When Fashion Kills the Poor

When I saw the horror in Bangladesh, I felt like throwing up. Really. You see, it was as if we had blinders on and for a moment they were removed.

What makes me most sick to this day is that it's big fashion industry groups that profit and work in low-cost factories.

You see, basically, I don't care about offshoring, but if you don't treat your employees with dignity, if you make them work in unsanitary places where they risk their lives, I say at some point you just can't push it. Profit has its limits.

Because people died there, so we talk about it, but have the brands concerned, those who used that factory in Bangladesh, communicated about it, apologized, explained why they manufactured in such an unsanitary place? No, it's radio silence. And you see, that's what bothers me the most. These brands that make dream profits by exploiting their workers pretend "oh, but we didn't know" or "oh, but these are just samples we launched, not production," and you know what I want to say? BULLSHIT, yes!! Because we are in textiles, OK, it's fair, ethical, but we go to these countries, we go to the workshops. So they knew and they let it happen.

There are other examples, like the Swedish giant that has problems in Cambodia (exploitation of female workers...)

But well, as long as consumers prefer low-cost fashion, or not necessarily low-cost but fast fashion... then we will be a bit like Don Quixotes!

So, Fair Trade Fortnight is about to begin, time to ask yourself where your clothing comes from, by whom it is made... (the perfect time, of course, to buy organic lingerie!!)

(Copyright Peau-Ethique)