Täglicher Archiv: sustainable fashion

Regenerative agriculture and non-GM seeds are making the cotton production more sustainable

Zwei Faktoren, die die Baumwollproduktion nachhaltiger machen

English version

Heutzutage ist Bio-Baumwolle nicht nur etwas für wohlhabende Leute, sondern für jeden, der Wert auf Nachhaltigkeit legt. Bio-Baumwolle spielt eine wichtige Rolle beim Schutz aller Lebewesen vor den negativen Auswirkungen von Chemikalien und des Klimawandels sowie bei der Gewährleistung sicherer und fairer Arbeitsbedingungen der Arbeiter in der Lieferkette. 

Die weltweite Produktion von Bio-Baumwolle ist von 2018 auf 2019 um 56 % deutlich gestiegen. Im gleichen Zeitraum wuchsen Einrichtungen mit Bio-Textilstandard Zertifizierung ebenfalls signifikant und zwar um 48 % beim Organic Cotton Standard und um 35 % beim Global Organic Textile Standard. Infolgedessen wurde 2018/19 die zweitgrößte Ernte von Bio-Baumwolle aller Zeiten verzeichnet. Die steigende Nachfrage nach Bio-Baumwolle bringt enorme Vorteile für das Ökosystem.

Die Bio-Baumwollproduktion ist ein “Proof of Concept” für den signifikanten und verstärkten Fokus und Aufwand auf restaurative und regenerative Praktiken für die Landwirtschaft. Die Wiederherstellung der Bodengesundheit, des Wasserkreislaufs und des Schutzes der Artenvielfalt sowohl über als auch unter den Anbauflächen ist essentiell für unsere Zukunft und der Schlüssel zu naturbasierten Ansätzen, die über 30% der Lösungsansätze gegen den Klimawandel ausmachen. 

Mit diesem Artikel möchten wir die Bedeutung von regenerativer Landwirtschaft und gentechnikfreiem Saatgut betrachten und was du gegen den Klimawandel beitragen kannst.

Regenerative Landwirtschaft verstehen 

Regenerative Landwirtschaft ist ein Ansatz in der Agrarwirtschaft, der Pestizide und synthetische Düngemittel ablehnt und eine ganzheitliche Philosophie ist, die darauf abzielt, Bio-Sequestrierung, Biodiversität, Ökotoxizität, Klimaresilienz, Wassersysteme, Mikronährstoffe und Ökosystemdienstleistungen positiv zu beeinflussen. Die Vorteile der regenerativen Landwirtschaft sind endlos! 

Was ist der Unterschied zwischen regenerativer Landwirtschaft und ökologischem Landbau?

Der ökologische Landbau garantiert, dass das Land, auf dem das Produkt angebaut wurde, ohne den Einsatz von Düngemitteln und Pestiziden bewirtschaftet wurde. Allerdings wird dabei nicht die gesundheitliche Verbesserung des Bodens berücksichtigt. Der Fokus liegt auf der Förderung des ökologischen Gleichgewichts und die Erhaltung der Artenvielfalt, aber nicht auf den Wiederaufbau und Regenerierung des Bodens. Trotzdem sind die Vorteile des okölogischen Landbaus um ein Vielfaches höher als bei der konventionellen Landwirtschaft. Kürzlich wurde eine neue “regenerative Bio”-Zertifizierung eingeführt, um Managementprinzipien, die sich auf den Boden und seine Gesundheit konzentrieren, weiter zu integrieren. 

Konventionelle Landwirtschaft benötigt eine große Menge an Wasser, Land und Pestiziden. Allein im Jahr 2018 hat die US-Landwirtschaftsindustrie 698 Millionen Tonnen Kohlendioxid ausgestoßen. Der Schaden für den Ackerboden nahm überhand, als die Landwirte Jahr für Jahr die gleichen Monokulturen anbauten und mehr chemische Düngemittel verwendeten, um die entzogenen Mineralien und toten Mikroben auszugleichen. 

Ökologischer Landbau und regenerative Landwirtschaftssysteme sind bekanntermaßen effektiver als konventionelle Systeme, wenn es darum geht, CO2 aus der Atmosphäre zu binden und es im Boden als organische Substanz zu speichern. Infolgedessen ist der Kohlenstoffpool im Boden etwa dreimal so groß wie der atmosphärische Pool. Nach Angaben der National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine könnten durch die Bindung von CO2 mit der Kraft eines gesunden Bodens potenziell mehr als 250 Millionen Tonnen CO2 jährlich vermieden werden.

Regenerative Landwirtschaft ist keine “Einheitsgröße”, denn jede Farm oder Ranch unterscheidet sich bezüglich der einzigartigen natürlichen Ressourcen, Klimaschwankungen und tierischen sowie ökologischen Dynamik. Stattdessen wenden die Landwirte diese Prinzipien für ihre jeweilige Region, ihren Betrieb und ihre persönliche Situation an und suchen nach einer Kombination von Methoden, die die Widerstandsfähigkeit unterstützen und unser Ökosystem aufbauen und nähren. 

Mit der Zeit können regenerative Praktiken die Produktion steigern und den Bedarf an externen Inputs auf natürliche Weise reduzieren. Wenn diese regenerativen Praktiken erfolgreich umgesetzt werden, können die Gesundheit des landwirtschaftlichen Ökosystems und die wirtschaftliche Stabilität der Landwirte verbessert werden. 

 

Two factors making the cotton production more sustainable
Photo via Pexels

Warum gentechnikfreies Saatgut besser ist als gentechnisch verändertes Saatgut

Nicht gentechnisch verändertes Saatgut, das für den Anbau von Bio-Baumwolle verwendet wird, ist sowohl für die Integrität als auch für das Wachstum der Bio-Baumwollproduktion entscheidend. Von der weltweiten Baumwollanbaufläche mit einer Fläche von 32,9 Millionen Hektar wurden 2018 rund 76 % mit nicht gentechnisch behandeltem Saatgut bepflanzt. 

Gentechnisch veränderte (GV) Baumwolle wurde geschaffen, um ein intensives landwirtschaftliches System durch die Reduzierung des Einsatzes von Pestiziden zu unterstützen und damit die Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit und die Umwelt zu begrenzen. Entwickelt als Werkzeug zur besseren Schädlingsbekämpfung, wurde sie als eine Technologie präsentiert, die den Baumwollanbaugemeinschaften wirtschaftliches Wachstum bringen sollte. Es gibt jedoch mehrere Bedenken bezüglich der Technologie und wie sie sich auf die Umwelt, die Gesellschaft und die Finanzen der Landwirte auswirkt, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die langfristigen Auswirkungen bei der Einführung von GV-Baumwolle. 

