The reaping (black market) trade in reptile skins for the luxury fashion and accessories market is an openly talked about, albeit ugly, reality of the present. The recently published UNCTAD BioTrade report and toolkit provides useful and pragmatic info for designers.
In Medieval times the location of a tannery was heavily based on the requirements of a nearby river or stream, cattle which could supply the hide, and of course oak trees which would supply the bark needed for the tanning process. In the present, because of the demand for luxury at the cheapest possible prices, the industry is pushed out to where it is easier to ignore the moral and environmental reek.
2 weeks after the Rana Plaza’s disaster in Bangladesh, the death toll has risen to 921 and the fire broke in another garment factory last night killing 8. But how have these fashion brands reacted to, possibly, the worst known disaster in the history of the global apparel industry?
n this post, I’ll be looking at the CSC Responsible Source standard, which aims very clearly at the issue of (un)ethical, (in)transparent supply chains. The standard exists for 2 very specific area of expertise: precious gems and metals; and man-made fibres and textiles.
Greenpeace-Detox-develops-market-for-BlueSign
Detox has been a repeat topic on this blog. Most recently after my visit in May to Performance Days, but also previously. While slowly but surely more and more brands (17 at the time of writing) – and retailers – have signed a Detox Solution Commitment with Greenpeace, and hence work in some way or other with ZHDC (Road map to Zero), a key threshold was passed event most recently: With the Italian fabric mill Canepa, the first manufacturer has taken the pledge.