Fashion Revolution Week

by Jacky Stickler April 24, 2020

So it's Fashion Revolution Week, but what does it all mean?

Here we break it down for you, along with suggesting ways you can get involved.

What is Fashion Revolution?

Fashion Revolution is a not-for-profit, global movement campaigning for clean, safe, fair, transparent & accountable fashion.

Fashion Revolution has been a significant driving force behind the growing design philosophy & movement that weaves together a love for style and our collective need for sustainability.

Every year, Fashion Revolution week is celebrated in April. Fashion Revolution weeks main aim is to drive awareness of the need for systematic reform within the fashion industry.

Fashion lovers are encouraged to ask brands ‘Who Made My Clothes’, via their social media platforms & the use of the hashtag #whomademyclothes. This consumer-lead initiative holds brands accountable for the garments they are selling & how their workers are treated.

In 2020, the addition of a new hashtag #whatsinmyclothes holds brands accountable for the fabrics they use & the impact that these sometimes toxic choices have on both workers & the environment.

The movement exists to inspire consciousness in the way we shop for, wear & celebrate fashion.

Fashion Revolution Week 2017: #whomademyclothes?

Why is this important?

On April 24^th 2013, a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed killing 1,138 garment manufacturing workers & injuring more than 2,500. It was & continues to be one of the worst manufacturing disasters in the world. The building was known to be unsafe, but workers' concerns were ignored & the facility kept operating to keep up with demand from globally-recognised brands like Prada, Gucci, Versace, Mango, Primark & Walmart.

On the day before the building collapsed, a local TV channel recorded footage that showed visible cracks in the building. Immediately after this, the building was evacuated. Later that day the owner of the building said that it was safe & all workers must return or a month's pay would be withheld.

The following morning, on the 24^th or April, the workers returned & the building collapsed. More than half of the victims were women, along with a number of their children.

This tragedy is representative of widespread issues with garment manufacturing globally.

The fashion industry is also riddled with other safety issues including toxic processing & dying of materials, which has a devastating impact on workers & the environment.

Find out more at Fashion Revolution

What is sticks + stone doing?

Since our inception in 2017, we have lived our philosophy that goes beyond attempting to highlight or correct a variety of wrongs within our beloved fashion industry. Our goal is to create a system which can be supported indefinitely in terms of human impact on our planet & social impact on humans.

In practice, it’s a perfectly balanced design system that produces versatile, long-lasting garments, consciously created with materials & processes that have minimal impact.

All sticks + stone products are crafted in female-led Australian production houses where conditions are safe & clean, & where the protection of human rights is paramount.

We work with a highly experienced network of home sewers based in Brisbane Australia, with talent carefully curated via Shona at Kershon Clothing.

We are proud to work with a diverse range of women who reflect Australia's rich culture. See our Instagram pages to learn more about their stories.

Find Out More

We’re pushing sustainability forward with every design, without compromising style. Material choices have the most significant impact on sustainability, so we take great care in selecting our fibres & finishing processes.

At present, 96.4% of our fabrics are sustainable, organic, regenerated or recycled, with many being completely biodegradable.

Sustainability isn’t just about the quality of materials; it’s considering the needs of present & future generations by carefully selecting processes that take care of the world we live in.

At sticks + stone we invest in Circular Fashion processes & Designing for Minimal Waste.

Right from the start we’re designing with waste reduction in mind. Whether it’s using less water, emitting less carbon or cutting back on material waste, we’re always improving processes to minimise our footprint in everything from design, production, distribution, consumption to disposal.

We also invest in initiatives that support positive climate change goals, like carbon neutral delivery.

We’ve done all the work behind the scenes to make sure that you can look & feel great, knowing that your fashion choices directly reflect the positive environmental & social outcomes that you want to see.

Find Out More

What Can You Do?

Ask Your Favourite Brands 'Who Made My Clothes?'

Take to Instagram to ask your favourite brands #whomademyclothes & #whatsinmyclothes.

- Take a snap of you wearing your favourite item with the tag on display.

- Add the brand's instagram handle.

- Add your caption & hashtags.

- Pester them until you receive a response!

Invest in Statement Pieces

Don’t buy into the throwaway, fast fashion culture. Look for well made, quality pieces, then love + wear them for seasons.

Invest in Quality Staples

Look for brands that invest in ethical practices + prioritise positive social + environmental outcomes.

Style with Your Favourite Vintage Items

Head to your wardrobe. Go in with fresh eyes + fall in love with those dreamy pieces that you once treasured + enjoy the warm fuzzy nostalgic feeling of loving them again!

See our Top Tips for those who’d like to be more consciously minded.

Get Educated Girlfriend! Catch A Great Docco:

The True Cost (2019)

A devastating deep dive into the Rana Plaza tragedy & how such a horrific event occurred. The documentary lays bare the ‘True Cost’ of our clothing, when we take invaluable things like our fellow humans & the planet into consideration. The documentary shows several interviews with environmentalists, garment workers, factory owners & people organising fair trade companies & promoting sustainable clothing production. A must watch for every single person who wears clothes.

Available on Netflix

Climate Change - The Facts (2019)

Presented by everyone's favourite Father of the Earth, David Attenborough, this 1 hour documentary is factual, easy to follow & a great starting point for those who are interested, but not interested in being overwhelmed.

Attenborough's presence is warm & familiar despite the strong & stern voice he uses in communicating the sheer gravity of the frightening situation that we are in.

A good starting point & general overview of climate change & its impacts, for those dipping their toe into climate consciousness.

Free on ABC iView within Australia & BBC iPlayer Globally

2040 (2019)

Award-winning director Damon Gameau embarks on a journey to explore what the future would look like by the year 2040 if we simply embrace the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shift them into the mainstream.

Available on Fox or to rent on iTunes