Do you know where your clothes come from? How about those cute boots you’re wearing today? No, we don’t mean Topshop, Mr Price or Woolworths. Where do they actually come from? Where are they produced and who works on them? These are just some of the important questions advocates of Fashion Revolution Week (18–24 April 2016) are asking about the fashion industry in South Africa.
If you haven’t heard of Fashion Revolution before, here’s the low-down: the concept of Fashion Revolution began on 24 April 2013 when the Rana Plaza Factory Complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed, killing 1 133 people and injuring 2 500 more. Since then, thousands of people in more than 70 countries across the globe take part in Fashion Revolution Day (24 April), asking brands #whomademyclothes to show we care and demand better for the people who produce clothing under terrible conditions.
This year, the team at Fashion Revolution SA have challenged local bloggers to style a look of entirely South African brands accompanied by a post that explains the idea behind the look and why they care about local fashion. Six winners will be chosen from all the entries and their winning looks featured right here on GLAMOUR.co.za.
To fully understand the impact of Fashion Revolution on both the South African and global fashion industry, we chatted to Woolworths’ fashion stylist and Fashion Revolution brand ambassador Asanda Sizani.
1 Describe your background and how you came to work with Fashion Revolution.
My fashion journey began in television production where I was a junior producer at SABC3 for SA’s first fashion series African Couture. From there, I ventured into print, first as the Fashion Editor of Drum, then later at Elle. I have styled or consulted for various brands – from Consol and Yardley to Yves Saint Laurent and local brands MaXhosa by Laduma – and I am now a stylist at Woolworths. I approached Fashion Revolution as the campaign supports everything I believe in and strive to do. I have always been curious about how every clothing item I own has been stitched together.
2 Why should we strive to buy and wear South African fashion products?
To grow our local industry and economy, and to support and empower our ethical and sustainable brands.
It’s also a tangible way to show local pride and by buying local, we show that we value and support our people’s plight and creativity.
3 Which brands sold in South Africa sell affordable, ethically produced fashion products?
Woolworths is on a journey of sustainability. There are fantastic organic pieces available that are produced with African cotton. Woolworths also collaborates with local artisans – the new Love Local range where they collaborated with fairtrade beaders Street Wires, is a good example.
4 What can we, as consumers of fashion, do to be more conscious of where our clothing comes from?
Check the labels on your garments and get to know each brand’s backstory. Before you make a purchase, ask the important questions, such as ‘Who made this garment?’. By doing this, you’ll be forcing brands to be transparent about the source of their materials and labour. If you’re able to, you should also visit local designer showrooms to meet the seamstresses and teams who work for the label – it’s a good way to see their working conditions.
For more information and to find out how you can get involved in Fashion Revolution, head over to the official web site . To enter the Fashion Revolution South Africa Blogger Challenge, visit the Fashion Revolution SA Facebook page. And keep a lookout on our site for all the winners!
