Five years after the Rana Plaza disaster, Fashion Revolution continues to ask #whomademyclothes – and this week, they present a new film questioning just that. Drawing attention to the place garment workers occupy in the supply chain, the film puts those working in the cotton-picking and weaving industries, dying clothing, and sewing the final garments at front and centre.
Produced by sustainable fashion organisation Futerra, the short is choreographed by Christopher Bordenave and directed by MJ Delaney. The characters – all hailing from different countries around the world – dance to an impactive, rhythmical soundtrack as the question “Who made my clothes?” appears in various languages.
“We created quite a full picture for each character which fed into the choreography, the setting and the casting,” explains Delaney. “We tried to keep it all as specific as possible when it came to showing the supply chain, and documenting the issues that affect that particular stage of the garment’s progress.”
The film invites the viewer to consider the complex chain of events that lead to the completion of an item of clothing, and encourages them to consider how we, as consumers, can help with the issues of sustainability, and unfair and unsafe labour.
“It’s about re-examining our relationship with trends,” says Delaney. “We're surrounded by the media telling us we need to have an entirely new wardrobe with each passing season, but for most of us it’s not affordable to do that ethically. When thinking about our shopping habits, and how much it costs to follow the latest trends, we need to be more conscious about where we’re shopping, what we’re buying, and who was involved in the production of the garment. Buy quality, buy less. It's about shopping clever.”
Watch the film above.