Look good, feel good: The Fashion Benefit
PUBLISHED November 1st, 2013 12:43 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 03:15 pm
All too often fashion gets a bad rep for being superficial and silly, criticised to be a work of capitalism, materialism and sometimes, dismissed as a frivolous hobby of ‘a certain kind of woman’. As a keen shopper and avid fashion-fan, I’m not about to let anybody make me feel guilty for spending my own money on things that make me happy (back in your box hippies!), but that’s not to say that I don’t question the current status quo.
Recent events in the news have revealed the horrible truth about the fashion industry and brought into a shining spotlight how the current craze for ‘fast fashion’ which is allied to globalisation and free-market economics, means that retailers have outsourced production to the most low-waged economies, leading to huge exploitation.
So it’s fair to say that we should all get excited when the worlds of fashion, ethics and altriusm collide. After all, who said they have to be exclusive… there is nothing sweeter than a purchase that not only provides a shopping high but also does some good in the world, or more specifically…doesn’t do bad!
And I’m not the only one who thinks so, after years of the fashion industry firmly ignoring the concept of ethical retailing, through attrition and changing social ideas, ethical fashion is becoming cool. Finally! Demand for retailers to provide ethical, environmentally sustainable products has grown in recent years and there has been considerable backlash against the sweat-shops and questionable code of ethics of many global retailers.
Enter – The Fashion Benefit
‘By partnering exclusively with ethical retailers producing quality garments and accessories, and who share our business ethos and philosophy of giving back, we make them available for style-savvy, sophisticated buyers.
For every purchase made, we pledge USD5 to global causes that we love.’
Awesome! But what of the goods? Because I don’t want to sacrifice on style and price really, otherwise I may as well just wear a hessian sack.
Well, take a peak at award-winning Indego Africa – a design-driven, nonprofit social enterprise that currently assists about 400 women artisans in Rwanda. The Fashion Benefit stocks their bold, colourful jewellery like the Butare Bangle ($68.40) a fabulous piece of arm candy.  One that definitely caught our eye is American label 4 All Humanity  who work with artisans all over the world. Their apparel is produced in a cooperative in northern Uganda, and the accessories and jewellery come from cooperatives in India, Thailand, Mexico, and South Africa using recycled materials, silver, vintage fabrics, leather, and semi-precious stones. The Rising Tide Necklace ($35.50) is a beautiful piece that we’ve put on our Christmas list!
And the Always near Twisted Strap Dress ($99) from Aijek, whose feminine and fashion-forward designs are made with high-quality sustainable materials is the perfect light and chic look to compliment that easy conscience!
We look forward to seeing more from the TheFashionBenefit.org and the new brands they introduce because there really is so much enterprise and originality coming from independent, ethical and thoughtful designers. We love that they celebrate creativity and expressionism, while being mindful of how we all can minimise the impact on our environment and the people involved….and rather importantly also look fab!
Written by Heh Zee
