Belvele Honors Fashion Revolution Week
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 are making your clothes.
Groceries Apparel
Groceries Apparel operates its own factory in Los Angeles, taking responsibility for their impact on customers, employees, communities and the environment. In addition to ensuring ethical manufacturing, the company uses environmentally conscious materials, such as organic cotton and recycled polyester.
Linda is the pattern maker and a co-founding member of Groceries Apparel, who has been with them for over six years.
Julio is the sew team manager. He has been working at Groceries Apparel for five years.
Threads 4 Thought
Eric and Leigh, the company’s founders, personally travel around the world to find the best Fair-Trade facilities that share their values, and to build relationships with the owners, management, and workers. Their locations include Kenya, India, China, and Haiti. All garments are made with sustainable textiles, such as Organic Cotton, Lenzing Modal, and Recycled Polyester.
Jael works at Wildlife Works in Kenya, one of Threads 4 Thought’s Fair Trade Certified partners, which is located inside an 80K acre wildlife preserve.
Dorothy produces graphic tees and tanks for Threads 4 Thought at Wildlife Works, a carbon-neutral factory which is part of the REDD+ Project, which protects forests, wildlife, and communities in Kenya.
As Fashion Revolution Week approaches, we encourage you to find events near you, and to get involved with the slow fashion movement. Ask your favorite brands on social media, #whomademyclothes to encourage them to be transparent and let them know that you care about their supply chain. With each dollar we spend, we place a vote for the kind of world we want to live in.
Join us on 4/21 for a screening of The True Cost.
