Fashion Revolution Week 2021 – Rights, Relationships and Revolution

Fashion Revolution Week (FRW) happens every year in the week of the 24th April. The 24th April is the date of the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013; one of the biggest industrial disasters in history.

The Rana Plaza was a building in Bangladesh which housed some major garment factories for some of the biggest fashion brands. It employed around 5000 people and more than 1100 people died when the factory collapsed and an additional 2500 people were injured. Many of the victims were young women.

Every year FRW has a different theme to highlight how problematic and damaging the fast fashion industry is. 2021’s theme is Rights, Relationships and Revolution.

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Brand Story: Nomads

Nomads is a contemporary Fairtrade clothing brand in which everything produced is made with natural and organic fibres. Along with this, Nomads celebrates great design and traditional artisan techniques.

Nomads’ mission is to prove that it is possible to live a stylish, sustainable life by creating high quality and long-lasting clothing. They also wish to increase the awareness of the need to shop responsibly.

Nomads has been creating ethical and Fairtrade clothing for over 30 years. Its founders Duncan and Vicky met in India where they fell in love with the culture and decided to invest in their first selection of Fairtrade handicrafts. This was the starting point for their now lifelong relationships they have with the artisan producers and Fairtrade factories in India. They now design and create contemporary clothing that is 100% ethically produced and celebrates artisan skills. Nomads strives to use the best quality natural fibres and environmentally friendly processes with their clothes designed to last.

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The Fashion Industry’s Response to COVID-19

The world is currently facing a pandemic, and this is having a huge effect on the people who make our clothes.

Retailers have had to close their doors and encourage their customer base to order online. None the less, the desire to buy new clothes appears to have decreased due to the Coronavirus making us focus on other aspects in our lives.

It is worth noting that there is potentially a positive amidst this crisis that we are learning to care for the clothes we already own better, more and more people are opting to mend and make clothes and also adopt a mindset of longevity when it comes to our wardrobes; suggesting an encouraging step to end overconsumption.

However, the halt in manufacturing has meant that the most vulnerable, lowest paid people in the fashion supply chain are feeling the worst effects. IndustriALL, the global trade union has reported that millions of garment workers have lost their jobs as a result of the virus and have no access to social or financial safety nets.

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