the Globalization of the Fashion industry & its impact on human rights

Clothing is a necessary part of our society; what we wear tells the world about our identity. Our clothes share stories about our lives, what we do, where we are from, and how we spend our time. Regardless of how much interest one might have in fashion, every person puts some thought into what they put on their body each day. We have failed to consider the people behind our clothes; we fail to ask who is making our clothes. The fashion industry has become so glamorized, and the cost of clothing has plummeted, leading many to overlook the egregious acts against human rights it has caused. My research explores the impact of globalization on the fashion industry, focusing on how these changes have led to an increase in human rights violations. I hope to highlight artists and activists who are working on using the process of globalization to create a better fashion industry. An industry that works for women, the environment, and communities around the world. 

It is no secret that globalization has changed the face of the fashion industry. You can go into almost any retail chain and create an entire wardrobe for under $200, something unheard of over 50 years ago. As technology advances, our ability to design, source, and make clothing anywhere in the world has become more accessible, allowing for production costs to drop and resulting in the birth of fast fashion. Tokatli (2008) explains that “fast fashion requires short development cycles, rapid prototyping, small batches, and variety so that customers are offered the latest designs in limited quantities that ensure a sort of exclusivity” (p. 23). While technology and short timelines are essential for fast-fashion retailers, the most critical part of their business model is achieving the highest net margin on sales.  In the fight to meet these numbers, how these actions impact actual humans is disregarded and overlooked. Being able to transport garments from anywhere in the world has allowed companies to take advantage of communities and produce garments in unsafe conditions for next to nothing payment. According to Lesser (2021), the “median salary payments for garment workers in August 2021 were in line with previous months: the typical worker earned Tk. 10,500 (Tk. 10,000 for women and Tk. 11,500 for men)” (para. 6). For reference, Tk. 10,500 is roughly 122USD. In 2013 the Dhaka garment factory collapse tragically showed the world how unsafe working conditions are factories. Hearing about such tragedies causes consumers to plead and protest, begging for changes to be made. Unfortunately, we have been in this cycle for quite some time, and little changes have been made. (Thomas, 2018). In 2002, Welford urged corporations to relook at their business model by stating, “We must move from putting the economic arguments surrounding globalization above the human rights arguments” (p. 6). So, how do we shift the process of globalization to work with everyone in the fashion industry, not just the ones in charge?

Globalization has made it easier for consumers to learn what is really happening behind the scenes of fast fashion. As we learn more, many movements and initiatives are created by artists and designers who want to rebuild a sustainable industry. Garment Worker Diaries is a project from Microfinance Opportunities in collaborations with Fashion Revolution and supported by C&A Foundation (garmentworkerdiaries.org). The blog-like posts share stories and data about the lives of garment workers in Bangladesh. In these posts, we see first-hand accounts of workers being underpaid and overworked in hazardous factories, all so that consumers can wear a new outfit one time (Lesser, 2021). In 2020, Bowdoin College Museum of Arts presented the exhibition Fast Fashion/Slow Art. Artists presented work to "encourage "slow looking" in making visible critical issues that may typically escape our notice. The exhibition asks us to slow down and consider the complexities of the garment industry that is part of our everyday lives" (Online Exhibit Fast Fashion/Slow Art, para. 5). At the same time, many artists and groups work to bring attention to the issue, some research methods that might lead to fundamental changes to the system. Like Welford suggested in his 2002 editorial "Globalization, corporate social responsibility, and human rights," Aja Barber also suggests that leaders in the industry need to be the ones to step up and make changes. In Barber's 2021 Refinery21 interview, she discusses the impact of fast fashion on the Global South and the blame that is wrongly directed at consumers instead of those running corporations. According to Elrod (2017), revisions to intellectual property law could shift how fast fashion is designed, thus decreasing production (p. 575-576). I believe real change can come from exploring these examples, whether we call on corporations, the law, artmaking, or giving a platform to those impacted.

Globalization & Me

The globalization of the fashion industry has played an enormous role in my life. As a fashion designer, I have had been responsible for the overproduction of garments leading to this issue. As a member of society, I have bought into fast fashion and consumed far more than necessary. As I became more aware of these issues, my initial reaction was to stop participating, move to a new career, and maybe find a new passion. Discovering how other artists and designers are changing the industry has been very motivating for me. Aja Barber (2021) discusses her relationship with the fashion industry by stating, "if I didn't love fashion, I wouldn't be writing about this stuff because on the current path, the fashion industry is eating itself… I would like the industry to save itself" (para. 20). My experiences with this issue and my love of fashion have impacted my artmaking. I aim to work with recycled garments or discarded fabrics, and I hope to educate others about this issue. Knowing how the fashion industry works is beneficial in making lasting sustainable changes.

Resources

Elrod, C. (2017). The Domino Effect: How Inadequate Intellectual Property Rights in the Fashion Industry Affect Global Sustainability. Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 24(2), 575–596. https://doi.org/10.2979/indjglolegstu.24.2.0575

Lesser, D. (2021, August). Worker Diaries Update through August 2021 : Garment Worker Diaries. Garment Worker Diaries. https://workerdiaries.org/worker-diaries-update-through-august-2021/

Online Exhibition: Fast Fashion, Slow Art (Bowdoin College Museum of Art). (2020). Bowdoin. https://www.bowdoin.edu/art-museum/exhibitions/digital/fast-fashion-slow-art/index.html

Thomas, D. (2018, April 25). Why Won’t We Learn from the Survivors of the Rana Plaza Disaster? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/style/survivors-of-rana-plaza-disaster.html

Tokatli, N. (2007). Global sourcing: insights from the global clothing industry the case of Zara, a fast fashion retailer. Journal of Economic Geography, 8(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeg/lbm035

Welford, R. (2002). Globalization, corporate social responsibility, and human rights. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 9(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.4

Zhou, M., & Barber, A. (2021, September 21). Colonialism & Fast Fashion Are Inextricably Linked — Aja Barber Explains How. Refinery29. https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/aja-barber-sustainable-fashion-interview