April 2023 will mark 10 years since the Bangladesh building collapse, which claimed over 1,000 lives. Because most of the victims were seamstresses, this was a moment for some consumers to rethink the clothes they buy. Growing awareness of the clothing industry's operations is leading more and more people to question fair trade in fashion and where to buy clothes to avoid worker exploitation. We'll address any concerns below!
A shift towards fair trade fashion
Before the disaster in Bangladesh, most of us had no idea of the working conditions faced by people who sew clothes for large, world-renowned clothing companies. When it was revealed that the Rana Plaza building collapse likely wouldn't have happened if not for violations of workers' rights and health and safety regulations, consumers began to look critically at popular chain stores and scrutinize labels, paying attention to the origin of an item. A decade ago, however, we didn't have many alternatives to clothing companies. Polish clothing brands that embrace fair trade values were scarce. Fortunately, the situation is different today. But can fashion ever be fair?
Fair trade – fashion that really exists?
In times of massive clothing overproduction, every newly produced pair of pants or T-shirt may seem unethical. However, the problem lies primarily with corporations operating in the controversial industry segment known as fast fashion. Dozens of collections released annually involve hundreds of thousands of garments produced through exploitative labor and excessive use of natural resources. This is a recipe for global catastrophe. How can we prevent it? Ideally, this would be done at the government level, but while waiting for top-down regulations, it's worth, as always, starting with ourselves and applying three golden rules:
- limit clothing purchases and buy only clothes that we really need in our wardrobe,
- buy second-hand clothes so that as few dresses, trousers or coats as possible end up in landfills,
- buy clothes from brands that use good materials, avoid overproduction and take real steps to balance their impact on the natural environment.
Fair trade fashion is sustainable fashion
Fair Trade is a Fair Trade certification system that aims to improve the situation of agricultural producers in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The organization advocates for, among other things, fair trading conditions and decent working conditions. The term "fair trade" is now often used colloquially, referring not to a specific certificate but to a system of values in accordance with which a specific brand operates. Companies can be said to produce clothing responsibly and sustainably when the clothing:
- are made of cotton obtained in a humane and environmentally friendly manner,
- are sewn by people who work in appropriate conditions and their rights are respected,
- they are not sewn in too large numbers, so they do not quickly turn into waste.
Importantly, Polish production is not synonymous with fair trade production. Although the exploitation of poor people in backbreaking labor for unjust wages is primarily associated with Bangladesh, China, or India, unfortunately, there are also sewing factories in Poland where workers' rights are not a priority. At ANSIN, we pay special attention to this, so we visit our partner sewing factories and design studios to ensure that our clothes are made in safe, non-abusive conditions.
Fair trade in fashion, or caring for the environment
One of the driving forces behind fast fashion is constantly changing trends. To counter this trend, at ANSIN, we prioritize timeless design. Combined with high-quality materials, we create products that will endure many washes and never go out of style. Local, demand-driven production in partner sewing factories and high-quality materials aren't everything – at ANSIN, we also strive to balance the fact that we produce new clothing. That's why we've partnered with the Forest Forever Foundation . So far, we've donated funds that have already planted 9,695 square meters of forests that will remain with us forever. We have no illusions about the fact that the fashion industry has an extremely negative impact on the degradation of the environment in which we live, and we are a part of it. That's why, to tangibly offset our actions, we donate 1% of our gross revenue to the Foundation, ensuring that Ansin's forests continue to grow. May the trend for responsible fashion continue!
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