John Oliver has a thing or two to say to the Fashion Industry

If you are in the apparel industry or involved in labor rights, I am sure you spent the 17 minutes to watch John Oliver share his insights into the Fashion Industry on Last Week Tonight in the most recent episode.

If you have not seen the video - check it out here:
JOHN OLIVER - Sheds a little light on the fashion industry

As a person who has worked inside the industry for years, it is great to see some obvious thoughts be called out in mainstream media. First is the fact that intuitively we are SHOCKED at the price of some clothes - there is no way they could be that cheap. Well, that is because there are reasons that they are that cheap.

Some of modern lower pricing is achieved legitimately without harming the people making the clothes or the environment directly; scale does play a large part into reducing prices. (Still, scale has its own set of problems, which I won't go into in this post.)

But the other question is: what corners were cut to make clothing this cheap? Working conditions, safe working environments, workers rights, and environmental harm.

It doesn't mean that just because an article of clothing is expensive that it is made in the perfect factory under the best conditions. So the point is to ask yourself, "what do I know about this brand and are they committing to high standards from their suppliers and holding themselves and those suppliers to those high standards?"

If all of us asked the question and demanded that  respect for human rights was part of our buying criteria, it would change the world. Businesses are lead by their customers. Enough market signals and you get brands to wake up and see what customers are demanding.

So if you are interested in demanding human rights for the people who make your clothes - ask the question to the last company you bought a piece of apparel from. Ask them to tell you in detail what standards they are committing to, and how they are verifying those standards, and even ask them how they are ensuring that the way they practice business does not infringe on those rights.

The company may not have the perfect answer, but you asked the question. And just like our intuitive reaction of shock at how incredibly cheap clothing can be and how it could possibly be made for so little money - you will intuitively know if a brand is committed or not.

The Super Coolest Thing Ever

Remember to step back and appreciate the grandeur of what you do.

Recently attending a conference by Textile Exchange in Portland, Oregon, I listened to an amazing Nike bigwig - Adam - talk about the merits of sustainability at Nike. But Adam also brought up a point that was too good to not share.

He told a story where he was on the plane. The guy next to him was reading an article in a magazine about Nike releasing garments made from recycled water bottles. Thrusting the magazine into Adam's face, his eager neighbor exclaimed, "Have you heard about this bro? Water bottles into clothing?? That is the super coolest thing ever!"

At this point, Nike had been working on textiles from recycled water bottles for several years. Adam had been integral in this process, dealing with the growing pains of whether 50% waste or 20% waste was enough of a hurdle - or if zero waste was the only acceptable option. Hours and years of struggles with this a topic inspired less than a "just do it" feeling in the pit of Adam's stomach.

A little put off by his seat-buddy's overzealous introduction and feeling unamused with the subject, Adam leaned forward to respond when words suddenly hit him a little deeper -

That is the super coolest thing ever.

He thought: We make clothing out of water bottles. Something that didn't exist not too long ago. We found a way to recycle something hard on the environment and creating waste in our world. We are making a difference.

"You know what?" Adam conceded happily, "you're right. That is the super coolest thing ever."

This simple anecdote reminded me of how often when we work so hard towards a goal, churning on the problems and obstacles standing in our way for too long, we lose sight of how amazing and important the work we are doing really is. When you are feeling frustrated by minimal progress, staunch opposition, or just being stuck - let's step back and give our journey a chance to speak for itself.

The work we do is important - it will take years, many people, and lots of energy to take the little steps that eventually carry us over the finish line. The work we do is not easy - but the struggle makes us stronger and teaches us lessons for a better future. And, who knows? The work we do, when shown to an outsider - say, an excited dude on a place - might just be the super coolest thing ever.

Find out more about Nike uniforms made from discarded water bottles: http://www.ecouterre.com/nike-outfits-world-cup-teams-in-jerseys-made-from-recycled-bottles/
http://www.ecouterre.com/watch-how-nike-recycles-plastic-water-bottles-into-football-jerseys-video/

Guest Blogger - Sarah Kensell - Get Dressed Sustainably

This week's Guest Blog Post comes from Sarah Kensell

Sarah Kensell is a wardrobe stylist and producer of photoshoots and fashion shows.  Clients have included: prAna, Fashion Week San Diego, Riviera Magazine, Fashionably Late at the Ivy, The A List at the Anthem, and many more.  Her fashion blog, Modern Boheme, is where she showcases her coastal bohemian style and shares creative musings. 