 

  • Wirtschaftliche Risiken für Landwirte

Die Forschungsergebnisse variieren noch immer und der wirtschaftliche Nutzen von GV-Pflanzen muss noch langfristig nachgewiesen werden. Die Ungewissheit über den finanziellen Nutzen der Einführung von GV-Pflanzen ist eines der größten Risiken für Landwirte, die auch mit ständig steigenden Produktionskosten und Schwankungen des Baumwollpreises auf dem globalen Baumwollmarkt konfrontiert sind. GV-Nutzpflanzen können ein besonders kostspieliges Risiko für liquiditätsarme Baumwollbauern sein, wenn ein finanzieller Verlust aufgrund von Ernteausfällen sie daran hindert GV-Saatgut und damit verbundene Betriebsmittel für die nächste Saison zu kaufen. Die Betriebsmittel sind oft kapitalintensiv, das Produktionssystem des Baumwollanbaus birgt ein erhebliches Risiko von Verschuldung, Konkurs und sogar Selbstmord der Landwirte, wenn sich die Erträge nicht auszahlen. Dies betrifft vor allem Kleinbauern in Ländern, die keine wirtschaftlichen Sicherheitsnetze bieten. 

 

  • Bedenken über Resistenzen gegen Pestizide und negative Auswirkungen auf die Umwelt

Mit dem zunehmenden Einsatz von GV-Baumwolle werden Bedenken hinsichtlich der Resistenz gegenüber Insekten und Schwachstellen gegenüber Pestizide laut. Der allgegenwärtige Einsatz von Giften beim Anbau von GV-Baumwolle führt bereits zu Resistenzen bei Baumwollkapselwürmern und das Auftreten von Sekundärschädlingen wurde in der indischen Baumwollproduktion beobachtet. Der Schädlingsbefall kann dazu führen, dass noch mehr Pestizide erforderlich sind, was mit zusätzlichen Kosten und Umweltschäden verbunden ist. 

Ein ähnliches Phänomen ist bei Unkräutern zu beobachten, die gegen die Herbizide resistent werden, die in Kombination mit herbizidtoleranten (HT) Pflanzen eingesetzt werden. Eine Überprüfung von 900 Studien ergab, dass die Einführung von GV-Pflanzen zunächst den Einsatz von Herbiziden reduzierte, dass sich aber später resistente Unkräuter entwickelten und die Resistenz gegen das Herbizid Glyphosat zu einem erhöhten Einsatz von Herbiziden führte. Infolgedessen geben die Landwirte jetzt mehr Geld für Saatgut, mehr für Dünger und mehr für Insektizide aus. 

 

  • Fragen zu Monopol und Saatgutbesitz

Die Einführung von GV-Baumwolle hat Bedenken hinsichtlich der Abhängigkeit der Landwirte von der agrochemischen Industrie aufgeworfen. Die Landwirte bewahren kein GV-Saatgut aus früheren Ernten auf, da GV-Baumwollpflanzen F1-Hybride sind (d.h. die erste Generation von Nachkommen zweier deutlich unterschiedlicher Elternpflanzen). Folglich müssen die GV-Baumwollbauern jedes Jahr neues Saatgut kaufen, um zu vermeiden, dass sie ungleichmäßige Baumwoll-Farbtypen mit geringerem Ertrag anbauen. Außerdem müssen sie die mit GV-Saatgut verbundene Technologiegebühr bezahlen. 

Eine Studie schätzt, dass ein einziges Unternehmen mit seinem GV-Saatgut bis zu 95 % des Baumwollsaatgut-Marktes in Indien besitzt. Im Jahr 2018 waren 76 % der weltweiten konventionellen Baumwollproduktion gentechnisch verändert. 

Die Einführung von gentechnisch veränderter Baumwolle hat zudem die Landwirte vom Prozess der Pflanzenzüchtung abgekoppelt und riskiert den Verlust von landwirtschaftlichem Know-how, das über Jahrhunderte weitergegeben wurde. 

Der Kauf von Bio-Baumwolle kann unsere Zukunft verbessern

Während Bio-Baumwolle früher als “Nische” angesehen wurde, wird sie heute von Marken aller Größenordnungen als wichtiger Bestandteil ihres Faser- und Materialportfolios bezeichnet. Immer mehr Marken und Einzelhändler setzen sich Ziele und verpflichten sich, ihren Einsatz von Bio-Baumwolle zu erhöhen, ermutigt durch die zunehmenden Nachhaltigkeitsvorteile der Faser und des ökologischen Anbaus. 

Wir glauben, dass wir durch die Stärkung der landwirtschaftlichen Gemeinschaft die Fähigkeit und das Potenzial haben, die Herausforderungen zu bewältigen, mit denen der Agrarsektor heute konfrontiert ist. . 

Wenn Sie mehr über die sozialen Aspekte der Baumwollproduktion in China und Indien erfahren möchten, lesen Sie diesen Artikel: “Baumwollproduktion: Soziale Problematik in Indien und China

Was sind deine Gedanken zur Bio-Baumwolle, regenerativer Landwirtschaft und gentechnikfreiem Saatgut? Teile uns deine Meinung gerne in den Kommentaren mit!

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Baumwollproduktion: Soziales Thema in Indien und China

Baumwollproduktion: Soziale Problematik in Indien und China


English version

Da sich die Modeindustrie dank des Drucks der Konsumenten in eine nachhaltigere Richtung bewegt, wird Bio-Baumwolle eine immer beliebtere Wahl. Auch bei l’amour est bleu ist Bio-Baumwolle einer unserer Lieblingsstoffe. Deshalb haben wir uns entschlossen, eine Mini-Serie von Artikeln über die ökologischen und sozialen Aspekte von Baumwolle zu schreiben. In diesem Artikel befassen wir uns mit der vierten Stufe der Mode-Lieferkette und konzentrieren uns dabei auf die aktuellen Ereignisse in China und Indien.

Einzelhändler kennen in der Regel nur die erste Stufe der Lieferkette. Die Produktion von Rohstoffen wie Baumwolle, die typischerweise als Stufe 4 bezeichnet wird, stellt die am weitesten entfernte Stufe der komplexen und chaotischen Textil-Lieferkette dar  und wird fast ausschließlich an ausländische Sub-Lieferanten ausgegliedert. Es ist seit langem bekannt, dass Zwangsarbeit, Menschenhandel und anderen Formen von moderner Sklaverei in der Textil-Lieferkette verbreitet sind. 

Der jährliche Modern Slavery Index stuft das Risiko von Zwangsarbeit auf der ganzen Welt ein, basierend auf der Stärke der Gesetze der Länder gegen moderne Sklaverei, deren Umsetzung und Durchsetzung sowie der Anzahl und Schwere der Verstöße. China. Indien, Bangladesch, Vietnam, Kambodscha, Myanmar und Indonesien haben ihr schlechtestes globales Ranking seit 2017 erreicht.




