Supporting Factory Workers & Celebrating Fashion

It’s Fashion Revolution Week, an annual campaign that honors the anniversary of the fatal Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013. It’s also a time to celebrate fashion as a positive influence while also raising awareness of the injustices many factory workers around the world face and the importance of sustainable and ethical alternatives to conventional, fast fashion, such as Fair Trade Certified apparel.

We’re also celebrating We Wear Fair Trade this week, an annual campaign that brings together activist and industry voices to the global Fashion Revolution conversation.

Join in the conversation all week long on social media with #WeWearFairTrade, #FashionRevolution, #WhoMadeMyClothes and don’t forget to tag us @ftcampaigns.

Read on for resources and ways to take action!

For ethical and sustainable fashion,
Kylie (Campus & Community Engagement Manager || kylie@fairtradecampaigns.org )

Get Inspired:She Wears Fair Trade

This year, the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on garment workers worldwide creates even greater urgency for all of us to fiercely advocate for the people in our clothing supply chains. This year’s We Wear Fair Trade Lookbook, focuses on the women inside garment factories and the advocates pushing the sustainable and ethical apparel movement forward here in the U.S. It also highlights the importance of supply chain transparency and the growing appeal of Fair Trade apparel.

Download the look book here: https://bit.ly/WWFTLookbook
Or text WearFair 1 to 52886 (with a space between ‘Wear Fair and ‘1’) to join in the conversation and download a copy!

Listen & Learn: Trends in Sustainable Fashion

Hear three incredible women featured in this year’s We Wear Fair Trade Lookbook share their perspectives in a session from our recent Virtual 2020 National Conference around how sustainability is breaking into mainstream fashion, and where we still need to go.

Watch and Share the Panel: https://bit.ly/TrendsSustFashion

How COVID-19 is Impacting Factory Workers Around the World

Fair Trade factories around the world have pivoted to COVID-19 relief efforts while prioritizing worker protection, many by using their Community Development Funds. Here are some examples of factories supporting their communities:

The Pratibha Syntex factory in India converted to manufacturing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), including masks, in demand from the government.
At Vertical Knits in Yucatan, Mexico, thousands of employees have been working to produce over 30,000 medical materials including masks and medical scrubs to be donated to hospitals fighting the pandemic.
Artistic Miliners, a Fair Trade Certified factory in Pakistan, is mobilizing to create an emergency relief fund for workers directly impacted by COVID-19. Check out this inspiring video they created about the work they’ve done so far.

As factories mobilize to produce vital materials for healthcare workers, you can support their efforts by donating to Fair Trade USA’s COVID-19 Response Program. Every little bit counts!