April 24, 2013 was a horrifying day in fashion history. The catastrophic events of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh have sparked a momentous movement a year later. That day is now known as Fashion Revolution Day.

More than 1,100 garment workers—a third of those who entered the clothing factories that morning in Bangladesh—died in the collapse of the massive eight-story building. Ordered to come to work despite the warnings that cracks found in the building the day before could lead to an imminent collapse, the fashion industry demands flew in the face of safety, and the factory operators ignored the warnings for fear of losing money and clients.

The Rana Plaza collapse triggered protests and riots in Bangladesh over fashion factory working conditions. On June 5^th, police in Bangladesh opened fire on protestors who were demanding back pay and compensation that had been promised by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the government. Several months later, more protests over wages led to fighting and gunfire from police.

No garment is worth this price.

The idea for Fashion Revolution Day was born out of the atrocity in Bangladesh and countless other conditions around the world that exist in the name of cheap, fast fashion. Fair Trade pioneer Carry Somers, fashion activist Lucy Siegel and Livia Firth came up with the idea to redefine the day and empower those lives lost in Bangladesh as a means to prevent more unnecessary tragedy. The event “will keep the most vulnerable in the supply chain in the public eye,” FRD says on its website. “Fashion Revolution Day is the day on which we will celebrate fashion as a positive influence, and all those who contribute to making it so. It will rally the high street, the high end, the new, the ancient, the innovators, the buyers, the shoppers, the media, the commentators, the activists and everyone in between.”

“We want people talking about the provenance of clothes,” Somers told Vogue, “raising awareness of the fact that we aren’t just purchasing a garment, but a whole chain of value and relationships. FRD will become a platform for best practice – for brands to show off what they are doing to improve things.”

But, Firth warns that we should be wary of greenwashing. “A paper bag here, an organic T-shirt there – some brands tick a couple of boxes and ignore the main issue,” she says. “Some mega brands still don’t give a damn but there are brilliant examples like Paul Smith who is absolutely in charge of his production chain.”

“As consumers, we want people to re-engage with fashion, slow things down a bit, love the clothes we buy more,” adds Firth. “Care about how they are made and by whom.”

It used to be this way. People we knew made our clothes, or people who sold the clothes to us knew who made them. Garments had tremendous value. Clothing, blankets, accessories, were made to last—and they did, for decades, generations. They were handmade, crafted with time and precision, not against corporate deadlines, ignoring safety and human decency.

Cate Blanchett told Vogue that garment manufacture demands the same attention as we’ve been giving to climate change, an issue she’s extremely passionate about. “If you offer options then it’s not sacrifice, it’s choice,” she says. “As well as the fundamental improvement to our spiritual health, buying with conscience is about the option to buy something for £1 that has the potential to blind 15 children as a result of an inhumane production line – or something else for £1.50 that will have a positive effect. Like climate change – we need to change the way we consume fashion. And if more individuals do then we make a change collectively.”

To participate in Fashion Revolution Day, people are being urged to wear one article of clothing inside out to signify their support of ethical fashion and more transparency in production. Take a picture or video of yourself in the inside out clothing and post online to Instagram or Twitter to @Fash_Rev with the hashtag #InsideOut. The campaign is also urging people to get in touch with the brands that make their favorite clothes and ask the question: “Who Made Your Clothes?”

“Perhaps one of the most surprising aspects of the Rana Plaza disaster was that, even a week later, many brands did not know whether or not they had been producing clothing within the building,” the campaign explains. “The theme for the first year brings the consumer to the forefront and tell brands that they want to know who made their clothes.”

The fallout from Rana Plaza has brought attention to the discussion about why “ethical fashion” needs to come to have the same definition as simply “fashion”—all fashion should be produced ethically, all the time. No one should be forced into working conditions that are unethical, unhealthy and unfair. If that’s the price of clothing—if we can’t do better than this—then perhaps we should wear nothing at all. “This is a global problem – we need to question how loyal we are to all brands to flush out sweatshops all over the world, even in developed countries, on our doorstep,” says Firth. “If we imagine we are voting every time we buy something, and we use our purchase power, then things will change.” They just have to.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Image credit via Fashion Revolution Day

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Who will be lighting up the Red Carpet with cruelty-free and eco fashion at this year’s Oscars?

