english girl at home

A Sewing & Knitting Blog, Made in Birmingham, England

Makers for Fashion Revolution

5 Comments

Fabric Revolution Logo

As I’m sure you’re aware, this week is Fashion Revolution Week because three years ago on Sunday 24th April, 1,134 people were killed and over 2,500 injured when the Rana Plaza complex collapsed in Bangladesh.

This year I’m participating in #makersforfashrev on instagram, organised by Emily from In the Folds.

As makers, I think there are various ways we can get involved with and support the work of Fashion Revolution, including:

  • Sharing & promoting our crafts (sewing, knitting, dyeing, weaving, spinning, etc.), in order to increase awareness of what is involved in making fabrics and clothes, and inspire other people who are curious to try for themselves.
  • Supporting those (largely independent) companies who have ethical and sustainable practices – including those who are local to us and support our local economy.
  • Recognising our continuing role as consumers – not of RTW, but of fabric, haberdashery and other supplies.

I have a couple of resources on my blog which are related to these topics:

  • Last year I published a blog post exploring where a number of well known fabric manufacturers produce their fabrics. I’ve updated the post, which can be found here and in my blog sidebar.
  • In my sidebar you’ll also find a post exploring British fabric, yarn and haberdashery manufacturers. Seeking out local-to-you producers is a great way to identify independent businesses who are supporting local jobs and industries, as opposed to exploiting cheap labour overseas.

P.S. I’d recommend the podcast Conscious Chatter which features interviews exploring sustainable fashion. You can find a list of all of my favourite craft/sewing podcasts here.

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Author: Charlotte

Sewist, crafter & blogger, based in Birmingham, England. I'm spending the year growing and gathering to create natural dyes and enhance my sewing projects. Find me at englishgirlathome.com

5 thoughts on “Makers for Fashion Revolution

  1. Thanks for sharing this. I have been looking for a list of ethical fabrics. I just watched a documentary called the true cost. Since then, I have been trying to not buy clothes unless they are made by myself. But, the question of where my fabrics I brought came from and were those companies treating their employees right. So, this is really useful.

    Reply
    • Thank you. I really enjoyed the True Cost too. I think it’s reassuring that there are fabric shops / brands who are relatively transparent about their manufacturing. And there are some great ethical clothing companies too – for any clothes you don’t fancy / don’t have time to make.

      Reply
  2. Have you read The Coat Route by Meg Lukens? It has quite a bit about British makers. There’s a lovely chapter on buttons. I’ve become very interested in where my fabric comes from, examining labels and interrogating sellers, but it’s all pretty dispiriting. I won’t buy anything with polyester in it either, as my nod to doing something for the environment.

    Reply
    • Thanks for the recommendation – I’ve immediately ordered the book! I’ve been reading about button making recently, as it was a big industry here in Birmingham where I live, so perfect timing,

      Reply

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