Did you know that you are among the four victims of the fashion industry? From the use of modern day slavery to killing animals for fashion materials, Fashion industry is notorious for victimising people, planet and animals. In this article, we will go through the four fashion victims you should know about.
So who are these four victims and why do we use the word VICTIM? According to oxfordlearnersdictionaries, a victim is a person who has been tricked, someone who has been violently attacked and a person or thing that has been affected by a situation. With this in mind, let’s go through the four fashion victims you should know about and you should have in mind while looking for your next favourite piece.
THE WORKERS
Garment workers have been fashion victims for decades. Most of them work in the worst working conditions, are underpaid and work long hours with no union rights. An example of a situation where Fashion has costed thousands of garment workers their lives in the Rana Plaza incident that sparked the beginning of PAYUP Campaign.
ANIMALS
According to Common Objective, Billions of animals are used as a source of material for the fashion industry. Materials like silk, leather, fur, wool and cashmere are related to the luxury fashion worlds. If you haven’t watched a documentary about how your leather, mink and fur is sourced, I would highly recommend the posts on MUST WATCH CONSCIOUS FASHION DOCUMENTARIES where you will find a free graphic and detailed documentary video done by DWTV.
The graph below shows how many animals are used in the fashion industry for source of materials.
YOU
We are victims of Fast fashion. The idea of retail therapy is built to make you feel the need to shop in order to feel better temporarily. It has turned people into self proclaimed shopaholics with credit card debts.
“Fast Fashion industry feeds on this greed for more. Many of us have dealt with the impulse buying when it comes to fashion. When not controlled, impulse buying can lead to anxiety and unhappiness. In extreme cases, it can lead to an addiction.” ~ lyv-on.com
“Think about the idea of retail therapy. With influencer marketing and social media marketing on the rise, consumers are bombarded with updates on new collections, sales, offers and more, on a consistent basis. It is overwhelming. In addition, the factors that influence vitality, the possibility of sharing or even the aspiration associated with the advertisement are also guided by the representation of the models, the cut and style of the clothes and the emotion that the advertisement tries to sell. Beauty and fashion ads have the power to instil feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, shame, guilt and anxiety in consumers.” ~ Exbulletin.com
If you are interested in gently learning how to shop sustainably, click on the image below for a clear step by step guidance.
ENVIRONMENT
Did you know that you need 18,000 gallons of water to make a pair of jeans? Did you know that growing up in Kibera, I used to walk 5-10k to fetch 5 gallons of clean water for our home? While you’re still taking that in, let me hit you with 3 other facts that might blow your mind. I’ve attached sources in case you are interested in reading more. 1. Did you know that from the clothes you donate, 90% end up in landfills? 2. Did you now that 8-10% of global greenhouse emission comes from the fashion industry? 3. And finally, did you know that textile dyeing is the second largest water polluter?
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