ON April 24, 2013, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Rana Plaza collapsed. The worst-ever industrial incident to hit the garment industry killed 1,138 people and injured about 2,500. The eight-story factory manufactured clothes for brands such as Benetton (Italy), Bonmarché (UK), C&A (Holland), Camaïeu (France), The Children’s Place (USA), El Corte Inglés (Spain), Inditex (Spain), KiK (Germany), Joe Fresh/Loblaw (Canada), LPP S.A. (Poland), Mango (Spain), Mascot International (Denmark), N Brown Group (UK), Primark (UK), and Walmart (USA).
That infamous date also marked the birth of Fashion Revolution, a global movement founded in the United Kingdom by Carry Somers (global operations director) and Orsola de Castro (creative director). They lead a “democratic, diverse and unique team… responsible for organizing and managing the primary groups that create, direct and oversee Fashion Revolution globally,” states its mission at Fashionrevolution.org. “We believe that collaborating across the whole value chain—from farmer to consumer—is the only way to transform the industry. Our mission is to bring everyone together to make that happen. We often call ourselves ‘pro-fashion protesters’ because we love fashion and want to see it become a force for good.”
In 2015, the Philippines joined the Revolution. The current country coordinator is Sophia Calugay-Morita, a recent graduate of MA Anthropology-Archaeology at the University of Aberdeen. Her team includes Prince Jimdel Ventura, spokesman, founder and CEO of fashion tech start-up Wear Forward; Sheila Mae Fuentes, brands and producers coordinator, one of the founders of Forth Co., a fashion tech start-up; and George Buid, community coordinator, a freelance photojournalist.
On April 20, Fashion Revolution Week (FRW) 2020 hosted an Online Kick-Off (instead of a press conference) at 1 pm; April 21, Remake’s Made In America Online Film Screening, 6 pm; April 22, Sustainability 101 for Fashion Entrepreneurs, 6 pm; and April 25, Conscious Label: She Creates the Future of Fashion, 4 pm.
This lockdown would have ushered me into the postmodern era of attending online events via Zoom. But, unfortunately, my SmartBro can’t support an hours-long activity such as FRW. Thus, Fashion Revolutionaries Ventura, Fuentes and Buid replied to my queries the old-fashioned way: electronically.
Share a brief overview of Fashion Revolution Philippines and Fashion Revolution Week.
Fashion Revolution is a nonprofit social enterprise and global movement founded in 2013 which calls for greater transparency, sustainability and ethics in the fashion industry. We want to unite people and organizations to work together toward radically changing the way our clothes are sourced, produced and consumed, so that our clothing is made in a safe, clean and fair way.
Fashion Revolution Philippines was established in 2015 by a group of volunteers who also believe in a fashion industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measure, and we continue to reach out to more Filipinos, and raise awareness about our advocacies.
Fashion Revolution Week happens every year in the week surrounding the 24th of April. This date is the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh. During FRW, we remember the victims and the lives lost, and we push for change in a fashion industry that exploits too many and abuses our environment. FRW is a time to use your voice—by writing e-mails and sending letters, using your social media platform to push for change, and by taking part in collective action to imagine a new fashion system. Whether that means asking #WhoMadeMyClothes?, hosting a clothes swap, attending a panel discussion, or getting friends together for an informative movie night, FRW is about taking action. Because no one should die for fashion.
With this, any organization or company can host their own FRW-related events and projects which will be endorsed by Fashion Revolution. This year we are launching our new #WhatsInMyClothes campaign that aims to educate consumers about the makeup of clothes and hold brands more accountable on giving proper information about the clothes they make.
As we are now experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic, we have shifted to doing virtual projects and events instead such as online workshops, webinars, film showings, competitions, networking events and more.
Since the organization’s inception, what have been the effects of your advocacy in terms of changes inthe way designers, brands, and suppliers conduct their businesses?
Since Fashion Revolution’s inception in 2013, the organization has constantly demanded brands and other key players in the supply chain for transparency, accountability and traceability. More brands have now shifted to more sustainable practices since then. Meanwhile, more consumers have also started asking questions about the clothes they wear and buy through our #WhoMadeMyClothes campaign. Some government policies were also enacted as a result of our continuous discourse with policymakers. Here in the Philippines, we have been collaborating with DOST’s (Department of Science and Technology) Philippine Textile Research Institute for projects and events. Meanwhile, fashion schools like ICEFAD and iAcademy have already incorporated dedicated sustainable fashion courses as part of their curriculum. We are also working with the DTI’s (Department of Trade and Industry) Board of Investment in making the Philippines a hub for sustainable fashion in Southeast Asia.
How are the Filipino consumers responding to the practice of sustainable fashion? What more shouldthey know about it?
Sustainability has been a buzzword in recent years not just in fashion but also in other industries. This resulted to a growing interest among Filipino consumers in sustainable fashion brands and products as well. We have observed a significant number of people who are now more curious in knowing the mission or advocacies of a brand before they support or purchase from it.
However, the majority of Filipinos aren’t embracing and practicing sustainable fashion yet. A lot of brands are joining the bandwagon as well but, unfortunately, many of them aren’t really doing what they are promoting, using sustainability only as a marketing ploy. Consumers should realize that sustainable fashion is a lifestyle and be conscious about the greenwashing of brands.
How relevant will FRW be post-Covid crisis?
The theme of Fashion Revolution Week 2020 focused on the 4 Cs: consumption, composition, conditions and collective action. During this current pandemic, several issues in the supply chain have been highlighted, particularly the exploitation of the producers. Reports have been noted that a lot of garment workers are not fairly compensated for their rendered work, many of them aren’t provided social benefits, manufacturers experience mass-order cancellations and big brands refuse to pay for their prior orders which were already in production since several months ago. These happen worldwide and clearly show the conditions of the different stakeholders in the supply chain.
We are not sustainable as a system. We have to incorporate sustainable principles and practices to make the industry and different stakeholders be not just stable and sufficient but also be more resilient and supportive of each other. Post-Covid-19, the organization will continue our call for collective action to ignite a revolution and transform the industry from farmers to consumers. We believe that with or without a pandemic, sustainability should be prioritized.