Baumwollanbau führt in Indien zum Tod

Billige, von Trends geleitete Einzelhändler haben die Preise bei ihren Lieferanten gedrückt und damit den Baumwollbauern weiter unten in der Lieferkette die Lebensgrundlage entzogen. Traurigerweise ist der Baumwollanbau in Indien zu einer Mode-Tragödie geworden. Einzelhändler kolonisieren Entwicklungsländer mit billigen Arbeitskräften, beuten die Menschen aus und missachten die Würde der Arbeiter, insbesondere von Frauen und Mädchen. Indische Baumwollbauern begehen in alarmierendem Ausmaß Selbstmord, oft aufgrund finanziellen Drucks. 

Im Jahr 2002 führte der Pharmakonzern Bayer gentechnisch veränderte (GM) Baumwolle in Indien ein. Jetzt macht sie 90 % des Baumwollanbaus in dem Land aus. Seit ihrer Einführung haben Nichtregierungsorganisationen und Umweltschützer die gentechnisch veränderte Baumwolle mit dem zunehmenden Einsatz von Düngemitteln in Verbindung gebracht, was die Verschuldung der Landwirte verschlimmert und sogar die Zahl der Selbstmorde unter den Bauern erhöht. Die Landwirte leiden unter einer schlechten Gesundheit, da schädliche Düngemittel die lokale Wasserversorgung vergiften. 

Mehr als 28 Bauern und Landarbeiter sterben in Indien jeden Tag an Selbstmord, so der Bericht “State of India’s Environment” aus dem Jahr 2021. Der Bericht verdeutlicht die Zahlen:

  • 5.957 Bauern in 17 Bundesstaaten und 4.324 Landarbeiter in 24 Bundesstaaten im Jahr 2019. 
  • 5.763 Landwirte in 20 Bundesstaaten und 4.586 Landarbeiter in 21 Bundesstaaten im Jahr 2018.

Jetzt stehen die Landwirte in Indien vor einem weiteren Problem, denn drei neue umstrittene Agrargesetze werden in diesem Jahr mehr als 25 % der weltweiten Baumwollproduktion beeinträchtigen. Seit Ende November letzten Jahres  gab es Proteste gegen die Verabschiedung der neuen Gesetze und rund 250 Millionen Arbeiter in ganz Indien traten in den Streik. Im Januar wurden die vorgeschlagenen Gesetze auf Eis gelegt, da die Farmer an den Verhandlungen beteiligt wurden, doch der Kampf geht weiter. 

Die vorgeschlagenen Landwirtschaftsgesetze sind Teil der “Deregulierungs”-Agenda des indischen Premierministers Narendra Modi, die darauf abzielt, die von der Regierung festgelegte Preisuntergrenze (bekannt als der Mindestsubventionierungspreis) für Nutzpflanzen abzuschaffen, um die Markteffizienz zu steigern. Die Landwirte befürchten, dass die Abschaffung der garantierten Preise zu niedrigeren Erträgen führen wird, welches sie in die Armut treiben und sie zwingen würde, ihr Land an die großen Konzerne zu verkaufen, die Indiens Einzelhandelswirtschaft dominieren. 

Die indischen Bauern fordern “faire Preise”, so wie die Bekleidungsarbeiterinnen “faire Löhne” fordern.





Baumwollproduktion: Soziales Thema in Indien und China


Photo via Pexels






Zwangsarbeit auf Chinas Baumwollfarmen

In der Zwischenzeit haben weit verbreitete Berichte über Zwangsarbeit, die die Rechte der uigurischen Muslime und anderer Minderheiten in China verletzen, dazu geführt, dass die Regierungen auf beiden Seiten des Atlantiks neue Maßnahmen ergriffen haben. 

Rechtsgruppen sagen, dass Xinhiangs halbe Million Uiguren (auch als “Uighur” bezeichnet) in Lagern festgehalten werden, in denen Vorwürfe von Folter, Zwangsarbeit und sexuellem Missbrauch aufgetaucht sind. China hat diese Behauptungen bestritten und behauptet, die Lager seien “Umerziehungs”-Einrichtungen, die die Uiguren aus der Armut befreien sollen. Das chinesische Außenministerium hat die Vorwürfe über Zwangsarbeit in der Baumwollproduktion in Xinjiang widerlegt. Die chinesischen Behörden haben sich bisher geweigert, Diplomaten oder unabhängigen Ermittlern zu erlauben, die Vorwürfe der Menschenrechtsverletzungen zu untersuchen.

Mehr als 80% der chinesischen Baumwolle kommt aus der nordwestlichen Region Xinjiang, in der rund 11 Millionen Uiguren leben. Die erschreckende Tatsache ist, dass China der zweitgrößte Produzent von Bio-Baumwolle ist und der größte Teil davon aus den uigurischen Regionen stammt. Gap, Patagonia und die Zara-Mutter Inditex haben alle erklärt, dass sie keine Baumwolle von Fabriken in Xinjiang beziehen. Aber die Mehrheit konnte nicht bestätigen, dass ihre Lieferkette frei von Baumwolle aus der Region ist.

Anfang des Jahres beschloss H&M, keine Baumwolle aus der Region Xinjiang mehr zu verwenden, da Bedenken wegen Zwangsarbeit vorherrschten. Als die Erklärung von H&M auf der chinesischen Social-Media-Plattform Weibo geteilt wurde, drückten viele Nutzer ihre Wut gegenüber der Marke aus und riefen zu einem Boykott der Marke auf, indem sie sagten: “Raus aus dem chinesischen Markt”. Wenige Stunden später waren die Produkte von H&M von einer Reihe großer E-Commerce-Plattformen verschwunden, darunter Alibabas Tmall, JD.com und Pindoudou. Es gab keine offizielle Ankündigung oder öffentliche Kommunikation über das Verbot, es ist noch unklar, ob es sich um eine kurzfristige oder dauerhafte Situation handelt oder nicht. 

Im Januar haben die USA die Einfuhr aller Baumwollprodukte aus der Region verboten. Dies hat amerikanische Unternehmen wie PVH (zu dem Marken wie Calvin Klein und Tommy Hilfiger gehören) in eine Zwickmühle gebracht, da einige ihrer in Übersee hergestellten Produkte nicht mehr in den Heimatmarkt eingeführt werden dürfen. PVH sagte, dass es die Beziehungen zu allen Fabriken oder Mühlen, die Stoffe oder Baumwolle aus Xinjiang verwenden, abbrechen wird.




Vorwärts gehen… 

Zwangsarbeit und andere Menschenrechtsverletzungen gibt es nicht nur in China und Indien. Es könnte direkt in deiner Nachbarschaft passieren. Die Modeindustrie muss einen aufgeklärteren Ansatz zu diesen Themen wählen, und zwar schnell. Die Rückverfolgung der Materialherkunft bis zu ihrem Anbauort wird einen großen Aufwand erfordern, die die Modeindustrie nicht gewohnt ist. Doch ohne einer transparenten Rückverfolgbarkeit der Materialien ist es unmöglich, gegen Zwangsarbeit und Menschenrechtsverletzungen in der Lieferkette vorzugehen. 

