ethical fashion
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
As indicated in the small series of articles I've posted on the subject, I've found "ethical fashion" a tough nut to crack.
I'm working with some contacts here in Tokyo on developing an "ethical fashion" label for brands operating in Asia. We're having trouble even coming up with a definition of "ethical fashion", though!
It seems we're not alone. The whole industry is unable to deal with the issue in a coherent fashion, according to this rather good article on the often useful "Business of Fashion" site. Some of the linked articles are also quite thought-provoking.
As for our initiative, I had a stab at the definition this morning, and came up with:
"Goods sourced and made in a way that:
+ respects the people who obtain the raw resources and produce the goods
+ respects the communities and environments in which sourcing and production takes place
+ minimizes the consumption of the Earth’s resources"