21/04/2020
Hello friends, it's been a while! How are you doing? I hope you're keeping safe and well in these strange times.
After a great festive season, we spent early 2020 deep in quiet behind-the-scenes work, connecting with brick & mortar stores and planning exciting things for Fashion Revolution Week this year - which is now upon us. While events may have been cancelled or moved online, the Covid-19 pandemic is having a devastating effect on the global garment industry and we need to take action more than ever.
Giant fashion chains have cancelled orders and withheld payments, even for stock that is already on their shuttered shop floors. "IndustriALL, the global trade union which works to give workers around the world a voice, says that millions of garment makers have already lost their jobs as a result of the virus and have no access to social or financial safety nets to help them weather this storm" reports Fashion Revolution.
I know it's a worrying time financially for so many of us, but if you feel able to contribute directly towards the welfare of those in the garment industry, Fashion Revolution have a list of funds on their website, and I'd also like to highlight two that are close to my heart:
Jacobs Well, the production house in Bangalore who make our clutch bags and cotton covering bags, have a campaign open to support their team who are unable to work during India's lockdown: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jacobs-well-needs-your-support
Taylor McCleneghan of Taylor Tall is raising funds for fair trade producer groups across India and Nepal. I met Taylor in India in 2013 and she has long been involved in ethical fashion production: her campaign will share funds between multiple producer groups she has worked with directly, several of whom we've been fortunate to work with too: https://www.gofundme.com/f/artisan-relief-during-coronovirus
Image: mask production at Tara Projects, prior to the lockdown in India. Credit: Tara Projects, via Taylor McCleneghan.