Organisationen wie Labour Behind The Label, Fashion Revolution und Remake setzen sich seit langem gegen alle Arten von illegalen Praktiken ein und sensibilisieren die Verbraucher. Du kannst diese Organisationen unterstützen und ihnen dabei helfen, mehr Gutes zu tun. Aber das Wichtigste, was uns diese Organisationen zeigen, ist, dass wir unsere Kaufkraft nutzen können, um Druck auf Marken auszuüben, damit sie ihre Rückverfolgbarkeit und Transparenz verbessern und ihre Geschäfte auf ethische Weise betreiben. Schau auf den Seiten der Organisationen vorbei und erfahre, mit welchen Möglichkeiten du zu einem Wandel beitragen kannst!

 

Du kannst auch die Bauern in Indien unterstützen, indem du diese Petitionen gegen die Abschaffung der Subventionen in der Landwirtschaft unterschreibst:

https://www.change.org/p/narendra-damodardas-modi-abolish-the-3-farm-laws-support-the-protesting-farmers

https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-farmers-of-india 








Unsere Produkte aus Bio-Baumwolle






Unsere Kleidungsstücke aus Bio-Baumwolle werden aus 100 % GOTS-Bio-Baumwolle hergestellt. Das GOTS-Siegel ist der weltweit führende Standard für die Verarbeitung von Materialien aus biologischen Naturfasern. Es definiert ökologische und soziale Kriterien auf hohem Niveau, die entlang der gesamten textilen Produktionskette eingehalten werden müssen. Bei GOTS-zertifizierten Stoffen kannst du sicher sein, dass die gesamte Produktion – von der Faser bis zum Stoff – unter umweltfreundlichen und sozial fairen Bedingungen stattfindet.






Unisex Hemd Ellen aus Bio-Baumwolle

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Bedruckte Bluse Ada aus Bio-Baumwolle

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Maxikleid Jasmine aus Bio-Baumwolle

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Jacke Uma aus Bio-Baumwolle

179,00 €




Hose Josephine aus Bio-Baumwolle

149,00 €




Gestreiftes Kleid Julia aus Bio-Baumwolle

179,00 €




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Organic Cotton: Social Issue in India and China

Cotton Production: Social Issues in India and China


German version

As the fashion industry is shifting towards a more sustainable footing, thanks to pressure from consumers, organic cotton is becoming an increasingly popular choice. At l’amour est bleu, organic cotton is one of our favourite fabrics to use as well. So we decided to do a mini-series of articles about the environmental and social issues of cotton. With this article, we are looking at tier 4 of the fashion supply chain while focusing on what’s currently going on in China and India.

Retailers typically only know the first tier in their supply chain. The production of raw materials like cotton, typically referred to as tier 4, represents the most distant stage of the complex and chaotic, globally outsourced and sub-contracted facilities that make up a fashion supply chain. Issues of forced labour, human trafficking and other forms of forced labour are longstanding in the fashion supply chain. 

The annual Modern Slavery Index ranks the risk of forced labour around the world based on the strength of countries’ laws against modern slavery, their implementation and enforcement, and the number and severity of violations. China. India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia have hit their worst global ranking since 2017.




Cotton Farming Leading to Death in India 

Cheap trend-lead retailers have driven down prices at their suppliers, depriving cotton farmers further down the supply chain of stable livelihood. Sadly, cotton farming in India has become a fashion tragedy. Retailers colonise developing countries with cheap labour, exploit people, and disrespect the dignity of workers, especially women and girls. Indian cotton farmers are committing suicide at an alarming rate, often due to financial pressures. 

In 2002, pharmaceutical company Bayer introduced genetically modified (GM) cotton in India. Now it accounts for 90% of cotton planting in the county. Since its introduction, NGOs and environmental activists have linked GM cotton to growing fertiliser use, worsening farmer debt and even increasing the number of farmer suicides. Farmers are suffering from poor health as heavy fertilisers poison local water supplies. 

More than 28 farmers and farm labourers die by suicide in India every day, according to the 2021 State of India’s Environment report. The report highlighted the numbers:

  • 5,957 farmers in 17 states and 4,324 farm labourers in 24 states in 2019. 
  • 5,763 farmers in 20 states and 4,586 agricultural workers in 21 states in 2018.

Now, farmers in India are facing another problem as three new contentious agricultural laws will impact over 25% of the world’s cotton production this year. They have been protesting since late November last year, some 250 million labourers across India went on strike In January, the proposed legislation was put on hold as farms were called to the negotiating table, however, the fight still continues. 

The proposed Farm Laws are part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “deregulation” agenda to remove the government-set floor pricing (known as the Minimum Support Price) for crops and drive market efficiencies. Farmers fear the removal of guaranteed prices will result in lower returns, driving them to impoverishment and forcing them to sell their land to the large corporations that dominate India’s retail economy. 

Indian farmers are demanding “fair prices,” just like garment workers are demanding “fair wages.” 





Baumwollproduktion: Soziales Thema in Indien und China


Photo via Pexels






Forced Labour in China’s Cotton Farm

Meanwhile, widespread reports of forced labour violating the rights of Uighur Muslims and other minorities in China have culminated in the introduction of new policies from governments on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Rights groups say Xinhiang’s half a million Uighur minority (also spelt as “Uyghur”) have been detained at camps where allegations of torture, forced labour and sexual abuse have emerged. China has denied these claims saying the camps are “re-education” facilities aimed at lifting Uighurs out of poverty. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disproved the allegations of forced labour in Xinjiang’s cotton production. The Chinese authorities have so far refused to allow diplomats or independent investigators to look into allegations of human rights abuse.

More than 80% of China’s cotton comes from the northwestern region of Xinjiang, which is home to around 11 million Uighurs. The horrific fact is that China is the second-largest producer of organic cotton and most of that is from the Uighur regions. Gap, Patagonia and Zara-owner Inditex have all stated that they do not source from factories in Xinjiang. But majority could not confirm that their supply chain was free of cotton picked from the region.

Earlier this year, H&M decided to stop using cotton from the Xinjiang region due to the forced labour concerns. When H&M’s statement was widely shared on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, many users expressed anger towards the brand and called for a boycott of the brand saying “get out of the Chinese market”. A few hours later, H&M’s products were gone from numbers of major e-commerce platforms including Alibaba’s Tmall, JD.com and Pindoudou. There has been no official announcement or public communication about the ban, it is still unclear whether or not it’s a short term or permanent situation. 

In January, the US has banned the entry of all cotton products from the region. This has put American companies such as PVH (which owns brands including Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger) in a bind as it could make some of its overseas manufactured products illegal to import into its home market. PVH said it is going to be cutting ties with all factories or mills that produce fabric or use cotton from Xinjiang. 




Moving Forward… 

Forced labour and other human rights abuse are not only happening in China and India. It could be happening right in your neighbourhood. The fashion industry needs to take a more enlightened approach to these issues, fast. Tracing the policing of the provenance of materials down to a provincial level will require great traceability the fashion industry is unaccustomed to. Without traceability, it’s impossible to know. 

