Fair trade comes to Malmesbury

A new branch of Bishopston trading company has opened quite near to me in Malmesbury.  They are a pioneer trade company and have been working with produce partners in a village in South India for 24 years.  Bishopston sell a unique range of clothing for adults and children made from Fairtrade certified organic cotton. The [...]

Letter to H&M

Today I have written to H&M to ask them about how they treat their workers in developing countries that make the fashion we buy. H&M was not featured in the Lets Clean up Fashion report by Labour behind the Label in 2008, however they were included in the 2007 report where they were labelled as ‘disappointingly [...]

Gap leave a Gap

It seems Gap have declined to respond to my letter sent several months ago to them. These are the questions that I asked them, and which they did not want to answer: What percentage of the retail price of a garment goes to the worker who made it? How do you determine how much to [...]

20% off Adili

Adili has launched its much awaited Own-Label collection, designed in-house by Sury Bagenal. The collection champions fair trade through the extraordinary handwork skills of SEWA; a women’s union and cooperative in Gujarat, India and Mr Dipak Pariyar; a traditional tailor in Nepal. Made from peace silk, bamboo and organic cotton, made in the same place [...]

Plugging the Gap

I have just written another letter to the fashion retailer Gap asking about their ethical practices.  In the past Gap have had very bad press about the production of garments for them, in particular regarding the conditions at their cotton factories and farms. Having said this though, Labour Behind the Label lists them in their [...]

The Green (& Ethical) Parent

The February/March issue of Green Parent has special 15 page section devoted to Ethical Fashion including Childrens wear. In it they advocate Slow Fashion, that is about appreciating quality and a garment’s true value, rather than fast fashion that is about selling more more quickly. Did you know conventional cotton farming is responsible for 22% [...]

Two in one week – letter to French Connection

French Connection have a few words at the bottom of a page in the investor section of their website about Ethical Trading.  It is clearly not an issue they take seriously and feel their customers are concerned with.  They are not signed up with the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) and the Lets Clean Up Fashion [...]

Another letter at last – to Fat Face

I have at last found time to write another letter to a High Street retailer to encourage them and find out more about their ethical policy.  This time it was the turn of Fat Face. Fat Face are members of ETI (the Ethical Trading Initiative) and have a practical and realistic ethical policy on their [...]

I take it all back – Coast have replied

It has taken a while, and they do apologise, Mosaic Fashions (Coast’s parent company) have responded to my letter with a comprehensive and detailed letter of their own.  You can read it in full on my ‘Mosaic’ page. The appear to be giving ethical trading focus within their business and are putting effort into applying [...]

Letter to Dorothy Perkins

I have just printed off my letter to Dorothy Perkins asking them about their commitment to ethical trade and the treatment of their workers in developing countries.  On their website there is no ethical policy and they are not members of ETI (the Ethical Trading Initiative) which is disappointing.  In the ‘Lets Clean up Fashion’ [...]