Sustaining each other in times of isolation x Fash Rev

The usual bustling has slowed and the Earth is beginning to breathe again. Many things have come to light that otherwise wouldn't have.

I believe individuals care about one-another, more than we are lead to believe in the media. We want good things for each other. This virus has proven it - roughly half of the world's population is in a lock-down of some kind; we are coming together by staying apart.

We are being asked to save others by isolating ourselves, and nothing feels less human. We need human contact to feel appreciated, to generate personal growth. The more I speak to friends and family, the more I realise we all innately desire the same thing: connection. However, the systems that we feed into create the opposite. The policies we abide by on the daily cause inequity, disconnection, harm, fear... So, perhaps we must stop abiding by them?

We're beginning to notice that there is no 'normal' if that is to be living in total excess and greed. As we are left with our thoughts, our things, ourselves, I question the power of our community - as  a world population. We feel we lack of responsibility for the way things are, but really we lack understanding of the impacts of our decisions. We must begin to understand the circularity of these: I mean holistic understanding that - from our physical and mental health, to the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the products we create, the things we buy - we are all consumers. We make change with our wallets. We're voting daily.

What I'm strongly suggesting here is that in saying nothing - not questioning where our products come from, where they're going - we are doing harm. When we don't question our governments' statements, we are giving up our strength in numbers. We each have net worth - we're cumulative. Small changes in mass create movements, revolutions. Our now particularly uncertain future could be the start of a new way of living - a re-birth. (Yes, perhaps that is idealistic, but where would we be without the visionaries?)

So lets do good, by supporting the independent farmers and makers that will reshape our world. Do it for the success of your next door neighbour's small brand, for weavers across the world you'll never meet to receive fair pay, for generations of healthy food through soil regeneration. It's important that we all take the time, for caring for ourselves and finding our place - the one we each feel comfort in - in order to better understand what we hope to perpetuate. Perhaps this way, humans won't have to stop living 'as usual' in order for the skies to be clearer, for birdsong to be heard louder, or sunsets to be more breath-taking. 

This is the only thing that's going to move us, acting on the things that we believe in. For a while, sustainable fashion has moved me. But really I haven't been doing this for fashion's sake, I've done it with the hope for change. I move to improve factory worker's livelihoods, to ensure our water bodies aren't polluted with toxic runoff, to create less textiles in our landfills.

Fashion Revolution Week begins April 20th, in commemoration of the factory workers who lost their lives during the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh this same week 7 years ago, and demanding change in the fashion industry. I wrote a more in-depth post on it here, and did a TEDx talk on it here if you're curious.

If I've learned anything on my sustainable fashion journey so far, it's that people matter. Our supply chains must be supported and transparency must be created in order for true change to occur across the board. One way we can do that is for each of us to become aware of what it takes to make a garment, what it's made from, how to care for it and where it goes after use.

Now we're all staying home we can absolutely get involved! Fashion Revolution offers many ways in which you can take action this week (and always). There are also many very accessible classes (free and from home) on Fashion Open Studio, which can be an extremely fun way to engage with designers paving the way for the future of our industry, as well as learn a new skill!

Let's create new-found appreciation for craft by engaging with our communities and our environments!

Be the change.

Catherine x