Organisations such as Labour Behind The Label, Fashion Revolution and Remake have long campaigned against all types of illegal practices and raising awareness among the consumers. You can support these organisations and help them do more good. But most importantly, all of these organisations can tell us is that we can use our purchasing power to pressure brands to improve their traceability, transparency and operate their business in ethical manners. Check out these organisations to learn more about what you can do to make a positive impact!

You can also support the farmers in India by signing these petitions here:

https://www.change.org/p/narendra-damodardas-modi-abolish-the-3-farm-laws-support-the-protesting-farmers

https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-farmers-of-india








our organic cotton products






All our organic cotton garments are made from 100% GOTS organic cotton. The GOTS seal is the world’s leading standard for the processing of materials made from biological natural fibres. It defines environmental and social criteria at a high level that must be adhered to along the entire textile production chain. With GOTS-certified fabrics, you can be sure that the entire production – from the fibre to the fabric – takes place under environmentally friendly and socially fair conditions.






Organic Cotton Unisex Shirt Ellen

159,00 €




Printed Organic Cotton blouse Ada with buttons

139,00 €




Organic cotton maxi dress Jasmine

199,00 €






Organic cotton jacket Uma

179,00 €




Organic cotton trousers Josephine

149,00 €




Striped organic cotton dress Julia

179,00 €




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l'amour est bleu Moodboard Collection Coco Fair Fashion

The story behind the new “Coco” collection


GERMAN VERSION

Are there resolutions that you always make, but still don’t manage to keep? My resolution after and before each collection is: “Start designing the collection earlier! Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to start designing and planning earlier for the last collection. The reason for this was a chaotic end of the year and new challenges at the beginning of the year that I had to face as an entrepreneur with children.


l'amour est bleu Gründerin & Designerin Thien Huynh




Corona Lockdown, Homeschooling and New Challenges

My idea was to spend a relaxed Christmas time with the four of us as a family and to use this time to design the new collection. You’ll laugh at me when I tell you that as recently as October I naively said, “I can’t imagine us going into a lockdown again”. Then two weeks before Christmas it came. For me, daycare centres, schools and shops were closed from one day to the next! I felt so betrayed of my good faith that I was unable to do anything creative. There I sat with two children, juggling childcare and my fashion business once again. At the same time as the shops closed, an avalanche of orders rolled in! I couldn’t believe my luck and euphorically coordinated and packed the countless orders. There was no end to the avalanche and it continues to this day.

After the Christmas holidays, an additional special surprise awaited me: I was appointed a full-time primary school teacher! Without any guidance or instruction, I was given this title and alternated daily between my different roles: Mother, educator, primary school teacher, wife and managing director of a fashion company. My creativity was buried under this functional mode and even in terms of time, I didn’t know when I should have designed the new collection, let alone get it all done. As the planned photo shoot date in early March got closer and closer, I tried to squeeze the designs out of my head and literally succumbed to the pressure of time and creativity. When I could no longer sleep at night, I postponed the date by four weeks. Four weeks gained to put the ideas for the new collection on paper.





l'amour est bleu Thien Huynh


“I love creating new designs! It feels incredibly fulfilling for me to realise my ideas. While I was copying designs like an assembly line at other companies, I can finally design properly for l’amour est bleu!”





Back to passion – designing

I love creating new designs! It feels insanely fulfilling for me to bring my ideas to life. While at other companies I copied designs like an assembly line, for l’amour est bleu I can finally design properly! You can imagine that I have a photographic memory for colours and shapes. Everything I see and perceive is stored in my head, sometimes designs are immediately created from it. A beautiful building, plants, tiles, a pattern, a jacket fastener…anything that catches my creative interest is stored in my head. Additionally, I use Pinterest, my phone and notebook to collect ideas. Developing a collection from all the inspirations is the hardest part of designing. Before each collection, I listen to myself, feel the current zeitgeist and think about the feedback from my customers. I look at the new collections of my favourite designers and brands to get an even better feel for the current needs of society. During each of these different steps, individual ideas appear here and there in my head until the first ideas develop into concrete designs. Then I draw them on paper and change some more details. In this way, one design after another emerges. This process needs a free mind, which I don’t always find in my everyday work with my family. So the first designs can take up to several weeks. Afterwards, I put all the designs next to each other and see if they will make a capsule collection. Questions like, “Can the garments be combined with each other? Are they versatile? Can they be combined with the old collections?” are the main questions. Then designs are taken out of the collection again or I add some more so that a coherent collection is created.





l'amour est bleu Blog Behind the scenes





Colours, fabrics and prices

The next step is the colours and fabrics. As a small fashion label, I am very limited when it comes to choosing sustainable fabrics, which sometimes drives me to the brink of madness. I only use certified sustainable fabrics to ensure that the fabrics have been produced under fair and environmentally friendly conditions and are free from skin damaging substances. I currently work mainly with between one and four sustainable fabric suppliers who meet my standards for design, quality and sustainability. 



l'amour est bleu Blog Behind the scenes





Now comes the unromantic part of designing the new collection, the price calculation. I have created a great Excel miracle for myself, in which I enter for each designed garment how much it costs in fabric and material consumption and what production costs I expect. I also add shipping, packaging and taxes and what retail price I want to offer it for. This is also the point where I decide which designs will stay in the collection or not. Often it fails because of the price, because there is not much I can do about most of the costs such as material, production, shipping, etc. For some designs, the selling price is too low because of the price. With some designs, the selling price is so high because of the material or the production costs that it doesn’t make sense for me. Because another crucial feature of l’amour est bleu is a fair price-performance ratio. It is important to me that the retail prices are in the right proportion to the product and that, above all, the seamstresses are paid fairly. If these criteria cannot be met, the design unfortunately has to go.





l'amour est bleu Gründerin & Designerin Thien Huynh





Engineering is also part of it

After the designs are determined, the cuts are made. A cut is constructed for each garment, consisting of all the individual parts of the garment. The cut determines the fit and drape of the garment and is therefore the most important part for the realisation of the design. Some of the new cuts I can create are based on existing cuts: Shorter sleeves, wider trouser leg, offset waist…it takes a few small adjustments and I quickly have the new cut ready. 





l'amour est bleu Blog Behind the scenes


For new designs, it is necessary to make completely new patterns, which takes a lot of time. I construct the new pattern, sew the pattern in nettle (a firm raw cotton fabric), try it on, make changes to the pattern and sew a new pattern. Only when the pattern is exactly what I want is the pattern finished. Sometimes during this step of the process I realise that the converted design does not meet my expectations and I have to say goodbye to the design and develop a new one. In the last step, a pattern is sewn in the original fabric, which we use for the photo shoot. I still make the cuts and patterns myself for the most part, because it is an essential part of designing for me.




