Who Made My Clothes? x Mi Piaci
fashionrevolution.org
This week is Fashion Revolution Week where thousands of people come together from around the globe to ask the question “who made my clothes?”. We do this to raise awareness about what is really going on ‘behind-the-scenes’ in the fashion industry. We want to make a connection between the garments we are wearing and the people who stitch our clothes together.
THE FASHION REVOLUTION
The Fashion Revolution all started following the horrific event in 2013, when on the 24th of April, the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh collapsed killing 1,136 people and injuring a further 2,500. It was the fourth largest industrial disaster in history, and inside that building were garment workers - the woman who make our clothes.
The Rana Plaza building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on April 24, 2013.
Photo: Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The sad reality is, to this day, there are garment workers who are stitching together our dresses, jeans, and shirts and they are not being paid a fair wage and are often overworked. There are women working in environments that are not safe and in factories that are detrimental to their health. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago five Cambodian garment workers lost their limbs when the truck they were bring transported in collided with another (warning: article link has an image some viewers might find disturbing). Why is this still happening? Because, there are companies - brands that we love and wear, who are asking factories to produce more, to produce it fast and for it to be as cheap as possible. These factories do not want to lose their payout to competitors and so they continue to make choices that have severe and even deathly consequences. Some may say - “isn’t that just what happens in third world countries?” or “at least they have jobs” - but that’s not good enough, these people are human beings. Their lives matter. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and the good news is - we can do something about it.
The question “who made my clothes?” not only encourages us to make a connection between the clothes we wear and who made them, but it also demands an answer from those we are purchasing our clothes from. We want brands to wear their values on their sleeves. We want them to be transparent. We do not want to accept clothing that is sourced according to the cheapest cost and a quick turnaround. Yes, providing information about a brand’s supply chain (from the cotton farm, to dying, cutting, sewing etc.) takes hard word, time and money - but should brands care about this? Should they start? Should they want to get better? The answer is yes - they most certainly should. Because people matter - and it’s people who are making our clothes. Brands respond to consumer demand. If enough of us use our voice to demand transparency, to demand change - then the fashion industry is going to have to listen.
Photos by Malia Rose
MI PIACI - WHO MAKES YOUR SHOES?
When we consider ethical shopping we often think about brands such as Kowtow and Veja - the ones that market themselves for their transparency, organic materials and fair trade sourcing (which I think is great by the way). Typically The Mustard Jumper works to draw your attention to smaller scale businesses and start-ups like these, so, when Mi Piaci (a beloved New Zealand shoe brand) invited me to come to their new store in Christchurch Central to check out their AW19 range I wasn’t sure if I could say yes - first I needed to ask the question “who makes your shoes?”
Over the past couple of months I have been talking to Mollie (Marketing Executive) from Mi Piaci and I’m starting to realise - to shop ethically does not mean you have to move away from brands you already know - because often, the ones you love are already using ethical practices.
First things first - in case you didn’t know (because I didn’t) Mi Piaci falls under the Overland Footwear Group (which includes the stores Merchant1948 and Deuce). This company is one of the most well-known footwear brands within New Zealand and not only do they sell the most beautiful shoes - they are also huge believers in giving back (and might I add they do this very humbly). In 2014 the director Shane Anselmi founded the Young Hearts Project. He had been sitting in Auckland airport and his eye caught an article about a young person who had just taken their life. Shane started thinking about how New Zealand has one of the highest rates of youth suicide and decided he needed to respond in some way, and thus he founded Young Hearts. The foundation partners with Youthline, Great Potentials and Graeme Dingle Foundation (KidsCan) and over the past five years Overland Footwear Group have donated over $1.4 million including $5 from every full-price pair of Deuce shoes they sell. In addition to Young Hearts every single Merchant 1948 and Mi Piaci store sponsor a child (through World Vision) from the village Onga in Malawi, regularly exchanging handwritten letters with them and have impacted this village so much that the chief of Onga once visited New Zealand to share his story and gratitude. Overland Footwear Group isn’t about throwing money at charity - this is a company who genuinely care.
So what about where their shoes are made?
When I am looking at buying something from a store - I always look on their website to see what information they provide to the public on their ethical and sustainable practices. I believe it’s important for brands to be transparent. I want to see that they know where their products come from - at all parts of the supply chain (that means from sourcing the materials, to dying, cutting and stitching those materials together). The truth is - when I first went on Mi Piaci’s website I couldn’t actually find anything as I wasn’t aware that they were apart of the Overland Footwear Group (who do have information ). In discussion with Mollie from Mi Piaci she let me know that they are currently working on an Ethical Standards Project with the intention of outlining their ethical message and making information available across all their websites. Brands are always going to have areas where they can make changes and improve. To see a brand acknowledge their shortcomings and say “we know it’s not good enough and we are going to do something about it” is awesome.
