Life Beauty & Fashion Ethical Fashion Show
| Ethical Fashion Show |
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| Written by Francis H. Powell | |||
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 Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months -Oscar Wilde When we sink our knives and forks into some food, or put on some clothes in the morning, perhaps we rarely reflect upon the chain of workers who brought such creations into being and the conditions they worked under, in fabricating our goods. I once read an eye opening book on ?modern day slavery? which told how people are enslaved by malicious tricks, or long standing debts of their parents and systematically abused and exploited during their lifetimes. The fashion industry can also be accused of cruelty and grisly killings, exploitation of animals, slain for their furs. I live near a street, where the fur trade, seems have to a solid foothold, and the furs of once no doubt beautiful animals, are died, often vulgar colours.
When you look at a shop window and see some great looking Nike trainers, apart from the price, think of this, Nike employs 35,000 mostly female workers in Vietnam. For an eight-hour day they are paid on average $1-60. The shoes they make can retail for up to $165 in the States and over £100 in the UK. Adidas to use the cheapest non union labour markets they can find. In Delhi it said that an estimated 100,000 children work up to 14 hours a day, some being as young as eight years old. In their first year the children receive no payment, as they are considered trainees. It is said there are thousands of workshops like these and 90% of them use child labour.? It is sure that the fashion industry should look carefully into the people they are subcontracting, getting them to put together exquisite tapestry or refinery, or creating funky looking trainers.
Francis H. Powell is originally from England and moved to Paris in 1999. In addition to being a writer (articles, songs and poems), he is a painter, DJ and English trainer. For more information, please click here to read his complete bio.
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This is the background, behind the fashion industry, my attention is aroused having spotted a poster in a local bar advertising an ?ethical fashion show?. It is not so far away, so I make plans to visit the show, which lasts over four days. I chose to go on the last day. The show promises ? discover committed brands such as VEJA, TUDO BOM, IDEO, ETHOS, ARTICLE 23, MAKABU? There are lots of stalls, but I head down to the basement of le Tapis Rouge, as a fashion show is about to commence. Blue light, moving like smoke is being projected onto the walls and a film is being shown, obviously trying to augment people?s awareness. I kind of jockey into the best position I can, given the fact that quite a crowd, has already assembled. The first model slinks her way along the quite sizable catwalk. She has a real parrot on her shoulder, not some plastic imitation. House music, the cool funky variety booms out. I can?t say the clothes are cutting edge, indeed they look generally typical every day clothes. Some models transpose the show into a dance show, showing off the moves.
The models are from different ethnic groups, reflecting the fact that the clothes come from different places around the world. The show has an energy to it and the crowd respond, cheering and clapping, more I think the audacious moves of the models, rather than the clothes. The show is well orchestrated, the lighting, the names I presume of the designers, being projected, to hail their creations. I do, and remember I am not really interested by fashion, and can be usually found, when not in work mode, in jeans smattered in paint, or military ware, or looking like a bit of a ?hoody? recognize the name of one designer ?Katharine E. Hamnett? who featured in the 1980s and who was responsible for T shirts with large political slogans 'CHOOSE LIFE' 'FRANKIE SAY WAR! HIDE YOURSELF' (remember Frankie goes to Hollywood, anyone who was around in the eighties).
It seems Katherine Hamnett is a champion for ethical fashion. Beginning in 1989, with research showing pesticide poisoning in cotton-growing regions, and sweatshop labour a major part of the textiles industry, Hamnett began lobbying for major changes in the way the industry operated. After disappointment with the results, Hamnett terminated most of her licensing arrangements, and in 2005 re-launched her line under stricter ethical guidelines, including manufacturing and agricultural practices. Though I did not find the clothes a source of inspiration, the message of the show, is far more significant. After the final applause had died down, I went to look at some of the stalls. There was one dress, that looked like it was made from reeds or suchlike, but many of the clothes looked like clothes that would fit into any shop and would easily be worn comfortably by many people, without being accused of being a ?fashion victim?. I hope that people?s awareness grew and that people will think ?ethical? rather than ?cheap chic."
