Ethical fashion from Danish label Noir

Made, Noir, People Tree: the list of eco and ethical brands is endless and the queue of A-listers lining up to endorse them even longer. With climate change, workers rights and child labour at the top of the news agenda, it’s hardly surprising that retailers are bending over backwards to emphasise their eco credentials. But not everyone is taking it seriously.

The last few months have seen Asda, Primark and Prada hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons while campaign group Labour Behind the Label has been targeting sportswear giants Umbro, Nike and Adidas for their dealings with Pakistani factories which employ child labourers. While headlines about child labourers are nothing new, the last decade has seen a sea change in consumer attitudes towards unethical practices and a boom in eco-friendly and ethical fashion. But with the fashion retail market dominated by big players such as Arcadia, LVMH and the Gucci Group, can these small ethical brands really make a difference?

“I think ethical labels do some good but lots of them are in their infancy at the moment, so it would be interesting to see if they can hold any long-term sway,” says Gemma Lacey, stylist and fashion editor of style bible Oh Comely.  “I think the danger is many of them can seem like hobby projects; I’m thinking of Ali Hewson’s [the wife of U2 singer, Bono] project Edun here. The fact that they are established by high profile people as side projects, makes me curious about how sustainable they are. That said, it’s great that these premium brands exist as ultimately they do influence the high street.”

The cheap versus cheerful debate is one of the cornerstones of the fight to bring ethical fashion to the mass market. In other words, do you go for cheap but run the risk of wearing something made by child labourers in Indonesia, or do you pay more for an eco-brand with impeccable credentials? Whichever side you fall on, paying more doesn’t always mean ethically sound. A current campaign by Labour Behind the Label focuses on the DESA factory in Turkey which produces leather goods for a number of luxury brands including Prada, Mulberry and Aspinal of London. Although a memorandum protecting workers’ rights was signed in August 2009, neither the factory nor the brands it supplies have taken action to uphold the pledges made in it.

If you can’t rely on price as an indicator of ethics, what can you look at? Cassandra Postema, director of ethical label Dialog World Butik, says the only way to ensure that what you buy has been ethically produced is to buy from labels with proper credentials. “An ethically sourced product will usually have some kind of acknowledgement of that somewhere on the item, whether that is certification or some other form of tagging. We have labels sewn inside each of our bags with a short description about the trimming plus our website address so the consumer can find out what we are about, read our blog and see where the trimmings come from.  My advice would be, as with everything, to check it out properly. An genuinely ethical product will always be keen to tell you a story about its provenance.”

Style and ethics from Spirit of Maya

Increased awareness of working conditions and practices are part of the reason behind the shift in consumer attitudes but another factor is concern about the environment, climate change and the impact the fashion industry has on them. Whether it’s cotton steeped in pesticides or the use of fur, consumer concerns about the production of materials for use in clothing has led to a greater emphasis on organic and fair trade products.

Susanne Johanssen, designer and founder of Swedish label, Spirit of Maya, says that the damage done to the environment, and the people working in it, by the fashion industry are two of the reasons why she started her own organic, fair trade label. “The fashion business is one of the most dangerous for the environment and for people working in it. You see things like teenage boys in India suffering long term damage from wading through colour baths which corrode their genitals just because there’s a trend for a special finish on, for example, denim. I got to a point in my life where I really wanted to do something to change this situation, even if it’s on a small scale.”

But can businesses on such a small scale really make a difference? And while there are some great ethical brands out there, many are young businesses, with small design budgets and a tiny audience. Oh Comely fashion editor Gemma Lacey is skeptical. “I think the majority of them [ethical brands] still need to improve and gain some polish. Many brands in the eco category still have that horrible homespun feel to them which is just a bit amateurish. Or they’re a bit sloaney so it would be nice to see someone create something which is beautiful, cool and ethical. Street wear brands like Howies actually seem to do this sort of thing very well making great products in sustainable ways.” According to Susanne, the problem is two-fold. “I think it’s nearly all about the money,” she says. “Small companies don’t have the money to spread the message and it can be hard to keep up with consumers as everything moves so fast. We need just need time and patient customers.”

Ethical labels can make a difference; just look at Made and Dialog World Butik’s Hope t-shirt campaign but there’s a long way to go before they can take on the big brands and really make a difference in the way fashion is produced. In the meantime, shoppers can still make informed choices, and avoid unethical products, by asking about provenance and by signing up to groups such as the Ethical Fashion Forum and Labour Behind the Label. As Gemma puts it: “If I know a product is unethically produced I  wouldn’t want to be associated with it. That said it’s really hard to know the provenance of everything but I try to buy things which come from a good place, whether it’s food or fashion, and I know I’m not so much of a slave to fashion that my conscience would be overridden by my desire for some new shoes!”

Interesting Ethical Links

● Spirit of Maya

An ethically and environmentally friendly label that takes provenance seriously and is completely organic and fair trade.

A tee for Cyclone Nargis from Hopetees

● Dialog World Butik

A home and accessories brand, it uses recycled scrap material in its product and also runs the Hopetees campaign which raises money for a variety of causes, including funding the survivors of the Sichuan earthquake and Cyclone Nargon, through its t-shirts.

● The Ethical Fashion Forum

Started by a small group of designers and fashion business leaders, the EFF works with businesses and press to change the fashion industry from within.

● Labour Behind the Label

A lobby group dedicated to upholding garment workers rights. Current campaigns include Playfair, aimed at sportswear manufacturers, and Living Wage which promotes fair pay for clothing factory workers.