WHY TRANSPARENCY IS ESSENTIAL ON FASHION

Questions like who made our clothes, where, how and with what conditions of work should be always present in our minds and, above all, in our choices as customers. That is why transparency is essential on fashion and one of our main values as a fashion brand. We tell you the reasons here…

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “transparency” is “the quality of being done in an open way without secrets”. Very important in politics, for example, but basic as well in the economics, business and, of course, in the fashion industry. Why? Because most of the times we don’t know the origin of our clothes. And with origin we are not only referring to fabrics, but also to the people who made them, very often under terrible work conditions.

WHO MADE MY CLOTHES?

As the movement Fashion Revolution says, “transparency is the first step to transform the industry. And it starts with one simple question: Who made my clothes?”.  If we begin to make ourselves this easy question before buying clothes, we will start to think differently about what we wear. It is very important that we know that as consumers we have a responsibility with the world, with the planet and with people too. We can’t just close our eyes and ears and think we are not responsible of our acts. It shouldn’t be like that.

HUMAN RIGHTS  & ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES

We need, as consumers, to make sure human rights are respected and environmental practices are being followed by fashion companies. And if not, be consequent and don’t buy garments we don’t know who and how made them. Transparency means brands know who makes their clothes from the beginning to the end and under what conditions. But not only that, because transparency means as well share this information.

AN IMPORTANT COMMITMENT

For example, the ways that Fashion Revolution propose to companies to demonstrate their commitment to transparency are fantastic:

1. Answer your customers’ #whomademyclothes questions with specific information, not just your policies.
2. Share photos and personal stories of workers in your supply chain using the hashtag #imadeyourclothes
3. Make one product completely transparent. Companies could do this through tools like Provenance, Caretrace or QR codes.
4. Make at least one whole supply chain transparent. Companies could do this through tools like String , Sourcemap or Cotton Connect.
5. Publish your suppliers publicly – in a searchable format.
6. Publish even more details about your suppliers, including the results of your supplier assessments. Make this information easy-to-understand.
7. Publish more information about the real-world effects of your supply chain practices.
8. Offer your customers both product and price transparency, like the pioneering brand Honest by.
9. Publish direct contact details for your CSR department on your website should anyone want to find out more about your products and practices.

Obviously, transparency is not the only solution to get the fashion industry be better and fairer, but it is a first step and a good one! That is why, it is one of IREMA’s main values as a brand and we love to share with you everything related to the creation of our garments. We call it “the story behind”, that sounds more poetic, but it means transparency. It is our choice.