Organic cotton, hemp, fair trade, vintage, recycled:  there are a lot of buzzwords in the world of sustainable fashion.  These days, it's not hard to find sustainable clothing (new companies are popping up all over the place); the hard part is finding styles that fit into your wardrobe.  I've done a bit of the legwork for you... you'll feel a little less guilty about this shopping spree!

While your selection of sustainable products is definitely smaller, it doesn't have to be boring.  Bright colors will get you feeling as good as the choice you made to buy with a conscience.

Get this look - click here

Organic cotton doesn't mean stiff cotton.  Things have changed quite a bit since we first saw the rise of organic cotton in the market.  Manufacturers have found ways to make it some of the most comfortable stuff out there. 

Get this look - Click Here

Whether you are traveling the world or your backyard, you can find your own adventure anywhere.  A wardrobe full of products that do good for people and the environment will make you feel like you are making a positive contribution to the lives and natural wonders around you.

Get this look - Click Here

Women's Wear Daily writes about sustainability

Check out this article about the workshop I helped organize with Textile Exchange.

http://www.wwd.com/markets-news/markets-features/sustainability-expanding-its-reach-5826740

Here is the workshop held on March 1, 2012.  It was a great space in SoHo New York which created the opportunity to co-learn and interact in a way that allowed for deep understanding of sustainability in the textile and apparel industry.

Guest blogger time! Sustainable Fashion

I am excited to welcome back Christian Smith as a guess blogger to Sustainability in Review about sustainable fashion.

Christian Smith works as a CSR Manager for a leading online UK retailer. His focus is on the environmental side of things, measuring out Greenhouse Gas emissions as well as finding ways to reduce our overall impact. Recently graduated from University College, London with an MSc in Environment and Sustainable Development.

Fashion and the environment

H&M do it, so do Nike, Patagonia are doing it well. All of a sudden lots of big (and small) fashion companies are talking about the environment and the people who work for them. Not just where they sell clothing but also where they make them. This series is going to focus on why that’s happened and what it means for the broader industry. We are going to take a look at fashion in relation to areas such as water, soil/agriculture, food production, health and oil. Fashion, believe it or not, is dependent on all of these things and the people who work in these areas.

Water

The impact of fashion on water is immense. From the growing process through production to the end user, water use has been essential to the fashion industry since the beginning. And that reliance is concerning. The demand for clothing is increasing, not just through keeping up with fashion but also the increasing global population.

A lot of clothing is made from cotton.  And cotton is a very water intensive crop. An estimated 25million tonnes is produced annually. On an annual basis, approximately 70million tons of water is wasted.  The cotton industry evaporates 210 billion cubic meters of water while at the same time polluting 50billion cubic litres.[1]  3.5% of global water usage is for cotton crop production.[2] 60kg of water is used to create a cotton t-shirt, from cultivation of cotton through to production. An additional 45kg is discharged as waste per kg of output. This figure, however, only includes the virtual or embedded water, and does not take into account the use of water once owned by the consumer.[3]

One of the most devastating effects of cotton production has been the shrinking of the Aral sea (pictured above) to just 15% of its original size. The loss of water affects not only the cotton and textiles industry, but the livelihoods of all those using the sea. For instance, the Aral Sea was once home to 24 native species of fish providing 40,000 tonnes of fish a year – a valuable source of income and nutrition. Beyond the direct effect on the sea, the surrounding biodiversity has also been severely damaged with only an estimated 15-20% of the Tugai Forests remain - in an area home to 29 native plant species. 

This damage has opened the eyes of many to make a change. Many companies now understand the problems with water use and have started working on minimising their impacts in this area. Levis, for example, has developed technology to create its WaterLess denim range at the same time launching a save water campaign. Many companies now recommend washing clothes at 30 degrees or lower and sometimes even less frequently. Replay, the Italian brand, has developed a dying process that also uses technology that enabling the company to use less water to dye its denim.

In addition to the quantity of water used is the quality of water.  Conventional cotton uses 25% of the world’s pesticides and impacts surrounding environments as they persist in the soil and water.  A lot of work is being done to encourage farmers to use fewer pesticides. Organic cotton is the aim as that truly minimises water pollution, but other solutions are also available. Cotton Made in Africa/Better Cotton initiative are two programs which work alongside farmers, helping them to grow cotton more responsibly therefore reducing their overall impact on their water supply. 

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[1] Chapagain, A., Hoekstra, A., Savenije, H., & Gautam, R. (2006). The water footprint of cotton consumption: An assessment of the impact of worldwide consumption of cotton products on the water resources in the cotton producing countries. Ecological Economics, 186-203.

[2] Fashion Futures 2025

[3] Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdomhttp://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article458101.ece