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As part of its annual campaign, the NGO Fashion Revolution is this year commemorating the tenth anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza, a building that housed several garment factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh. But this year's Fashion Revolution Week is also an opportunity to highlight the progress and actions taken to move towards more ethical and responsible fashion. We spoke with Catherine Dauriac, president of Fashion Revolution France about the many issues currently facing the textile industry.
As part of its annual campaign, the NGO Fashion Revolution is this year commemorating the tenth anniversary of the collapse of Rana Plaza, a building that housed several garment factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh. But this year's Fashion Revolution Week is also an opportunity to highlight the progress and actions taken to move towards more ethical and responsible fashion. We spoke with Catherine Dauriac, president of Fashion Revolution France about the many issues currently facing the textile industry.
This year's Fashion Revolution Week marks the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy. Did this tragedy, in which more than a thousand people lost their lives, truly serve as a catalyst within the fashion industry?
The collapse of Rana Plaza, which resulted in 1,138 deaths and 2,500 injuries, was indeed a catalyst because it was a global shock. It took time, of course, but there were a lot of articles on the subject; and the general public became aware of the hellish conditions of the workers who make our clothes. In terms of legislation, there was 'The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh,' signed by brands and manufacturers, which aims to ensure safety protections against fire and building collapse, and which was renewed in 2018. This helps fight against the precariousness of some buildings that are built in a hurry, but unfortunately not all brands sign these agreements. Ultimately it becomes clear that things evolve slowly when there is no real obligation and that everything depends solely on the willingness of the actors in the fashion industry.
Is this the only regulation implemented in the aftermath of this tragedy?
In 2017 in France, we saw the passing of a due diligence law, which also stems from this disaster, to oblige major players to ensure safety in factories. The problem with garment manufacturing is the lack of transparency. We can ensure the safety of textile workers if we have total transparency on the entire production chain. Unfortunately, it often happens that factories use subcontractors, which results in less visibility. Today, there is awareness on the part of the consumer, but there is still a long way to go in terms of safety and working conditions in the textile industry.
Could more localized, shorter circuit production be an answer? For instance, made in France manufacturing for French labels and consumers?
In absolute terms, I could say yes, but the reality is that in France we don't have the resources to manufacture all this clothing. One of the solutions is to fight against overproduction, which is linked to the fact that consumers are constantly pushed to renew their wardrobe at low prices. Currently 150 billion garments are produced each year -- which is an enormous quantity. As a result, price becomes an issue because consumers believe that ethical, sustainable fashion is expensive, when it's not. It is offered at a fair price in terms of the quality and lifespan of the clothing produced and the good conditions in which it is produced. And all this is obviously accentuated by the economic crisis we are going through, which ends up benefitting fast fashion. In the end, we have a lot of things in our wardrobes, and one of the solutions is to sort through them to realize that we don't need much more -- perhaps just to replace or update one or two pieces from time to time. This would avoid the waste that results in open dumps on the beaches of Kenya and Ghana.
Despite various efforts, the fast fashion model still gets criticized for its impact on the planet, and the conditions in which its clothes are produced. But is it the only sector that's responsible?
Everyone is responsible for overproduction and overconsumption, both luxury players and mass-market brands. The whole industry should be regulated, and this is what some players in France, like those who have joined together in the collective En Mode Climat, are asking for. In particular, they're asking for a ban on the import of toxic clothes. Despite the European REACH regulation, which regulates the use of chemical substances, it has become evident that polyester is over-represented in clothing, which is a major problem for health. The toxicity of clothing will be the next major health scandal [in the EU], as suggested in the report submitted by [researcher] Audrey Millet to the European Commission last February. And all this is linked to binging and purging of clothing, to this ingrained idea which makes us think that we need to consume to be happy, and which harms the environment, our health, and those who make the clothes.
Why isn't the REACH legislation stricter?
This regulation is currently in the process of being revised with the aim of integrating other chemical products that are not currently mentioned in the legislation and in order to see what's happening in the factories. The issue of imports is also central, because on the French market we find products that have crossed the border and contain toxic substances that are supposed to be prohibited by European regulation. And this applies to all segments, from luxury to fast fashion.
At the moment, there's a paradox operating in fashion: consumers are more aware but they still turn en masse to fast fashion. Are they ultimately the key element pushing brands to change?
It's clear that it's the consumers who will push brands to change, but as long as they overconsume things won't change -- or at least not much. Consumers want to make good purchases, buy better, but there are too many things on the market, and that's why the industry also needs to be regulated.
Could the current inflation and higher energy prices in fact serve as new brakes in the movement towards more responsible, ethical fashion?
Inflation obviously accentuates the problem, but we must also look at the lifespan of clothing. It is more interesting economically to invest in a pair of jeans that you will keep for a long time, rather than in three pairs that you will have to replace after a year or even less. We have to educate people, and explain to them that we're not happier when we have 50 pairs of jeans in our closet. And it's the same for all our clothes. We only wear a third of our wardrobe, so why buy so much? I can completely understand that we can't always afford to buy ethically and responsibly, but in this case it's better to go to a secondhand store and look for a quality piece that we'll pay less for.
There's been a boom in sustainable and ethical initiatives post-pandemic, but such progress now seems to be stagnating. Why aren't things moving faster?
I would say that things are moving forward a bit, that things are being put in place. The European Commission is going to sign the law on due diligence extended to Europe later this month, and environmental labeling is also being implemented... These are small steps forward, even if it is clear that this is not enough.
What are the highlights of Fashion Revolution's new campaign for this year?
Our 'Good Clothes, Fair Pay' campaign, launched last July demands a living wage for textile workers. We are asking for one million signatures from European citizens by next July so that we can get a seat at the table when the European Commission negotiates the current laws. This is very important, because we are currently only at 15% of the objective. We really need to raise awareness about the sweatshop conditions of textile workers.
This interview has been edited and translated from French.