Seems like there are always newcomers to living compassionately, and we hope there are many surprises this year, but we can guess that these celebs will be glamming it up in vegan and sustainable fashion at Sunday’s Academy Awards.

1. Joaquin Phoenix: The “Her” star is a longtime vegan and animal rights supporter. He’ll certainly be eating with a conscience and we hope he’ll be dressing to match.

2. Charlize Theron: Always gorgeous and stylish, this Oscar-winning presenter is behind an eco-friendly line of TOMS shoes and denim, benefitting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.

3/4.Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie: Two of this year’s presenters, Brad and Angelina aren’t vegetarian or vegan, but they do have an organic vineyard in France. And being two of the biggest Hollywood humanitarians out there, who knows, perhaps they’ll be dining and dressing in accord with their ethics, too.

5. Kate Hudson: Kate always looks gorgeous and it may be in part due to her hair. That’s right, this year’s presenter also co-created an eco and cruelty-free hair care line with hairdresser David Babaii that benefited WildAid.

6. Jared Leto: Best Supporting Actor nominee in “Dallas Buyers Club”, Jared is a longtime vegan and animal rights supporter. He’s always dressing with style, and we’re looking forward to what we wears to the Oscars.

7. Kerry Washington: Presenting this year, Kerry is always eco-conscious, and could take some cues from the gorgeous eco apartment makeover she received courtesy of Oprah Magazine a few years ago. We’ll be on the lookout!

8. Leonardo DiCaprio: The Best Actor Nominee is not only a master of the screen, he’s lent his name to some pretty rad eco initiatives including a coffee. He is outspoken about global warming having  co-wrote, co-produced and narrated the film “11th Hour“, which addressed the issues at hand and how we can fix the problems. We sure hope he’s dressing with that in mind.

9. Naomi Watts: Presenting this year, vegetarian and eco-minded mom, Naomi Watts always looks beautiful, and we know based on her stunning gown last year that she won’t cut any corners (except for the one’s in her dress.)

10. Jason Sudeikis: Rumor has it that since engaging himself to the gorgeous vegan Olivia Wilde, Jason has adopted a healthier lifestyle. He sure looks great these days. So what will this presenter wear? We’re hoping Olivia picks it out.

11. Cate Blanchett: Best Actress Nominee for her stunning role in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine”, Cate is a winner whether she takes home the Oscar or not. A vegetarian and humanitarian, she is also a big proponent of the Greening the Wharf initiative that installed more than 1,900 solar panels at the Sydney Theatre Company.

12. Jim Carrey: This hilarious presenter (and recent author!) boasted about his healthy diet last year—being almost close to vegan besides eating eggs. We’re assuming they’re from a local farmers market here in LA. And, as a founding member of the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment, he sure has an eye for living consciously. Let’s hope it translates into his attire as well.

13. Matthew McConaughey: Best Actor Nominee and favorite to win the award credits his son for making him “more eco.” If his commitment to living with a smaller footprint is at all like his recent commitment to better acting, we simply cannot wait to see what he wears on Sunday. (Suggestion: something tight, please.)

14. Emma Watson: “Harry Potter” star Emma Watson is proving there’s life beyond the Potter years. She’s also proving that there’s a lot more to life than making movies. A vegetarian, Watson is also behind Pure Threads, a fashion line that features environmentally friendly, organic dresses.  We sure hope she’s wearing one on Sunday!

15. Anne Hathaway: Presenter Anne Hathaway is a committed vegetarian and fashionista, so we know she’s got something gorgeous and kind up her sleeves…if she’s wearing any.

Check back in post-Oscars for a review of the best of the best in eco and cruelty-free fashion.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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All images Wikimedia Commons

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