Fashion Revolution Day, so we never forget the Bangladesh massacre
Culture & lifestyle — di Chiara Riccio
In memory of the textile workers who died in Dhaka in 2013, the Fashion Revolution Day awareness campaign returns.
Fashion Revolution Day, so we never forget the Bangladesh massacre
In memory of the textile workers who died in Dhaka in 2013, the Fashion Revolution Day awareness campaign returns.
The fashion industry is all too often responsible for the deaths of underpaid and mistreated workers. The last major massacre to involve the clothing sector was that of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. It was 24 April 2013 when an eight-storey building, which housed several textile factories used by numerous fashion brands around the world, collapsed, causing the deaths of 1,133 workers.
Two years have now passed since the scandal, and the debate over the exploitation of Asian labour in exchange for low production costs remains open. So, on the anniversary of the tragedy, an international campaign was launched to commemorate those deaths and raise awareness across the world about the importance of responsible fashion.
The movement, now in its second edition, is called Fashion Revolution Day and was founded in Great Britain by Carry Somers and Orsola De Castro, pioneers of fair trade and internationally recognised opinion leaders in sustainable fashion.
This year, as many as 66 countries will be taking part in the initiative, including Italy, where the campaign is coordinated by designer Marina Spadafora, with the collaboration of Virginia Pignotti, Laura Tagini and Carlotta Grimani, and supported by Altromercato.
"Fashion Revolution Day aims to be the first step towards an awareness of what it means to buy a garment, in the direction of a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion industry, with respect for people and the environment," says the Italian coordinator.
To join the campaign, participants are asked to wear their clothes inside out, with the label clearly visible, take a photo and post it on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #whomademyclothes, also sending the image to major fashion brands and sharing their responses.
Among those who have joined the initiative are maestro Bernardo Bertolucci, creative Elio Fiorucci, musician Saturnino Celani, artist Domiziana Giordano, actor and director Giampiero Judica, tenor Noah Steward, and filmmaker Jordan Stone.
A more ethical fashion is only possible if we all begin to consume products that are mindful of workers' rights and environmental impact. By becoming ambassadors for this message, we may be able to prevent the injustices of the Western textile industry towards less developed countries. Let's think about it.