Zeitgeist “Corona

If you ask about the current zeitgeist, everyone will answer “Corona”. The pandemic has fundamentally changed everyone’s lives and brought new needs into focus. Desires for greater work-life balance, sustainability, self-awareness and tranquillity are not new needs, but they have become more important as a result of the pandemic. “How can I meet these needs with the new collection?”, I asked myself when drawing the designs.





l'amour est bleu Gründerin Thien Huynh




The result is a collection that adapts fluidly to a wide range of everyday situations. Blouses, dresses and trousers that are comfortable to wear and made from easy-care, high-quality fabrics to withstand home offices and childcare. A stylish knitted jogging suit that lets you dress up for a video call and take a quick siesta on the sofa in between. Various individual pieces that you can easily combine to create countless looks. The new collection makes it easier for you to cope with the ever-changing challenges of everyday life. You shouldn’t have to waste time on your outfit in the morning and you shouldn’t have to change during the day. There is no more business, occasion or casual wear, you should wear what you feel like and always look dressed. It’s a lifestyle that appeals to both women and men. That’s why I designed the first unisex styles that both men and women can wear. I hope to do you some good with the new collection and to have created garments that bring joy back into the current time.



MY FAVOURITE LOOKS




Women’s knitted jogging suit Alek Wek

ECOVERO Viscose




Kimono jacke Adele

Tencel




nuuwaïVegan Hip Bag JORID

Apple leather





I’ll be wearing this casual outfit of knitted jogging suit and elegant kimono jacket on the first days of spring. The soft knit made of ECOVERO viscose (the most environmentally friendly viscose) keeps you nice and warm, is cosy and soft and has a high-quality look. For me, this is the new business suit! Add a vegan hip bag from nuuwai (brand new in the shop) and sneakers and you have a modern look for work and leisure time.





Unisex shirt Ellen

Organic cotton




EKYOG Slim fit Jeans

Organic cotton




Hoffnungsträger Buddha necklace

gold-plated





My second favourite piece from the new collection is the unisex Ellen shirt. It has a modern oversized cut and is versatile. On cooler days I will wear it with black slim fit jeans or leggings and add a gold necklace for a feminine touch. In summer, I’m looking forward to wearing it as a shirt dress with bare legs and sandals. Accentuate the waist with a belt and you have a comfortable summer look!





Dress Lakshmi

Tencel




Hoffnungsträger Flower of Life stretch bracelet

gold-plated




nuuwaï – Vegan Crossbody Bag – ELLI

aus Apfel-Leder





Of course a dress has to be one of my favourites! The Lakshmi ruffled dress in Tencel calls for summer. I will combine the Adele kimono jacket in beige with the tie belt to accentuate the waist. I’ll decorate the arms with eye-catching bracelets and combine it with the vegan crossbody bag by nuuwai in iced lavender – this colourful look is guaranteed to put you in a good mood!




WEITERLESEN



Fashion Revolution Week

Fashion Revolution Week: Why We Need to Get Involved More Than Ever


German version

The fashion industry is powered by cheap labour used to generate huge profits with low production costs. Fashion brands, both luxury and fast fashion brands, are built upon the mass exploitation of garment workers. That’s why Fashion Revolution is calling for a fair, safe, clean and transparent fashion industry. The organisation has been campaigning for a global fashion industry that conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit. 

As the Fashion Revolution Week will be happening from the 19th till the 25th of April, we would like to discuss what has been happening since the Rana Plaza disaster then the Covid-19 outbreak, why we need to get involved in the Fashion Revolution Week more than ever, and how we can make a positive change.




Since the Rana Plaza Disaster

In the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, which killed at least 1,132  garment workers and injured more than 2,500, brands suddenly felt compelled – by fear of reputational damage – to recompense for the loss of life. The $30 million endowment was underwritten by brands to help ease the burden for families of the deceased as well as those who sustained catastrophic wounds. However, the access to those funds has been difficult for many. Most of the survivors of the disaster got nothing from the brand or the government. 

Although brands started to disclose their own ‘Codes of Conduct’ on their website after the disaster, most of the time they mean nothing. Brand-led voluntary self-regulation of their own supply chains is never going to deliver meaningful labour rights protections for workers. Regulation defined by enforceable agreements between brands and the union that represent workers such as Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety can bring positive change. 

In 2013, Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) had already been working for years to press fashion brands to fundamentally change their approach to fire and building safety in Bangladesh in order to bring genuine safety improvements in factories. WRC successfully convinced brands to sign the historic Bangladesh Accord.

More than 145,000 safety violations have been detected under the Accord since 2013, of which 93% of safety issues identified during initial inspections are now remedied. Two and a half million garment workers are now working in vastly safer factories. The fashion industry needs to apply that model of enforceable agreements that obligate brands and retailers to pay a fair price to suppliers more so that it is possible for suppliers to maintain decent working conditions and good wages.

But that doesn’t mean that there are no sweatshops anymore. There’s still government opposition to freedom of association and unionisation. Sexual and physical abuse in factories remains rampant. Workers still do not receive severance when manufacturers go bankrupt.





Fashion Revolution Week


Photo via Pexels






Covid-19 Hit the Fashion Industry 

Over a year ago, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, like many industries, the fashion sector has been devastated by the pandemic. While setting off a series of seismic reactions within the global fashion industry supply chain, stores were forced to shut down to maintain social distancing and consumers’ purchases plummeted.

Brands responded by suspending or cancelling orders to their suppliers around the world and they refused to pay for orders already shipped, completed, or in production. Some brands demanded discounts from or delayed payments to their suppliers, relying on the “force majeure” clause in their contracts to shed responsibility for any financial loss incurred. As a result, suppliers were forced to accept prices for orders that are below the cost of production. With $16 billion worth of unpaid orders globally, these brands are leaving uncollected orders in factories and the most vulnerable populations without an income. 

Factory owners struggled to stay in business and had to fire, suspend workers, or reduce their pays. Workers lost 3-6 billion dollars in legally owed wages, which left garment workers exposed to widespread hunger and fear of human trafficking and gender-based violence.

 

One Year Later…

The situation for garment workers has only gotten worse. According to Fashion Revolution, There has been a 21% decline in garment worker wages across the globe, from an average of $187 per month down to $147 per month, while the top 20 best-performing brands have seen an 11% increase in their market cap. None of the most profitable brands put in any money for garment workers’ severance or relief. 1 in 4 laid off workers has not received legally mandated severance pay and has no safety nets to fall back upon, they are reporting hunger and food insecurity. 

Before the outbreak, a majority of garment industry workers in Pakistan were piece-rate workers. Only 20% could say that they were permanent contract workers. Very few of Pakistan’s big supplier companies paid the minimum wage as per the law. Normally they had 12-hour shifts and 4 hours of overtime but they were not paid the double rate for overtime work. There are no real unions in Pakistan’s garment industry. Workers, some of whom are trying to organise, are often subject to threats and violence. 

When the pandemic hit Pakistan, factories have thrown workers out of jobs. Once the schools opened in Pakistan, workers had to stop their children from going to school because they could not pay the fee asked.

