According to Re:Fashion there is three million pesticide poisonings a year and 20,000 deaths among agricultural workers. Why is this relevant to the fashion industry? 16% of global insecticides use goes on cotton crops and the majority of cotton is grown in developing countries. Cotton lies at the heart of the fashion industry. Poverty and worker's rights, energy consumption, and water usage and waste during production, trade tariffs and barriers, fast cheap fashion... these are just some of the major issues Re:Fashion Awards are looking to address through their active campaign to ‘transform social and environmental standards in the fashion industry within a decade.'RE:Fashion are the first awards to celebrate innovative, design-led, sustainable fashion. The awards night is tonight at Shoreditch Town Hall and everyone has the opportunity join leading eco fashionistas including Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Allegra Hicks, Katharine Hamnett and Daisy Lowe. Tickets are £37.50 for public balcony seats.
Awards include RE:Fashion Designer of the Year; RE:People Award; RE:Environment Award; RE:Africa Award and RE: Cotton Award.
With the market for organic textiles in the UK growing at 50% a year Re: Fashion is doing what they can to actively promote organic, fairtrade and sustainable fashion. It's great to see the fashion industry taking more responsibility in turning our throw away clothing culture around.
