Fashion Revolution Week 2020 – The Truth Behind Fabric For Freedom
Running this year from 20th – 27th April, we’re starting off Fashion Revolution Week at Fabric For Freedom with a look at our own supply chain practices, and the promises we have made in order to create a supply chain that values and respects the workers involved throughout, from farm to finished garment.
Transparency and human rights have always been at the core of Fabric For Freedom. Having worked in the fashion industry as a buyer for almost a decade, Esther Knight (our founder and CEO) has seen first-hand the issues that arise from the low-cost, high-pressure supply chains that are commonly used across the industry by fast-fashion and high-end designer brands alike. Transparency issues mean that sometimes we don’t even know these workplaces exist within our own supply chains, allowing this kind of exploitation to slip quietly under the radar.
By opening up the conversation with suppliers and working together, we hope to set an example that others will be able to follow.
At Fabric For Freedom the cotton we use to make our clothing is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), meaning that the cotton plants are 100% organically grown in dangerous-chemical-free conditions, by farmers in India who are paid fairly and who operate under safe conditions of work. This beautiful cotton is then sent to a GOTS-certified mill in Kerala, where it is carefully spun into yarn and woven into fabric by a Fairtrade community of skilled workers and artisans. Once we receive these fabrics here in the UK, our garments are constructed and produced in our London factories. We have a good relationship with the people working in and operating these factories, and we’ll often pop in to say hi and check up on the latest garments in our collections. Check out our full Organic Cotton range here.
In the case of our upcycled and vintage collections, and any collections that use deadstock or end-of-roll fabrics, instead of the farms in India we source these fabrics from local suppliers in the UK before creating the garments right here in London. Take a look at our new Upcycled & Vintage collection.
We want our supply chain to work together with us rather than for us. We hold a guarantee that all workers in our supply chain are paid fair wages, work in safe conditions that comply with all health & safety laws and are treated properly as the skilled artisans that they are. By operating mostly in UK factories, we are supporting British fashion, creating local jobs and encouraging our craftspeople to continue their unique, skilled work. We’re also cutting down on emissions and transport by executing all operations from the production stage to sale within London.
But our mission doesn’t end there.
A few days ago we announced our newest supplier collaboration, working with the a charity who support homeless & vulnerable teaching them skills that will help with employment prospects and give them the chance to get back on their feet and into the working environment.
We’ve also partnered with the charities A21 Campaign, Freeset Global, and International Justice Mission, all three of which work to abolish modern slavery and human trafficking - an issue that is unfortunately still rife in the fashion industry. Find out more information and how you too can support these causes on our Charity & Partners page, and look out for our giving weeks across the year when 10% of our profits will be donated to our charity partners. This year’s Fashion Revolution Week will be like no other as COVID-19 continues to bring our work into the digital, but we’re working harder than ever to make sure our voice is heard.
We won’t accept a return to business as usual with fast fashion chains wreaking havoc on our planet and the people who live on it.
It’s time for a change. Are you with us?
Keep up to date on our revolutionary activity with our newsletter, sign up here.
Check out our social media for more information on what we’re up to this week, and shop our full organic, upcycled and vintage collections here.
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