We are all horrified and devastated by the tragedy at Rana Plaza, Sawar, Bangladesh where a collapsed building has killed and injured hundreds of people – many of them working in garment factories within the building.

The death toll now tops 400 and with no more survivors expected to be pulled out, it is likely to grow to 550.

The incident follows 6 months after the fire at Tazreen – another garments factory in Bangladesh where over 100 people were trapped and killed.

There was a huge outpouring in the aftermath of the fire and the momentum has increased further again after the latest tragedy. Sadly over the years there have been several fires, collapsed buildings, other unsafe conditions that have led to the loss of lives in Bangladesh and other countries. Every time people would take to the streets, the media would point their fingers at large brands like Primark and Wal-Mart and people would say “something has to be done”.

This time however, it feels different. The industry and its buyers, the media, the public at large and international governments are all seeking measurable change.

The EU is suggesting removal of duty free access of Bangladeshi garments.

Brands and NGOs are talking together to come up with better policing of building safety.

The Bangladeshi government is under serious pressure to actually implement their safety codes and adopt new legislation.

Perhaps it is the scale of the disaster this time that just maybe something will be done.

The reason why a disaster like Rana Plaza can happen comes down, in my opinion, to the failure of the government to implement and enforce its own laws.

Believe me, I am no fan of the fast, cheap fashion model of the brands implicated such as Primark and Wal-Mart. And it is all too tempting to lay the blame at their door – especially when Primark and Canadian retailer Loblaw have announced they will accept responsibility for the welfare of the workers and duly compensating the families of the victims. However, the question that is running uncomfortably through my mind is “How far do buyers need to go to ensure the local laws are being followed?” Codes of conduct, independent audits, compliance – all these things are there to uphold a buyer’s core values. These core values should, surely, include ensuring workers have a safe and healthy working environment?

We are speaking to all the certifiers we use to ascertain the extent to which building safety is included. Do they check electrical safety and building integrity? Apart from ticking off if there are fire extinguishers and fire exits marked, do they check that the management know how to use them and how to act in the case of an emergency? How are they changing their own audits and codes in light of these tragedies?

The garment sector is massive in Bangladesh. It contributes over $20 billion dollars of export earnings annually. It employs over 3 million people (mostly women who would not have other easy options for employment). However the industry’s size and power has no doubt influenced government. Powerful factory owners are now members of parliament and sit in government. So far factory owners have managed to get away scot free when poor safety standards have led to death and injury in workers.

When I was last in Bangladesh we asked our colleagues if we can include seeing a certificate of building inspection as part our ethical code. He replied –sure you can see them all now, and if a factory hasn’t got one, they can simply pay someone off and get the required stamps and certificates.

The impunity with which powerful industry can act is not unique to Bangladesh. All over the developing world health and safety is easily compromised when a well-placed backhander saves businesses a lot of time and money. I live in Tanzania, and just a few weeks ago a building collapsed in Dar es Salaam killing dozens. In the last two years there have been over 1000 people killed in ferry disasters. All caused by lack of enforcement of existing laws for health and safety. No one has been called to account, and no one is talking about these victims – they are not making garments for international brands.

Another uncomfortable question is that if, for the big brands, the compliance standards effectively include building safety as a prerequisite for all suppliers, what will happen to the non-compliant factories; the sweat shops, where no one is coming in to audit them? If worker safety is to be ensured, then the above reason requires us all to consider the problem from a wider perspective.

We fervently hope the terrible tragedy at Rana Plaza is going to finally galvanise some action. The garments industry, the brands who buy from them, the public, international governments and most importantly the Bangladeshi Government need to get behind a concerted plan to ensure building safety. It is only when factories are forced to close if they are considered unsafe and factory owners are brought to account that the status quo will change properly. It comes down to enforcement of the law and stopping corruption – and it will need pressure from industry, media and the international community. This is true for Bangladesh and many other countries beyond.

