fashioneducation

Ethical Choices

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From Fashion to Lifestyle: Do You Take Them into Account?

“Ethical choices shouldn’t be left to us! Ethics shouldn’t fall on us!” Remarked a friend when he felt obliged to purchase products at a low price to stay within the family budget. We know that if the price is too low, someone pays. Usually, the cost falls on people and the planet: see modern-day slavery, pollution and climate change.

The low-price pattern applies not only to the fashion system but to any industry. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we want to feel good about our choices and their impact on the world. Of course, it’s unfair to put the burden of ethical choices solely on consumers.

However, brands, corporations, and governments ignore the matter. Well, they say they care, and talk about ethical fashion. Also, they support workers. But they do not do the one thing that would allow people a decent lifestyle: paying proper wages. Why? Because enslaving people through the manufacturing chains maximizes profits, which is the only thing that counts for them.

On the hunt for low prices

So, forget ethics for brands and corporations. The ethical choice is up to the end consumers. We can divide them into two groups:
The biggest group are workers who struggle to make ends meet. Although some care about ethics, they cannot afford better choices. So they feel forced to purchase products coming from unfair conditions.
In a smaller group, we find rich people who are happy to close their eyes in the face of ethics, modern-day slavery or climate change. Actually, they don’t care! Exploiting people is okay with their worldview as long as they can keep purchasing cheap products.
What’s your counterargument? Are ethical products too expensive? People from the second group label products of a certain cost as unethical. We’ve heard this plenty of times! But they consider okay cheap stuff made by slaves. Weird reasoning! Isn’t it?

Solutions to ethical choices

Solutions such as government regulations and corporate social responsibility are essential. In fact, the burden of ethical choices must shift from consumers to governments and corporations. They must hold themselves accountable as they are in charge of the economy.

Downward price logic is the expression of a rotten society which exploits people and the planet. But in this race to the bottom, how many slaves does the economy need in the future? And do they have a planet B?

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Fashion, Connection and Micro Communities

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How a Niche Fashion Selection Ties in With Change

Fashion, connection and micro communities have something in common. Indeed, given our disaffection with social media, we promote opportunities to connect in smaller groups. That is to discuss fashion and lifestyle in the face of climate change.

Our new approach to fashion:

The starting point is our capsule selection of independent international brands and Japanese fashion. So, we begin picking out meaningful garments featuring a good design imprint and a timeless aesthetic. Clothes you won’t find everywhere.
Specifically, we assemble a fashion capsule selection intentionally limited. Do you know why?
It’s the only way we can offer uniqueness and a sustainable approach. Indeed, brands keep talking about how good they are with their sustainable practices. But, still, overproduction is their business pattern. Therefore, they flood the market with large quantities of clothes. Of course, that model isn’t sustainable at all! However, fashion greenwashing works pretty well.

From climate change to a new vision of fashion

We refuse the status quo. The climate emergency is tangible, and this topic is the heart of our radically different approach to fashion. So we send back to brands their overproduction pattern and try to conduct business our way.

In other words, the climate emergency led us to see fashion with different eyes. Through our capsule selection, we communicate our new attitude towards clothing and life. And we wish to engage with people who are on the same path. Or, at least, curious to know more about what’s going on and, most importantly, how we can reduce our impact on the planet with our daily actions.

Connection and micro communities

But that kind of deeper connection hardly grows on social media. That’s why we favour interaction in smaller communities, whether in person or online. Though we show our selection on the web, we take care of all the buying, styling and blogging processes. We interact personally with anyone who gets in touch with us.

So, fashion, connection and micro communities tie in with the change. Connections are real. And, over time, they get deeper by developing trust and respect. Local or not, the quality of interactions and the garments selected make the difference! Above all, our loyal customers aren’t just customers. They support a different vision of the world.

Get in touch with us directly from here!

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Tired of social media?

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In search of healthier connections

Are you tired of social media? Do you find yourself frustrated with the rampant poor communication, tricks, and manipulation? You are not alone. Join the growing number of people becoming increasingly weary of social media.

Social media status

The Twitter Muskification is a disaster. Even Meta asks for a monthly fee: the offer is either a paid account to avoid advertising or a free account. If you choose the free option, Meta informs you that they will use your data for targeting. Well, targeting and data exploitation was their usual practice. They just said it openly! Then, another suggestion says: get a verification badge so your followers will know it’s really you! Perhaps those who need to feel important will be happy with it.

Among the large numbers of people who still share the recurring hoax on their account: “I do not give Facebook permission to bla bla bla…” – which makes you question human intelligence, one positive element emerged after these updates. Finally, users started opening their eyes. “Did you receive the message? Are you okay with it?”

Hey people, welcome! Yes, we received the message. And, no, we’re not okay with it! We won’t pay! Actually, we are so disappointed that we are searching for alternative opportunities to connect.

But it seems we are not alone. In fact, according to Wired, millennials (aged between 27 and 42), the first-gen social media users, are tired of being constantly connected.
Read the full article here.

