Why and How Students Should Get Involved With the Fashion Revolution Cause

With fashion revolution day just over a week away, we thought we would round-up why and how you should get involved with the cause, specifically as a young student.

What Is Fashion Revolution?

Fashion Revolution is initiative bringing the fashion industry and its consumers together to make it a more positive and transparent space. The date (24th April - 30th April) coincides with April 24, 2013, when 1134 people were killed in the Rana Plaza factory complex collapse in Bangladesh. The factory was home to many well-known high street brands and the disaster could have been prevented.  Although there has been some progress since, nothing drastic has changed. With around 75 million people working in the garment industry, 80% of them being women, it is our duty to support them when so many are subject to exploitation; verbal and physical abuse, working in unsafe conditions and very little wages.

Fashion Revolution Week was set up to bring people around the world together to ask brands, designers and labels "#whomademyclothes" (who made my clothes?) to push for transparency across the board and help improve the lives of the millions of people working in the supply chain.

Why You Should Get Involved

Although it may not seem like there is much we, as consumers and customers, can do, it is vital that we get in front of those who are in charge. Every penny we spend is a form of vote to what you want to see continuing to happen; if we carry on supporting brands that use unsafe practices and are putting profit over people, the environment and the earth - nothing will change and there will be no going back.

How To Get Involved

There are many simple ways to help Fashion Revolution and the industry as a whole. Here are some of the small and simple ways you can join in the revolution…

#WhoMadeMyClothes

Tweet, Facebook or Instagram a picture of your clothes inside out, showing the label of the brand you're wearing, tagging their username and the hashtag #whomademyclothes. Any responses will highlight brands that care and are in the process of becoming more transparent.

Haulternative

Instead of sharing usual high-street shopping on social media, share a picture of some second-hand, slow fashion or DIYed clothing to promote more ethical and sustainable and conscious consuming. This is a particularly good idea if you have a large following or use a platform like YouTube, or if you run your own fashion blog.

Write A Letter...

Using the template on Fashion Revolution's website, write a letter to a brand you want to know more about or who you shop from regularly.

How To Get Involved As A Student

Across the world, it is possible to become a Student Ambassador for Fashion Revolution for your school or university. It is key in pushing the message and spreading it throughout the rest of your classmates and peers. You can organise events and fundraisers and get all sorts of people involved. The issues in fashion don't just relate to art and design, they relate to topics such as geography and economics.

You can learn more information about becoming an ambassador by clicking through to this helpful PDF by Fashion Revolution. They have some great ideas on a Pinterest board too. 

Tells us what you're going to do for Fashion Revolution Day in the comments below.