Let’s talk about hashtags. That lowly, unassuming little symbol which spent the best part of the noughties gathering dust on keyboards and smartphone interfaces worldwide exploded onto the scene in 2009 with admirable gusto. Originally the sole preserve of social networkers vying for the title of ‘the next big thing’, the hashtag was soon re-envisioned as a powerful marketing tool, and not just for attention-seekers trying to ‘break the internet’. 2015 was the year that hashtags turned good, for good. The smaller, more reclusive sister of ‘Enter’ has become a powerful vehicle for social change and a catalyst for collective action. There are plenty of revolutionary minds in haute couture, of course, but does activism really mesh with fashion? That’s where Fashion Revolution – aka #FashRev – comes in, battling for transparency in the manufacturing industry.
Fashion Revolution was born in the wake of the Rana Plaza catastrophe which killed 1133 factory workers and injured thousands more in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 24th, 2013. Fashion Revolution Day was the brainchild of Carry Somers, who is an advocate for Fair Trade and the founder of Pachacuti, a sustainable fashion label. Together with her team, she campaigns for increased awareness of the precarious living and working conditions faced by sweatshop employees across the globe. The loss of life in Dhaka may have drawn international attention in its aftermath, but Fashion Revolution believe that it is a reflection of our own complacency that only tragedy prompts us to consider the true cost of our clothes. Somers and her team are striving for the implementation of consistently acceptable standards for the undervalued, who, in this disregarded tier of fashion, are forced to live in squalor while labouring relentlessly on next season’s coveted garment. Fashion Revolution cite their mission as the transformation and creation of an industry “ which values people, the environment, creativity and profits in equal measure, and it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure that this happens.” An industry, then, that places the wellbeing of its workers above wads of cash.
This year, on the second anniversary of the disaster, Fashion Revolution is reaching out to consumers with #whomademyclothes. Fashionistas and campaigners alike are encouraged to post a selfie on Instagram showing off their clothing labels and to tag the brands behind who ‘made’ them. This shrewd strategy will elevate the members of the Fashion Revolution beyond a faceless mass and empower individuals. The incentive allows a point of contact to be established with those who truly possess the ability to assure equality, fairness and basic human rights in the fashion industry. Overall, this stunt will contribute to Fashion Revolution’s five year plan to “build considerable momentum” and ultimately “to achieve incredible impact together”.
April 24th promises to be the biggest Fashion Revolution Day yet, so join millions of ethically-minded fashionistas from 68 countries and get snapping.
