What is the importance of the movement #WhoMadeMyClothes?
- Romina Bogani | Creative Director & Co-Founder
- Aug 28, 2020
- 2 min read
On April 24th 2013, a garment factory located in the district of Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed. Considered the deadliest accident in the garment industry, this disaster killed over 1,000 workers and injured more than 2,500 people. A day before the collapse, cracks were found in the structure of the building and workers were sent home. However, the landlord stated the building was safe and in perfect condition. Factory managers, pressured by brands to complete orders on time, required workers to resume work on April 24th.
After the collapse, various riots emerged and workers from different parts of the country protested for working conditions to be improved. As a result, a legal binding agreement between international brands and trade unions (called the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh) was created. Even though that was an important step towards improving the safety of many factory workers, the industry still has a long way to go to guarantee that workers receive fair wages and that products are made in the most sustainable ways possible.
The #WhoMadeMyClothes movement came to life after the Rana Plaza collapse. Its founders, Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers saw the need to draw attention to the inhumane and degrading working conditions of workers in developing countries. Castro and Somers want customers to question brands about the provenance and production context of the clothing they buy. Most importantly, they want to hold brands accountable for what happens in the supply chain. Additionally, the movement gave voice to the workers by allowing them to respond to the hashtag with #IMadeYourClothes.
Because the hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes addresses different types of social issues, it opens up channels of communication and conversation between consumers, brands and factory workers, something never seen before. Additionally, the movement encourages people to take action and reconsider their buying habits, many of which profoundly impact the fashion industry.
It is essential to restate that, as consumers, we should demand transparency when it comes to the supply chain of companies. Consumers have the ultimate power in their hands, the power of making decisions whether to buy or not from a particular brand, decisions based on the practices of companies and their ability to be fully transparent concerning those practices. Accountability and transparency in the ethics of sourcing, manufacturing, producing and distributing seem to be critical determinants of acceptance of and demand for goods produced and circulated in the garment industry. This may very well be the new “normal” in our industry.
Sources: Vogue.es, Forbes.com, FashionUnited.com
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