 

Fashion Revolution




We Need Fashion Revolution Week More Than Ever

The pandemic has revealed how a core part of brands’ profitability is achieved by consistently underpaying suppliers and garment workers. The first concrete action that brands must take to improve garment workers’ lives is to pay their orders and fund unpaid workers. Moreover, timely payment by brands for completed orders is crucial for the health of the industry and the well-being of workers who rely on the timely payment of their wages. Brands also need to take a much tougher stance on gender-based violence and fear of retribution (In the manufacturing sector, which is often located in developing countries, 80% of garment workers are women). 

 

No one should die for fashion, and that’s why legally binding agreements between apparel brands and global trade unions help ensure that disasters like Rana Plaza never happen again. However, Bangladesh Accord will expire on 31st May 2021. If the Accord is not renewed, the safety of over 2 million workers in 1,600 garment factories will be left in the hands of voluntary, non-enforceable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which have been unable to prevent mass casualties.

You can do your part by sharing support for the Accord’s extension and calling upon brands to taken action to #ProtectProgress.

For more information about the Bangladesh Accord, you can watch this video from Clean Clothes Campaign here: (https://youtu.be/y96OuVozl7A




The producing countries and the garment workers have no voice. Sustainable fashion conversations in the West have no voices from the people close to the pain of the pandemic and brand’s unethical practices. But you can speak up for them by getting involved during Fashion Revolution Week.




Go to Fashion Revolution’s page to find out how you can take action.

Spreading words and increasing awareness among consumers can make our voices loud enough to be heard by powerful brands and retailers. The least we can do is share our privilege and platform to demand a humane, safe and dignified workplace for those whose cries for justice have been deliberately silenced and unheard for too long.








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We donate 5% of all purchases during Fashion Revolution Week to Fashion Revolution Germany so they can continue to advocate for textile workers’ rights.




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Fashion Revolution Week

Fashion Revolution Week: Warum wir uns mehr denn je engagieren müssen


English version

Seit jeher wird die Modeindustrie durch billige Arbeitskräfte angetrieben, um mit niedrigen Produktionskosten riesige Gewinne zu erzielen. Viele Modemarken, sowohl Luxus- als auch Fast-Fashion-Marken, sind auf der Massenausbeutung von Bekleidungsherstellern aufgebaut. Deshalb fordert die Fashion Revolution eine faire, sichere, saubere und transparente Modeindustrie. Die Organisation setzt sich für eine globale Modeindustrie ein, die die Umwelt schont und wiederherstellt sowie Menschen über Wachstum und Profit stellt.

Da die Fashion Revolution Week vom 19. bis 25. April stattfindet, möchten wir darüber berichten, was seit der Rana Plaza-Katastrophe und dem anschließenden Covid-19-Ausbruch passiert ist und warum wir uns mehr denn je für die Fashion Revolution Week engagieren müssen, um eine positive Veränderung zu bewirken.




Seit der Rana Plaza-Katastrophe

Nach der Rana-Plaza-Katastrophe im Jahr 2013, bei der mindestens 1.132 Textilarbeiter*innen ums Leben kamen und mehr als 2.500 verletzt wurden, sahen sich Marken plötzlich gezwungen – aus Angst vor Rufschädigung – Entschädigung zu zahlen. Die 30-Millionen-Dollar-Stiftung wurde von verschiedenen Modenunternehmen gezeichnet, um den Familien der Verstorbenen und denjenigen, die katastrophale Verletzungen erlitten hatten, die Last zu erleichtern. Allerdings war der Zugang zu diesen Geldern für viele schwierig. Die meisten Überlebenden der Katastrophe erhielten nichts von den Modeunternehmen oder der Regierung. 

Obwohl Marken nach der Katastrophe begannen, ihre eigenen “Verhaltenskodizes” auf ihrer Website offenzulegen, bedeuten sie meist nichts. Die freiwillige Kontrolle der eigenen Lieferketten durch die Modeunternehmen wird niemals einen sinnvollen Arbeitsrechtsschutz für die Arbeiter bieten. Eine Regelung, die durch durchsetzbare Vereinbarungen zwischen Modeunternehmen und den Gewerkschaften definiert wird, wie z. B. der Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, kann positive Veränderungen bringen. 

Im Jahr 2013 hatte das Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) bereits seit Jahren darauf hingearbeitet, Modemarken dazu zu drängen, ihre Herangehensweise an den Brand- und Gebäudeschutz in Bangladesch grundlegend zu ändern, um echte Sicherheitsverbesserungen in den Fabriken zu erreichen. Das WRC überzeugte die Marken erfolgreich davon, den Bangladesh Accord zu unterzeichnen.

Seit 2013 wurden im Rahmen der Vereinbarung mehr als 145.000 Sicherheitsverstöße festgestellt. 93 % der bei den ersten Inspektionen festgestellten Sicherheitsprobleme sind inzwischen behoben. Zweieinhalb Millionen Textilarbeiter arbeiten jetzt in wesentlich sichereren Fabriken. Die Modeindustrie hat die Aufgabe dieses Modell durchsetzbarer Vereinbarungen anzuwenden und die Marken und Einzelhändler dazu verpflichten, den Zulieferern einen fairen Preis zu zahlen, damit es für die Zulieferer möglich ist, menschenwürdige Arbeitsbedingungen und gute Löhne zu erhalten.

Das heißt aber nicht, dass es keine Sweatshops mehr gibt. Es gibt immer noch den Widerstand der Regierung gegen Vereinigungsfreiheit und gewerkschaftliche Organisierung. Sexueller und körperlicher Missbrauch in Fabriken ist nach wie vor weit verbreitet. Arbeiter erhalten immer noch keine Abfindungen, wenn Hersteller in Konkurs gehen.

Das heißt aber nicht, dass es keine Sweatshops mehr gibt. Es gibt immer noch den Widerstand der Regierung gegen Vereinigungsfreiheit und gewerkschaftliche Organisierung. Sexueller und körperlicher Missbrauch in Fabriken ist nach wie vor weit verbreitet. Arbeiter erhalten immer och keine Abfindungen, wenn Hersteller in Konkurs gehen, 





Fashion Revolution Week


Photo via Pexels






Covid-19 trifft die Modeindustrie und ihre Lieferkette

Vor über einem Jahr wurde die Welt von der Corona-Pandemie heimgesucht. Wie viele Branchen wurde auch die Modebranche von der Pandemie erschüttert. Während sie eine Reihe von Folgereaktionen innerhalb der globalen Lieferkette der Modeindustrie auslöste, mussten Geschäfte schließen, um die soziale Distanz zu wahren, und die Käufe der Konsumenten gingen stark zurück.

