This week in the UK the television show Panorama rightly expose Primark as using child labour to make their cheap clothing. Clearly this should not be a surprise considering how cheap the clothes are? Why it should have taken the UK media three years to unveil this in depth is a surprise. In 2005 Ethical Consumer magazine voted Primark the most unethical fashion store. The fact that Panorama has only just made a programme about this shows that, finally, ethical fashion is on the radar of the public.
The big question is will this actually stop people from buying clothes from Primark? At the moment money is tight due to the credit crunch so will people put their morals on hold until they can afford to shop elsewhere?
Stores such as Gap, TopShop and Marks and Spencer have all been highlighting their ethical fashion credentials recently. Could this programme shaming Primark finally signal a shift in the consciences of the public? It would be great for the planet and foreign workers if it is.
There are a wide range of ethical fashion designers popping up. We’ll be looking at ethical fashion in more detail. For now check out Quail, a UK based ethical fashion company, to prove that ethical fashion is fashionable!
The website is www.quailbymail.co.uk
lamarguerite said,
June 26, 2008 @ 11:01 pm
As you know from other cases, consumers hold the power here with their wallets. It seems as if some smart grassroots organizing would do wonder here! Maybe starting with the producers of the Panorama show? See my recent post about what happened with California moth aerial spraying threat, and how citizens finally won.
http://lamarguerite.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/grassroots-lessons-from-california-moth-spraying-saga/
Soul Economy said,
November 12, 2008 @ 8:17 am
Agreed that unless there is legislation to prevent the availability of these products, then the consumer drives market demand. Money is tight so the decision to purchase more expensive, ethical products can be difficult for some. However, if we as consumers support only ethical fashion then unethical options will be driven out of the market. To help with this consumers need to be educated, through visuals/video is best, on what happens in communities where these unethical practices are at work.
With designers launching fair trade and eco-friendly fashion, there are great options now available. We are certainly seeing this in the Australian market.