As promised in our previous Slow Fashion blog entry, we will be exploring each of the principles of Slow Fashion in depth.

In this blog entry, we will explore the principle of Ethical and Non-Exploitive Means of Production and why it so important for all brands and manufacturers to ensure that their products are created in a safe, supportive and fair environment.

What are Ethical and Non-Exploitive Means of Production?

Ethical and non-exploitive means of production represents the fair treatment of employees involved with the fashion manufacturing process. this means that products are manufactured in safe, non- exploitive and fair environments. Although brands may offer great product at a inexpensive price, this may come at an unethical and exploitive cost.

What started the demand for Ethical Means of Production?

On the 24th of April 2013, the Dhaka garment factory collapse, otherwise known as the Rana Plaza tragedy is the event that triggered the demand for change within the fashion industry. This is where a structure that contained clothing factories and other businesses collapsed, killing 1,134 people which was prodemintly women. This tragedy occurred when cracks were discovered in the building the day before the collapse, however, the owner of the building ignored warnings to discontinue using it, and forced the garment workers to return to work. This tragic event should never have taken place, and serves as a cruel reminder of the importance of ethical production. Garment workers, 80% of whom are women, are subjected to every form of abuse and unsafe and unfair working conditions and the Rana Plaza tragedy is just one of the many examples that show how ethics in fashion matters. (Source: Ethical Made Easy)

Why is it important to be aware of where and by whom your garments are made? And how can one be aware?

It is important to be aware of a brand’s garment production cycle as a consumer to ensure you support brands that value the livelihood of their workers. Being conscious of how and where the brand sources their fabrics, where they manufacture their garments, who they employ and in what conditions will allow you to help make the world better by supporting brands with ethical, non-exploitive conditions. Ultimately being aware of how products are manufactured helps you support the fair treatment of people.

The best way to be aware of the manufacturing process is being visiting the brand’s website. Many companies will already be transparent about their process - if the information is not disclosed, it is likely that the brand is not aware of their process. For more information how you can demand a clean, safe, fair, transparent and accountable fashion industry check out Fashion Revolution.

How do we ensure ethical means of production here at Charlie Paisley?

All our products, which include scrunchies, headbands, bandanas, headscarves, oversized scrunchies, bucket hats and bags, are handmade in Vancouver, Canada from biodegradable, vintage and recycled fabrics, all of them which sourced from Canada and US based manufacturers. The products are then handmade by several local ateliers. Having production in our hometown allows us to be aware of the production cycle specifics from start to finish and ensure that the process is both ethical and sustainable.

We hope you enjoyed this read about Slow Fashion, what it means and why it is so important. Stay tuned for our next blog post, which will focus on the other pillars of Slow Fashion (Small Batch Production, Sustainable Materials, Timeless Design and Ethical Means of Production).

Here at Charlie Paisley, our mission is to create a new sustainable standard for hair accessories. Feel free to reach out to us at contact@charliepaisley.com if you have any insights or tips!