One of the most intimidating aspects of trying to promote Slow Fashion is society's blind loyalty to Fast Fashion. In fact, few people are even aware of what the term "Fast Fashion" means, and why it is a problem. Fortunately, Fashion Revolution has been working on this for the past few years, and we have tried to participate in those efforts through different awareness and fundraising events leading up to Fashion Revolution Week. This year, we'd like to get the conversation started again by turning a few heads, with the "I Like It Slow #SlowFashion" Tee. Although it could be considered provocative by some, we hope that it will be the catalyst to stir up the conversation about a topic that can otherwise come...
If you're reading this, chances are you are at least mildly aware of the devastating social and environmental effects of the fashion industry. One of the most common questions I get from friends and acquaintances is, "How can I make a difference?" The idea of suddenly becoming a "sustainable shopper" from one day to the next is definitely overwhelming. Don't worry. It's not that scary. You can start feeling great about your shopping decisions just by asking yourself a few simple questions the next time you want to buy something: 1. Do I really need it? One of the most effective ways to reduce your negative impact is to simply Shop Less. We have all been guilty of impulse...
Last night was our event for Fashion Revolution Week. Guests attended a screening of the documentary film The True Cost followed by a panel discussion featuring Andrea Plell of Ecologique Fashion, Daniela Degrassi of Annaborgia, Luke Swanson of The Tripty Project, Marissa Goodman Thierot of Tempest + Bentley, and myself, representing Belvele. As guests began to arrive, we asked a few of them to pose for the #whomademyclothes campaign. This is a way for consumers to encourage fashion brands to be more transparent about the origin of their products. After watching the film and discussing the serious issues brought to the surface, attendees realized that we can all help demand progress in the fashion industry by asking questions and shopping more...
On April 24th, 2013, 1,134 garment workers died when an eight-story building, named Rana Plaza, collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This event marked the beginning of Fashion Revolution Week (April 18-24). It is a time for us to honor garment workers, those who have died in all industrial tragedies in the garment industry, and those who are still suffering in the fashion supply chain today. At Belvele, we are taking this opportunity to highlight fashion brands who are doing the right thing, by paying fair wages, providing safe working conditions, and treating their talented employees with the respect that they deserve. Although all of our vendors produce ethically, Groceries Apparel and Threads 4 Thought were nice enough to introduce us to some of the people who...
On March 1st, we had the pleasure of being the featured guests at San Francisco Green Drinks' monthly networking event. We set up a Pop-Up Shop, and met some fascinating people who are involved or interested in sustainability. Some were aware of the fashion industry's environmental effects, but most of the attendees had never heard or read that the clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world. I shared my story of going from careless consumer to conscious shopper after seeing the shocking headlines of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse. My personal struggle to find ethical fashion is what led me to designing my own clothing and ultimately launching Belvele. It was very nice to hear similar stories from...
