Fashion With A Conscience

Does Fashion need to have a conscience? Yes, it should. Its not all about the latest designer collections and the runways as it seems on the outside. Fashion has a huge impact on our environment and is is getting worse day  by day. One of the main reasons for this is that the sales of used clothing has gone down due to the fact that it is cheaper to buy new clothes than used one making clothing a higly disposable item.
I am currently doing a yr 12 sustainability project and the things that some of the things the guest speakers said about the fashion industry was completely shocking. 'Shop til you drop' used to be my thing but I shudder now thinking about the effects I  had on the environment from thoughtless spending.
The Statistics:

• A staggering 25 percent of the world's pesticides are used on cotton crops, cotton farming is considered as one of the most environmentally destructive activities. According to an outdoor gear information site, recycling cotton saves 20,000 litres of water per kilogram of cotton.
• The average Japanese citizen buys ten kg of clothes and throws away 9kg.
• Looking at the statistics from 2009 (Defra Statistics) the British clothing and textiles sector produced around 3.1 million tonnes of CO₂, 2 million tonnes of waste and 70 million tonnes of waste water per year. 

Does the Fashion industry have a conscience? I'm pleased to report a fraction of the fashion industry, however small it may be does have a conscience. Some seem to have gone green to keep with the "trend" while others are genuinely concerned about the planet. Action is taking place by individual nations, and global companies and organizations to ensure a sustainable fashion industry.

The Labels/Websites to look out for:

• Patagonia- originally a USA label but sold internationally, Patagonia sells outdoor clothing made from post-consumer plastic soda bottles, they also recycle their cotton t-shirts.
• Esthetica - founded by the British Fashion Council, it showcases the talents of designers who are committed to creating garments ethically and are sustainable. Check out their online boutique store here
• Monsoon- their new brands use fair trade cotton and Monsoon is a full member of ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative.)
• People Tree- a Fair trade fashion brand from UK, celebrity colloaboration with Emma Watson)."80% of the collection uses 100% organic and Fair-trade certified cotton and it is also made entirely by Fair Trade groups, using hand weaving, hand knitting, and hand embroidery, to create livelihoods for some of the most disadvantaged people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.*"

Coming soon.....How You Can Help.......



Info from:
http://www.eco-asia.info/content/f-fashions-dark-side2
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/content.aspx?CategoryID=523
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?ID=216
http://www.ethicaltrade.org/
from:
*http://www.emmawatson.com/en/Projects/People-Tree-SS10/