme. All very apropos for the Diamond Jubilee summer season.
Article published on The London Word http://www.thelondonword.com/
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