Sustainable Fashion
Why is what we wear so important?
* There are over 80 billion garments produced each year.
* The apparel industry is the second largest market in the world, coming second only to food.
* The retail manufacturing industry is the second most polluting industry on Earth, second only to oil.
* The British Fashion Council estimated that in 2009 the UK fashion industry directly contributed £20.9 billion to the UK economy.
* The fashion industry employs approximately 250 million people which is a sixth of the world’s population.
* ‘We now buy 40% of all our clothes at value retailers, with just 17% of our clothing budget.’ TNS Worldpanel (2006)
* At least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into clothes, many of these are toxic and pollute the environment, local water and also cause lasting harm to workers.
* 7 million people in Africa, Asia and South America who are directly benefiting from Fairtrade.
* There are 20,000 deaths per year as a result of pesticide poisoning, many working in cotton agriculture in the developing world.
The fashion industry provides an incredible opportunity to change lives and our relationship with the planet all over the world. Yet the industry is riddled with issues making it destructive to our planet and to millions of people across the world that work on the production side. There are things to consider right across the lifecycle of a piece of clothing or an accessory; the conditions the raw material was farmed or created, the processes and chemicals that may have been used to harness the materials, the design process and its consideration of waste and sustainability, the way in which the piece in manufactured, the amount of countries it has traveled to during production, the durability of a piece, how it is cared for by the consumer, and what happens to it after the consumer has finished with it.
Ethical Fashion (which is also called eco, green or sustainable fashion) is fashion that maximizes the positive benefits to people and communities producing it whilst minimizing the negative impact on the environment.
Amisha became aware of the issues facing the fashion industry whilst studying politics at university. In 2006 she created her jewellery label in as socially concisous way as she could. Naturally interested in the bigger picture, Amisha worked for the Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) where she was Associate Director until July 2010. She started work there as production manager for the RE:Fashion Awards 2008, the world’s first award ceremony celebrating ethical fashion. At the EFF she played a key role on strategy of the organisation and worked on various projects. This included co-ordinating the Spotlight on Sourcing event series and launching the Ethical Fashion Forum’s international online network, which now has over 5000 active members from all over the world.
She is a consultant for the Ethical Fashion Consultancy (part of EFF) and works with brands setting up sustainably, or looking to bring a sustainable approach to their work.
As part of her project Think Act Vote, Amisha created Think Act Vote Refashioned, which Marie Claire dubbed as ‘Making politics Fashionable.’
Amisha is an active proponent of the ethical fashion movement, working as a consultant, stylist, and designer. Amisha regularly speaks at events and conferences about ethical fashion. This has included hosting an ethical fashion show at the William Morris Gallery, working with schools & universities and speaking at the music festival Vintage at Goodwood.
In addition she writes about eco-fashion for publications including The Source, Drapers, Eco Age, Style with Heart and as the ‘girl across the pond’ for Award winning US Online Ecouterre. She blogs about her personal adventures of greening her wardrobe.
Amisha believes strongly in the power of using our clothes to tell stories, so when you meet her, ask her what she is wearing, she is guaranteed to have stories to tell.
Want to know where to start with your wardrobe? Follow her Rules to Dress By.
