The Fashion Revolution

Have you ever heard of the Fashion Revolution Campaign?

Last week it was mentioned to me by two people in two different occasions so I went online to find out more.. and I am so glad I did.

On April 24th 2013, 133 people were killed and over 2500 were injured when the Rana Plaza factory complex collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was a social and environmental catastrophe.

On the same day the following year, 60 countries and ten thousands of people decided to stand together to declare that the fashion industry needed to change and time had come for more transparency and sustainability. Consumers around the world were asked to wear their clothes #insideoutand asked retailers and fashion labels where their clothes where coming from. Very few responded.

"We have lost the connection with the clothes that we wear. The farmers do not know where their cotton goes; the producers no longer make entire garments, they are just line workers; and the end consumer rarely knows where their clothes were made."

WE CAN CHANGE THIS!

Through small actions and more awareness we can slowly start to reconnect those broken links in the supply chain. Start by asking the people around you: "Who made your clothes?". Get people to think. Get people to act.

To find out more about the Fashion Revolution Campaign visit http://fashionrevolution.org/

Matik empowers women out of poverty by creating a market for their products through direct trade. Follow our adventures here!

The story behind Matik's quilts.

Women in India have saved their old sari to make quilts for centuries, as old cloth was thought to be lucky and have a protective effect, especially if the sari used to make them had happy memories attached to them. 

Quilts are traditionally made using 3-5 five layers of vintage 100% cotton sari, pierced and stitched together with thousands and thousands of tiny stitches, traditionally called 'kantha'. It takes one woman between 2 to 3 weeks to complete one piece. Our artisans meet twice a month at Anoothi local centre and pick up the fabrics they need. They choose the colours, agree on a patten and then bring the materials to their home where they start working on it. Being able to work from home is very important in a culture where married women are often not allowed to work outside the house as it allows them to earn a living and become more financial independent.

Our local partner, Anoothi, started by training a handful of women around eight years ago and they now have 250 artisans working with them. 

What soon became clear was that after only a couple of months, not only those women had learn a great deal but also their attitude had changed: having a decent job with a steady salary and feeling economically independent had made them feel empowered. 

This is a powerful statement from Lakshmi Bai, one of our artisans: "Whatever I could not enjoy as a child, I ensure that my daughter gets. She will also get the best education possible. I used to worry a lot as to how I would do it but now I have courage and money. I will work more and earn more money and make her a Doctor…."

Rather than shopping for new saris, Matik likes to go and pick its pieces around the big sari markets in Jaipur - a crazy energetic bustle of people and colours. 

These saris tell stories. They are like canvas that our artisans put together to reveal their spirit and identity - In fact each artisan proudly stitches her name on the quilt she designs. Much like our artisans, the saris we use over time are developed into a beautiful and bold new entity. It’s incredible to imagine the lives of each quilt we sell. From it’s initial creation some years ago, through the hands of it’s various owners, to the moment it gets to us, in a new form and ready to become a special piece for someone else. To find your perefect, unique piece visit www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MatikBoutique