2019-08-01 Essence

SUSTAINABLE STYLE

fast-fashion brands due to the depleting of resources, which

has become more of a concern,” says Bracken-Ferguson.

Meanwhile, indie designers are stepping up. Archel

Bernard, owner of The Bombchel Factory and Mango

Rags boutique in Monrovia, Liberia, graduated from Geor-

gia Tech in Atlanta and wanted to give back to women

affected by Ebola in Liberia. “Rather than donating to

charities, which can sometimes create a dependent soci-

ety, social entrepreneurship allows us to foster indepen-

dence,” she reflects. “When I opened my first boutique,

fashion brought countless opportuni-

ties for me, and I saw it as my duty to

create opportunities for other women

to grow and thrive as well.”

Bernard believes that it’s time for

companies to focus more on being

honorable than on being fashionable

at any cost. “A dress can’t be beautiful

unless it’s kind,” she says. “Second to

oil, the clothing and textile industry is

the largest polluter in the world. Add

to that, most clothes on the market

are made in countries where workers’

rights are nonexistent. Ethical sourc-

ing is usually not the most affordable

way to grow a business, but if brands

can pick at least one way to make a positive impact, we

can all move fashion in a better direction.”

Human and Environmental Implications

In a 2017 report, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit found

that the fashion industry consumed nearly 80 billion cubic

meters of fresh water, emitted more than a million tons of

carbon dioxide and produced 92 million tons of waste. Yet

so many of us never consider that the mere manufacturing

of clothing has an impact on the environment. Projected

to grow 63 percent by 2030, garment production utilizes

resources that simply can’t be replaced. But 40 percent of

all fashion companies haven’t started to implement sus-

tainability measures. Among the biggest players that make

more than $10 billion in revenues each year, the pace of

improvement has basically stalled.

Then there is the human cost. Luiz Machado, tech-

nical specialist on forced labor in Geneva, believes

more people should be concerned about this aspect of

fashion even if they don’t think it affects them. “It’s all

linked to human trafficking,” he points out. “If you are

exploiting forced labor, you are not paying taxes, not

paying proper wages and end up

having a product that might cost less

to the consumer, but the issues of

exploitation are hidden within this end

price. No worker should suffer this

kind of exploitation.” Machado cites

resources, like the nonprofit organi-

zation KnowTheChain, that can help

companies and their investors under-

stand and address forced-labor risks

within their global supply networks.

“Basically, companies should freely

provide information to consumers

on who their suppliers are,” he says.

He also suggests that countries in

which foreign brands have production

interests should make it mandatory for those brands to

monitor the environmental and social impacts of their

supply chain. One way to enforce brand accountability

is to force companies to pay a hefty fine if they fail to

do so. Perhaps then we might start seeing the change

socially cognizant consumers are calling for. The plan-

et, our lives and the dignity of our fellow humans are

depending on it.

Nzinga Christine Blake is the creator of fashionambassadors

.com, an ethical-fashion company. Yesha Callahan is the edito-

rial director of news and politics at ESSENCE.

An

artisan in

Nigeria

working

for Cee

Cee’s

Closet

NYC

Everyone deserves to

be paid for their work, not

given a handout or

paid a percentage. We need

to treat everyone equally.

Otherwise, we keep

broadening the divide

that separates us.”

—STELLA JEAN

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ESSENCE.COM I 86 I SEPTEMBER 2019