Friday, April 24, 2015, will be a big day on the fashion calendar.
It’s not Fashion Week, with its call to buy, nor is it Couture Week, with its call to admire. It is Fashion Revolution Day, with a call to take action.
On this day, people in over 65 countries will challenge global fashion brands to demonstrate commitment to transparency across the length of the value chain, from farmers to factory workers, brands to buyers and consumers. A series of global events and initiatives will highlight the fashion industry’s most pressing issues—from exploitation to pollution—and engage local communities to demand greater transparency throughout.
Why is all of this happening? Surely you'll recall the tragedy of April 24 2013, when 1133 people were killed when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A further 2500 were injured and countless other lives—the children of the dead, the families and friends caring for the injured—were affected. Sadly, the accident was, according to Fashion Revolution organizers, “both predictable and preventable.”
Now, Fashion Revolution Day marks the anniversary of this disaster but represents much more than that—it demonstrates a change of mentality and a refusal to accept cheap clothing constructed from the suffering of others. And this is only the beginning.
