Here is what happened on April 24, 2013: 1133 people died and many more were injured during the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh.
That 8-story building housed several clothing factories especially fast-fashion factories where all these people crushed by the building’s rubble during the tragic event worked at an inhuman pace and in the absence of safety regulations. The notice to vacate the area due to obvious signs of structural failure, had been ignored by the industries’ owners.
The Rana Plaza collapse is considered the most serious fatal accident in a textile factory in modern history.
That tragedy inspired the birth of Fashion Revolution, a nonprofit organization founded by designers Orsola del Castro and Carry Somers and dedicated to ethical and sustainable fashion.
A movement that started in Britain (which has since gone global) that moves people to be more informed about what is behind the clothes they wear, because consumers are the first to have the power for positive change.
Fashion Revolution’s mission is to radically transform the fashion industry into one that respects human rights and the environment at all stages of the production cycle.
The questions we should ask ourselves before buying a low-priced garment are, “What impact does it have on the environment? Who sewed it? Are there laws to protect these people?”
So through the social campaign #whomademyclothes you can ask brands for more transparency by taking a selfie wearing the garment backwards and the label clearly visible.
Such a symbol has now become an expression of “struggle” against fast-fashion.
“We are those who wear the clothes, but we are also those who make them.”
This is the motto of the movement.