Fashion Revolution Week - The High Cost of Fashion

Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Dhaka, Bangladesh.

That morning men, women & children went to the Rana Plaza factory as they did every morning where they worked for one of the eleven international clothing brands that had factories set up in this building.

The previous day, large cracks appeared in the building & all the workers were evacuated. Some hours later the owner of the building, against warnings from 'those in the know' declared the structure "safe" & advised that all employees should return to work the following day. Furthermore, employers threatened to withhold a month's pay from any employees refusing to turn up to work. The next day, right in the middle of the morning rush hour, some 3,200 workers & children were buried alive as the building collapsed.

Described as both the deadliest garment factory accident & accidental structure failure in all of history, the final death toll was 1,134 with over 2,500 injured.

It was this catastrophic incident that became a catalyst for what we now call a Fashion Revolution. Shocked at the conditions of employment for those in the building collapse, Fashion Revolution decided that it was high time to advocate for voiceless people making our clothes.

The intention behind the Fashion Revolution is that clothing brands become more transparent in regard to their suppliers & the conditions in which their products are produced.

From this came the global phenomenon known as #whomademyclothes, which encourages consumers to question brands they shop with about the conditions in which their workers all along the supply chain are subject to. It also gives companies the chance to become transparent with the corresponding #imadeyourclothes.

Here at Urbano Village, we think this revolution is a brilliant idea, & we don't let ourselves be limited to just clothing. As we're all about transparency with our own suppliers, we want you to know who made every item that you purchase from us. Before partnering with each of our brands, we find out about their suppliers & make sure that their conditions are up to standards of not just various regulatory agencies, but our standards also.

With Fashion Revolution Week on as you read, we want to encourage this transparency not only with the brands we're associated with, but with whatever brand you choose to shop with.

Therefore, we're promising that this Fashion Revolution Week, April 23-29, that we will donate 5% of all our profits to the Fashion Revolution, who do a lot of work in encouraging businesses across the world become more transparent with their manufactures & suppliers.

Contribute directly to Fashion Revolution by heading to their site, or shop with us this week to do your part in helping this worthy cause.

Working together, we can make all companies more transparent in their business practices, & the treatment of those who are in their employment ... & together we become world changers!

By R'chelle Louwen & Kylie Banks