The Ethical Fashion Forum is working to draw up a co-ordinated industry response. Please add your voice and increase the pressure for action. Sign up to their Call to Action by Friday 3rd May

http://source.ethicalfashionforum.com/article/bangladesh-240413-never-again-join-the-industry-in-a-constructive-response

Many of the facts and figures above are courtesy of the EFF’s excellent report
http://source.ethicalfashionforum.com/article/bangladesh-factory-collapse-the-facts-and-whats-being-done-so-far

The event was attended by many of the fashion industry’s most influential and inspiring brands, individuals, press and buyers. It was also live-streamed online allowing participation from all over the world. The award was judged by several leading experts in the fields of fashion and sustainability including Baroness Lola Young, Hilary Alexander, Mandi Lennard and Orsola de Castro.

Mantis World was delighted to win the award in recognition of all their hard work over the past 12 years. They have proven that sustainable and ethical production is possible on a commercial, large volume scale. Mantis World’s range of stock garments and dedicated Bespoke Production team ensure brands no matter what size can have easy access to sustainable, ethically-made garments and supply chain.

On the night Mantis was represented by the Head of Special Production, Russell Spiller; Merchandise Manager, Shailja Shah and Marketing and Customer Service Executive Katie Power. Managing Director Prama Bhardwaj and Sales Director Matt Peters, watched online while in Bangladesh visiting suppliers.

Other winners on the night included Think Boutique, an online ladies ethical fashion retailer, for Independent Boutique. Retail Leader went to ASOS and Eileen Fisher was highly commended. The renowned Safia Minney from People Tree won Outstanding Contribution and Livia Firth won Sustainable Style Icon. The high calibre of nominees and winners really stood out and it is clear to see that ethical sustainable fashion is no longer just a niche, it is gaining mainstream acceptance.

http://textileexchange.org/

http://my.rainforest-alliance.org/site/PageNavigator/followthefrog.html

http://source.ethicalfashionforum.com/tags/events

Word has it that it’s Javier Bardem as the Bond villain who steals the show in Skyfall. 

Thanks to a feature by über cool writer Alice Wilby, Bardem certainly caught our attention on the red carpet at last nights’ Royal Premiere wearing a totally eco-friendly suit.

Worn as part of the ongoing Green Carpet Challenge, Bardem’s Gucci tuxedo was made from 100% organic wool and even featured recycled satin lapels…

Read Alice’s piece here.

http://www.u-dox.com/2012/10/well-made-magazine-7032/

This shift in attitude has come about in no small part through the endeavours of people like  Jacqueline Shaw, founder of Africa Fashion Guide.

Forging international links between industry and creativity with a view to promoting the continents’ fashion industry (both financially and culturally) the platform celebrated its first birthday this September. Now, just a month later Africa Fashion Guide launch a major one day conference called Fashion Africa.

Held in Nairobi, Kenya the event explores themes around ethical fashion, trade, luxury and craft for example.  Our own Prama Bhardwaj will be attending as one of the speakers alongside Linda Murithi of In the Bag / Hub of Africa Fashion Week, JC Mazingue of USAID /Compete Africa and many, many others.  An inspiring and dynamic force, you may have already heard of Jacqueline through her seminal book Fashion Africa, A Visual Overview Of Contemporary African Fashion –  a must-read for anyone interested in the modern definition of an increasingly popular term.

http://www.africafashionguide.com/tag/conference/

It’s not just about our tees, although they’re in there too of course. It’s about the culture of t-shirts and the people who make it interesting, people who have a passion for t-shirts and what they can say.

We’ve launched a special tumblr page dedicated to the project – The Well Made T-Shirt Club. We also held a private view / launch party for the newspaper last night. It was a great night – even our very own Matt Peters did some Djing!

The newspaper is free and will be available to read online soon. More news about where you can find it both in digital and physical form to come.

Meanwhile, maybe check out some of the t-shirt references on this amazing hand-drawn cover, created by the papers art director Berjo Mouanga and have a look at the tumblr page http://wellmadetshirts.tumblr.com. Feel free to follow us if you like it.

Of course, if you can’t wait til then to get into the Rio 2016 mood you could do worse than get your hands on some Rio Games t-shirts.

Brazil’s classic colours have been used as the palette for the official Rio 2016 graphic, as described here by the designers.

And you don’t have to go to Brazil to get them.  The amazing garments along with all sorts of Rio 2016 goodies are available at Casa-Brasil in Somerset House until Sept 8th.

Rio2016.com/ London2012

gallery/Rio-2016/889218