Sustainable fashion and some surprises

Hello fellow Fabbers. Not much fashion going on in my life right now as I am still working in my medical office, although mostly virtual now. I still lurk but haven't had time to post. And I do get to wear real clothes every day!

I do listen to radio and podcasts during my commute. On Tuesday April 21, the CBC program Q with Tom Power included a conversation with a university prof with a PhD in sustainable fashion (Anita Kozlowski). She divulged some info I had not read or heard anywhere. It seems that most apparel manufacturers have their stuff made in usually third world countries, and only pay for the stuff on receipt, several months later. Now with sales way down due to the pandemic, a LOT of manufacturers and stores have cancelled their orders. Which leaves the garment workers and their businesses on the hook: they have fronted the cost for the raw materials, they have done the labour and have the finished garments, and now they are not being paid!

The interview included a list of companies involved. As I recall, Walmart, Gap and MANY others are not paying/not honouring their contracts. Target, H&M and a few others are (some, in response to public pressure).

I couldn't find a transcript, or any of this info in written form. I am including the link to listen, only available in Canada I expect. I am hoping that some of our Canadian YLFers with more available time can find a way we can share this info with the rest of you. It seems like the kind of thing many of you care about, and maybe there are enough of us to make a difference.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live.....orld-are-being-disproportionately-affected-by-covid-19

By the way, Tom Power seems to have taken an interest in fashion--last night he had an interview with Fluevog about his design for the Dr. Bonnie Henry shoe (I missed that one).

4 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Here's another source of this info: https://qz.com/1828541/covid-1.....nemployed/

And another. Not sure how up to date these are: https://www.fashionrevolution......r-clothes/

I think we may have had some in Inge's link love, also -- my memory is spotty!

Glad to know you are safe and mostly working from home!

L'Abeille

Thank you Suz, I knew you were on the ball!

Sal

Thanks L'Abeille - thanks for sharing and also for letting us know how you are doing.

The fashion system needs a big shake up doesn't it. There are companies using ethical practice in China or India or Bangladesh - but maybe not these ones. The companies are struggling so choosing desperate strategies to survive.... and this is their scrambling strategy.

As a business owner I understand that we need people to spend money to keep the economy turning over so we can pay tax and employ people.....but large parts of the fashion model are so broken aren't they?

Anonymous

I heard this particular broadcast too and was somewhat heartened to hear that Ha&M stepped up to the plate with paying for orders they won’t need now . During my time in the industry, the buyer did pay a portion of the orders up front and the balance upon arrival in Canada , but I guess it differs by factory owner . I continue to be SO conflicted but the whole fashion industry .

Style Fan

Thanks, L'Abeille. I was wondering how you were doing. I will try to listen to this. It is difficult to find ethical fashion and sometimes I wonder what is ethical fashion.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

L'Abeille! Thank you for being a healthcare hero. BLESS YOU. I hope that you and your family are safe, strong and healthy.

When I was a retail buyer - 18 years ago! - retailers could cancel orders if they were late, wrong, or defective. It was very bad form to cancel orders that were perfect and on time, but you COULD push them out to a later date, and change the style of items along the way.

I expected this to happen since the world is in an unprecedented and surreal situation. It's catastrophic for the retail industry.

I stand by what I vehemently believe. The question of ethical and sustainable fashion is EXTREMELY complex, with compromises at best. YOU have to decide what ethical and sustainable fashion means to you, and run with it. For me at this point, it's retailers that have been helping our front line healthcare workers by putting their factories to work making some type of PPE, as well as trying to keep their own staff on payroll. Said goodbye to profits and went into "war production". Karen Kane is top of the list there, and there are many others. Here's is my post:

https://youlookfab.com/2020/04.....ur-heroes/

rachylou

Yes, that’s bad. I’ve seen it in other industries too - the energy industry in particular irritated me, the way business was done. Government does it a lot to contractors.

Very sad all round- but so glad for the companies that have changed to making masks for the time being.

Joy

I heard a program on how the rental businesses who are devastated by no proms or events when they are usually busy renting tuxes and formal wear. I hadn’t even thought of them. Most are small local businesses and prom season and weddings are a big part of their business.

Jaime

There are a lot of terrible indirect effects of stopping the economy and I hope the world's leaders will step up and deal with them when the crisis period is over. Some will I believe.

Stagiaire Fash

How confusing! Yes, we want the overproduction to stop, but not like that!

kkards

Yes, unfortunately this is part of the fall out I posted this a couple of weeks ago.

Most retailers don’t have a lot of cash on hand, especially in the spring. Cash used to pay for incoming orders is generated from sales. No sales = no cash. On top of that, for US retailers many are trying to continue to pay health care coverage for employees they have furloughed. It’s a lose lose situation

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/0.....adesh.html

the gap has announce that at the current time it doesn’t look like they have enough resources to get through this year https://www.reuters.com/articl.....ey-to-run-

Jenni NZ

I am feeling that maybe this shock will go some way towards stopping the overproduction, and I am sorry for the Bangladeshi workers and very upset about the unethical behaviour of some of the brands.
I decided after Rana Plaza that I would try to avoid buying any clothing made in Bangladesh myself and I have stuck to that. Unfortunately my husband and son do not inspect clothing labels as I do and they have still bought themselves items made there.
I am not going to buy from H&M or Zara I think, was already leaning towards this ( have bought maybe 3 items ever from Inditex brands so not a big loss), because I don’t feel on the whole that they benefit our world. I do understand that they employ a lot of people. One could say that for many industries. If fewer clothes get made in the next 6 months could I hope that might wean some consumers off their wasteful buying and quick discarding?
If we are serious about the environmental effects of the fashion industry we can’t just “go back to normal” as fashion consumers anyway, surely?

avicennia

Oh wow! It’s stomach turning to think of The Gap and similar companies intentionally stiffing people in the developing countries. I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Well given that the Gap was on those lists at the top of this thread ( added by Suz) of companies that have behaved unethically, maybe they don’t deserve to come out of this. If the owners lost their shirts as it were, it could be a kind of karma. It would be hard for the workers of course.
There must have been many other times in history when lots of companies failed. What about milliners and makers of gloves in the past? Fashion totally changed and left most hats and gloves behind, a few decades ago.

Category