Worker searches the remain of burnt textiles in Bangladesh factory collapse May 2013
As with all disasters the news coverage lessons with time and the impact this originally had fades until it’s forgotten to the readers. This week the number of people killed when a garment factory collapsed in Bangladesh nearly 3 weeks ago passed 1000, with people still missing and rubble being searched. Most of these people were women who were seamstresses and technicians working in undisputedly poor and unsafe conditions to make cheap clothes for the Western consumer.
Although here at confined[]space we try to focus on the design element of sustainability and we try to deliver less of a political or humanitarian message, but some things are too great to brush over.
This will be a moment that will change the way the fashion industry works, especially stores that are driven by low price demands from the consumer. With talks of boycotting brands that work in poverty-stricken countries such as Bangladesh ecouterre has written a very nice article featuring Ethical brands that produce in Bangladesh such as People Tree. It’s not the answer to withdraw our manufacture and business from these countries, but it is our responsibility to become an educated consumer and purchase products that have not been made in such conditions.
You can read the full article here and you can also follow the link to sign the AVAAZ petition for improving safety regulations for workers in Bangladesh.