The good news is - the Overland Footwear Group have a very close relationship with their suppliers and factories (based in Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Spain, Protugal and China). They know people by name and have a team who visit and communicate with them regularly. One of the factories I loved reading about, actually one of their newer suppliers, is run by a woman named Salomé. In the world of footwear manufacturing there are very few factories owned and operated by females - so Salomé is an exception. “Salomé grew up in the textile industry and came from a poor family, but was determined to realise her dream. When she first started, other shoemakers said she’d be closed within a year. But sixteen years later, she’s proved them wrong…Salomé’s success in the face of the status quo is an inspiration and so is her passion – she values a family atmosphere for her business.” What I love about Salome is she cares about the people who work in her factory, to her they are family. To meet Salomé - check out the video below.
Photos by Malia Rose
Knowing where my clothes come from is important, so being able to go into Mi Piaci’s new store and choose a pair of Salomé’s boots was really special and I know I will value this pair for many years to come.
NOTE: I also just want to add a little extra in here - something that I will discuss more in future blogs. I know - boots like these are expensive. In fact, these are the most expensive boots I’ve ever owned! But the thing I love talking about when it comes to being a conscious shopper - is that you are so much better off taking the time to really think about what you are spending your money on, and rather than buying multiple pairs of cheap boots that fall apart after a season - buy a pair that you absolutely love - a pair that you know the story behind - a pair that are made well and are made to last. You may even find that in the long run you actually save money.
So, Mi Piaci - you have the most gorgeous quality shoes. You have an amazing heart at the centre of your brand that looks outwardly and your shoes are made in factories that you have a relationship with - you visit them, you know them. But there are a few things I’d love to see from you (and these are things I’ve already asked about too).
I want to see your ethical message and information on your Mi Piaci site. The good news is, as mentioned above, Overland Footwear Group are currently working on rolling out a project to have a clear ethical message and information about their factories across all websites. Great news!
I’d also really like to see information on your policies e.g. What standards and code of conduct do you expect from your factories? I want to be ensured that the people who work in your factories are paid a fair wage (are you certified under the fair trade rules?), aren’t discriminated against and are safe and healthy. Mollie has informed me that internal policies are currently in place throughout all of their production practices and that Overland Footwear Group are currently working on having clear brand policies available for external use so that consumers can make an informed decision. Again - so good - I cannot wait to read about this when it goes live.
This is just a tiny insight into the questions and the kind of information we should be looking for when considering where to spend our money if we want to shop ethically. For a brand to produce comprehensive information - it takes a lot of hard-work, time and money and the more I learn - the more I realise how complex it is. So if you are confused - it’s okay. This stuff takes time to wrap your head around. Here are just a few simple things to think about when it comes to shopping consciously:
TIPS ON HOW TO BE A CONSCIOUS SHOPPER:
- Do I really need this and will I wear it for years to come? Consider the clothes already in your wardrobe - do you still wear them? Could you start wearing them again? So many of us buy something, wear it a couple of times and then move on to wanting the next thing.
- What kind of quality is this item? Do you think it will stretch, wear out quickly, develop holes etc? You are better to buy an item that is more expensive and will last, than an item you will need to replace after one season.
- Does the brand say anything about their ethical practices on their website (BEWARE: as more and more attention is given to ethical and sustainable practices - brands are starting to do a thing called “greenwashing” - where they talk the talk but do not walk the walk. You can read more about that here). Ideally ethical brands should list the names and locations of all their factories. Even better - if a brand says they operate under fair trade rules this means we know that the workers are not just being paid the minimum wage but are being paid a living wage.
As someone who is relatively new to being a conscious shopper I would say - look for the brands who are taking the steps in the right direction. Do they care about the people who are making their garments? Do they even know which factories are producing their products? And if you are not sure - ask the question “who made my clothes?”. Fashionrevolution.org have some fantastic resources and have even produced an email template - so you don’t have to worry about what to write. The more that people ask the questions the more likely brands are going to start to listen and the more change we are going to see for the beautiful people who make the clothes we wear every single day.
Note: Mi Piaci boots were very kindly gifted to me