Product Range Distribution: Fashion

For my project, I have decided to look at fashion, in particular, behind the scenes of clothing and manufacturing. I am particularly interested in the ethical ramifications and sustainability of the industry.

Ethical fashion: approach to design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing which maximises benefits to people and communities while minimising the impact on the environment.

The Ethical Fashion Forum is an ethical fashion network, set up by fashion designers and business people within the industry which aims to improve the challenges they faced in terms of ethics and sustainability. The vision of EFF is to transform social and environmental standards within the industry. Their definition of sustainability is threefold:

Social
Any fashion business depends on the people behind it so increasing the wellbeing of these people. Decreasing poverty and exploitation of workers. This includes sweatshops, child and slave labour etc

Environmental
Minimising environmental impact of all aspects involved in business, materials/ process/sourcing/campaigns etc. Also involves going beyond obvious options, by taking the initiative to raise awareness and invest in schemes/ways to support the environment

Commercial
An effective business model to put all these in place. 

As well as their definition of sustainability, the EFF have put into place 10 criteria for ethical fashion.

1. Countering fast, cheap fashion and damaging patterns of fashion consumption
2. Defending fair wages, working conditions and workers’ rights
3. Supporting sustainable livelihoods
4. Addressing toxic pesticide and chemical use
5. Using and/or developing eco- friendly fabrics and components
6. Minimising water use
7. Recycling and addressing energy efficiency and waste
8. Developing or promoting sustainability standards for fashion
9. Resources, training and/ or awareness raising initiatives
10. Animal rights

In order to give my project a more focused direction, I have tried to define ethical fashion further. 

To me personally, ethical and sustainable are very similar but can be used interchangeably. Ethical fashion to me concerns people and the rights involved in the industry, whereas sustainable fashion is a better term to encapsulate the environmental side of the industry. I think that the environmental impact of the industry is the bigger issue facing the world today so will be focusing more on this aspect.