“Twitter is bad (sorry, I will never refer to it as X). Instagram is overrun with ads and influencers hawking face creams and fitness tips. TikTok, what originally felt like a glossier alternative to YouTube, increasingly resembles an outlet mall full of “dupes” prizing hype over lasting influence.”

Don’t you agree?

Niche fashion & social media

Social media isn’t any more an opportunity to stay connected. That is gone. Misinformation, aggressive language, duck faces, boobs, a race to show the best bag, shoes or travels! It’s all about hate speech and toxic engagement.

And we, as tiny niche fashion online retailer for a small group of free thinkers and connoisseurs unsatisfied by mainstream fashion or fake sustainable clothes, should be happy with just showing outfits in order to sell. But that’s not us.
We aren’t on Instagram solely for marketing purposes. Our goal is to spread awareness, share knowledge and exchange thoughts. Indeed, we enjoy interacting with thoughtful individuals.

Being eternally connected, informed on any trend and absorbed in a time-consuming activity leads nowhere. In fact, people are overwhelmed and exhausted by the constant stream of information and the pressure to keep up with it all.

But, by taking a step back, we can regain control of our lives and focus on what truly matters.

Genuine connections in smaller groups

However, we believe that connecting in smaller groups can be healthier. Whether the interactions happen in person or online, smaller groups sharing respectful content develop a real sense of community.

What’s your viewpoint on this?

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Protests in Bangladesh

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How the fashion industry leads workers to starvation

Large protests are happening in Bangladesh, where garment workers demand higher wages. Following clashes with the police, who used tear gas and rubber bullets, four textile workers have died. Sadly, they paid with their own life the demand for better pay.

Our thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives, the dozens who ended up in hospitals and also those who still protest for a decent living.

The fashion industry & the poverty wage

Low wages made Bangladesh the second largest clothing exporter after China, developing a huge industry for the country. There are about four million garment workers, mostly women, whose wages are the lowest in the world. In addition, the inflation and the devaluation of the taka against the US dollar (30% from the beginning of 2023) created unsustainable conditions for workers.

According to the government, monthly pay would rise by 56,25% to 12,500 taka – 114 USD. Basically, they want to keep workers under the poverty line. But workers want more: “Prices are skyrocketing. We are just demanding decent pay. We will not return to work until our demands are met,” one of the protesters said. Isn’t it understandable? In fact, workers ask for 208 USD a month in pay.

Fashion and workers’ rights

Specifically, garment workers in Bangladesh make clothes for large groups such as H&M, Zara, Gap, and Levi’s. Brands like Next, Asos, New Look and Inditex (Zara) say they support workers. Which is good, but words aren’t enough; they must pay more! That’s how they can back workers for real.

About ten years after the Rana Plaza collapse, garment factories packed in a nine-story building, but nothing has changed. The fashion industry learned no lesson. Beyond the beautiful facades or (fake) ethical practices, exploitation is still the most convenient pattern for capitalism to make a high profit. And so famous brands make profits on the backs of workers.

Protests for a decent living

Now let’s also consider the millions of consumers who, every day, go shopping for brands whose manufacturing scheme is well-known. Perhaps they don’t mind workers’ rights since they aren’t directly affected. Do low prices attract your attention? Do you think before purchasing a new piece of clothing whose price is so cheap it couldn’t cover any manufacturing cost? And do you feel okay supporting a vision of the world based on forced labour?

Protests are going on in Bangladesh, demanding a decent living. People lost lives, and many others are starving. It seems that brands do not question their sourcing and manufacturing policy. But what about you: how can you close your eyes when shopping?

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Ignoring Black Friday’s impact

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Is overconsumption the only reason to live?

Despite the abundance of information available, people still ignore Black Friday’s impact.

Indeed, it’s essential to remember the truth behind it. This promotional event is a dangerous marketing trick. In fact, it leads to toxic, mass overconsumption and generates monstrous quantities of waste harmful to the environment. But our planet cannot sustain this economic and lifestyle system, so we need to stop.

As a retailer, if you participate in sales and promotions such as Black Friday, you contribute to a system that has failed.
This system does not offer a place for change and encourages you to foster the status quo by ignoring reality.

The fashion system, as well as any other industry, does not make reasonable or sustainable quantities. On the contrary, it produces large amounts in excess; the sole purpose is to maximise profits. Unfortunately, they do it at the expense of people and the planet.

Against Black Friday’s wastefulness #formodernhumans

We are unhappy with the current fashion system and choose not to participate in sales and promotions. That means no Black Friday for us.

We value consistency. So, we refuse to be part of something against our values and principles. And we take responsibility for our actions. That includes how we present our work and conduct ourselves while interacting with you. Though we understand that this might limit our audience, we believe it’s the right thing to do.

The big question is why people don’t see further than their noses. Why don’t they see the negative impact of this system? The results of Black Friday are crystal clear: mountains high of waste polluting the earth and waters are undeniable.

So, why do people ignore Black Friday’s impact? Why do most people not want to educate themselves? Do you think overconsumption is the only reason to live?

Do you know there’s a healthier alternative? Buy Nothing! Above all, stop buying pointless shit!

Share your thoughts here below or WhatsApp directly from this link!

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