Expanding the conversation about sustainable/ethical fashion
Portland has its share of designers and apparel/accessory companies that are focusing on sustainability: NAU, Anna Cohen, Entermodal, with new interest in same from companies like Sameunderneath. And while “sustainable” is the buzzword-du-jour, we like the expansive nature of the word “ethical” to cover similar terrain. It moves beyond our impact on the environment to include direct impact on lives.
The Ethical Fashion Show® in Paris right now is one part trade show, one part public showcase. In its third year, the Ethical Fashion Show® promotes a truly international roster of ethical fashion designers (60 of them from Mongolia, Thailand, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, The Philippines, Chili, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, United States, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Cambodia, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland) and fosters conversation and the exchange of information regarding fair trade and sustainable development in the fashion industry.
What constitutes “ethical” fashion? This show’s criteria for selection is as good a definition as any and looks like the kind of blueprint a number of PDX companies are working with (it’s international scope applies particularly to those sourcing and manufacturing multinationally). Ethical fashion is fashion that recycles, recovers and works closely with local craftsmen; that treats and dyes raw materials with methods and ingredients which are not harmful to the environment; that reinvests part of its profits in community projects like education, training, housing, health; that complies with International Labour Organisation rules relating to the respect of fundamental rights concerning wages, health and to unionize; and fashion that aims for a fair balance between creativity, quality and price.
The third edition of Ethical Fashion Show opens to the public today, October 15 and continues through tomorrow at the Tapis Rouge, 67 rue du Faubourg Saint Martin 75010 PARIS.
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