“They be like oh that’s Gucci that’s hella tight.
I’m like, Yo! that’s $50 for a t-shirt
Limited edition lets do some simple addition
$50 for a t-shirt that’s just some ignorant
I call that getting swindled and pimped
I call that getting tricked by a business”

(lyrics Thrift Shop, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis)

My kids and I enjoy singing and laughing to this song (clean version of course). It is a reminder of the way the fashion industry convinces us that we “need” some item of clothing. I thought it was cool when vintage rock concert tees became fashionable. Yeah! We are recycling and repurposing clothes. No, not really. My thirteen year old daughter’s friend buys a “vintage” rock tee at Target and proceeds to ask, “Who is David Bowie?” This is what fashion has become, an endless cycle of want, faux and waste.

I usually feel sick to my stomach when I go into a mall or drive by a Goodwill and see the hordes of unwanted consumer items. I think about the amount of resources, human and natural, that went into producing these items that never reach their useful life and just get thrown into a landfill. But the landfills are only the tip of the iceberg. The textile industry is one of the biggest contributors to pollution in this world. In the documentary, RiverBlue, (I highly recommend watching) one can see the impact of the toxic chemicals from finishing and dying textiles, not only are rivers polluted but human lives are compromised. It is easy to blame large corporations and poor governments for this pollution and waste, but aren’t we the consumers responsible too? We can’t turn a blind eye and say, “I didn’t know.” We know.

Recently, I stumbled across TexereSilk.com (a division of New England Mercantile Group, LLC), and found an article on their website titled Fabric Toxicity & Sustainability: Choices that Must be Made by the Designer and the Public. It details the production of various fabrics including silk, and it got me thinking about my responsibility in the fashion industry. I have begun to ask myself hard questions about what can I do differently as a consumer and producer of clothing.

I fall victim to impulse purchases just like everyone else, but I want to be more mindful of my own senseless consumption of fast fashion. I also want to be knowledgeable about the source of the fabric for the garments I sew for others. So today I joined the Fashion Revolution. It is a community of people that want to change the business and the way we think of fashion. Some of the tenants of this Fashion Revolution manifesto are:

• Fashion respects culture and heritage. It fosters, celebrates and rewards skills and craftsmanship. It recognises creativity as its strongest asset. Fashion never appropriates without giving due credit or steals without permission. Fashion honours the artisan.
• Fashion conserves and restores the environment. It does not deplete precious resources, degrade our soil, pollute our air and water or harm our health. Fashion protects the welfare of all living things and safeguards our diverse ecosystems.
• Fashion never unnecessarily destroys or discards but mindfully redesigns and recuperates in a circular way. Fashion is repaired, reused, recycled and upcycled. Our wardrobes and landfills do not overflow with clothes that are coveted but not cherished, bought but not kept.

I am committing myself and business to being transparent about my choices in the fashion industry, including but not limited to sourcing materials from reputable businesses. I hope you will consider joining me in this campaign.

#Whomadeyourclothes

#Imadeyourclothes