Fashionably ethical
Published in The Australian Jewish News
March 1, 2019
Australians love to shop. Last year, we spent almost $23.5 billion on fashion; a fraction of the staggering $3 trillion global industry.
But fashion has the ability to bring both delight and disdain. While the joy of finding that perfect piece to add to your wardrobe may be almost inexplicable for some, there is a dark underbelly to the ever-dominant force of fashion.
Once an industry that revolved around the production of two seasons of clothing each year, it has evolved into almost 52 seasons. This is driven by “fast fashion”, with clothing giants such as Zara, H&M and other the hungry conglomerates fuelling the model of mass consumption. Now, new styles can be produced and launched within 1-2 weeks, as opposed to the six-month lead time of yesteryear.
Along with the demand and saturation of product at market comes a host of issues that stain the industry: child labour, low wages, dire working conditions, environmental degradation and animal cruelty. This month, Oxfam released a report which reveals the first full picture of the lives of those who work to bring fashion to Australian shelves from two key sourcing countries, Bangladesh and Vietnam.