Die Marken reagierten, indem sie Bestellungen bei ihren Lieferanten auf der ganzen Welt aussetzten oder stornierten, und sie weigerten sich, für bereits ausgelieferte, fertiggestellte oder in Produktion befindliche Bestellungen zu zahlen. Einige Marken verlangten von ihren Lieferanten Rabatte oder verzögerten die Zahlungen und beriefen sich auf die “Force Majeure“-Klausel in ihren Verträgen, um die Verantwortung für entstandene finanzielle Verluste abzuwehren. Infolgedessen waren die Lieferanten gezwungen, Preise für Aufträge zu akzeptieren, die unter den Produktionskosten lagen. Mit weltweit unbezahlten Aufträgen im Wert von 16 Milliarden Dollar lassen diese Modeunternehmen die Fabriken und die schwächsten Bevölkerungsgruppen ohne Einkommen zurück. 

Fabrikbesitzer kämpften darum im Geschäft zu bleiben, und mussten Arbeiter entlassen, suspendieren oder ihre Löhne kürzen. Die Arbeiterinnen und Arbeiter verloren 3-6 Milliarden Dollar an rechtlich geschuldeten Löhnen, wodurch die Textilarbeiter*innen Hungersnöten und der Angst vor Menschenhandel sowie geschlechtsspezifischer Gewalt ausgesetzt waren. 

 

Ein Jahr später…

Die Situation für Textilarbeiter ist nur noch schlimmer geworden. Die Löhne der Textilarbeiter*innen sind weltweit um 21% gesunken, von durchschnittlich 187 Dollar pro Monat auf 147 Dollar pro Monat, während die 20 umsatzstärksten Modemarken einen Anstieg ihrer Marktkapitalisierung um 11% verzeichnen konnten. Keine der profitabelsten Marken hat Geld für Abfindungen oder Entlastungen der Textilarbeiter bereitgestellt. Einer von vier entlassenen Arbeitern hat keine gesetzlich vorgeschriebene Abfindung erhalten und hat kein Sicherheitsnetz, auf das er zurückgreifen kann, so dass er von Hunger und existenziellen Nöten betroffen ist.

Vor dem Ausbruch der Krise waren die meisten Arbeiter in der Bekleidungsindustrie in Pakistan Akkordarbeiter. Nur 20 % konnten sagen, dass sie unbefristete Vertragsarbeiter waren. Nur sehr wenige der großen pakistanischen Zulieferbetriebe zahlten den gesetzlich vorgeschriebenen Mindestlohn. Normalerweise hatten sie 12-Stunden-Schichten und 4 Stunden Überstunden, aber sie bekamen nicht den doppelten Satz für Überstunden bezahlt. In der pakistanischen Bekleidungsindustrie gibt es keine echten Gewerkschaften. Die Arbeiter, von denen einige versuchen, sich zu organisieren, sind oft Drohungen und Gewalt ausgesetzt. 

Als die Pandemie in Pakistan ausbrach, haben die Fabriken die Arbeiter entlassen. Als die Schulen in Pakistan eröffnet wurden, mussten die Kinder der Textilarbeiter nicht zur Schule zu gehen, weil sie die Schulgebühren nicht bezahlen konnten. 

Fashion Revolution




Wir brauchen die Fashion Revolution Week mehr denn je

Die Pandemie hat aufgedeckt, wie ein zentraler Teil der Profitabilität von Marken durch die konsequente Unterbezahlung von Lieferanten und Textilarbeitern erzielt wird. Die erste konkrete Maßnahme, die Modeunternehmen ergreifen sollten, um das Leben der Textilarbeiter zu verbessern, ist die Bezahlung ihrer Aufträge und die Finanzierung unbezahlter Arbeiter. Darüber hinaus ist eine pünktliche Bezahlung der abgeschlossenen Aufträge durch die Unernehmen entscheidend für die Gesundheit der Branche und das Wohlergehen der Arbeiter, die auf die pünktliche Zahlung ihrer Löhne angewiesen sind. Modemarken müssen auch eine viel härtere Haltung gegenüber geschlechtsspezifischer Gewalt und der Angst vor Vergeltung einnehmen (im verarbeitenden Gewerbe, das oft in Entwicklungsländern angesiedelt ist, sind 80 % der Textilarbeiter Frauen). 

Niemand sollte für Mode sterben, und deshalb tragen rechtsverbindliche Vereinbarungen zwischen Bekleidungsmarken und globalen Gewerkschaften dazu bei, dass sich Katastrophen wie Rana Plaza nie wieder ereignen. Das Bangladesch-Abkommen wird jedoch am 31. Mai 2021 auslaufen. Wird das Abkommen nicht erneuert, wird die Sicherheit von mehr als 2 Millionen Arbeitern in 1.600 Bekleidungsfabriken in den Händen von freiwilligen, nicht durchsetzbaren Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)-Initiativen liegen, die nicht in der Lage waren, Massenopfer zu verhindern.

Du kannst deinen Teil dazu beitragen, indem du deine Unterstützung für die Verlängerung des Abkommens teilst und Modemarken dazu aufforderst, Maßnahmen wie die Initiative #ProtectProgress zu ergreifen.

Für weitere Informationen über das Bangladesh Abkommen kannst du dir dieses Video der Clean Clothes Campaign ansehen (https://youtu.be/y96OuVozl7A).




Die Produktionsländer und die Textilarbeiter haben kein Stimme. Gespräche über nachhaltige Mode im West haben keine Stimmen von den Menschen, die nahe am Schmerz der Pandemie und der unethischen Praktiken der Modemarken sind. Aber du kannst dich dafür einsetzen, indem du dich während der Fashion Revolution Week engagierst. 




Gehe auf die Seite von Fashion Revolution, um herauszufinden, wie du aktiv werden kannst.

Mundpropaganda und die Bewusstseinssteigerung unter den Konsumenten kann unsere Stimmen laut genug machen, um von mächtigen Modemarken und Einzelhändlern gehört zu werden. Das Mindeste, was wir tun können ist, unsere Möglichkeiten und Stimme zu nutzen, um einen humanen, sicheren und würdigen Arbeitsplatz für diejenigen zu fordern, deren Schreie nach Gerechtigkeit schon zu lange absichtlich zum Schweigen gebracht wurden und ungehört bleiben.








Shoppe und Spende






Wir spenden 5% aller Bestellungen während der Fashion Revolution Week an Fashion Revolution Germany, damit sie sich weiterhin für die Rechte der Textilarbeiter einsetzen können.




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Why The Fashion Industry Needs To Empower Women More

Fashion Industry Needs To Empower Women More


German version

At l’amour est bleu, as a female-founded and led fashion brand, March 8th is an important day for us. International Women’s Day (IWD), a day dedicated to recognising the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. While women should certainly be celebrated every day, we are thankful that an awareness day like IWD recognises all the strides women are making in today’s landscape. 

Female Empowerment  – having or taking more control over all aspects of life as a woman, while acquiring power in society. The term has been used frequently in recent years in political, educational, ecological and social situations. But besides spreading the word of empowerment for marketing purposes, does the fashion industry actually practise what it preaches?




Women in the Fashion Industry Right Now

According to the World Bank data, women comprise around 39% of the workforce across the world and the number has seen an upward trend in the last two decades. Although the total number of workers in the fashion industry is uncertain, it is estimated that the textile, clothing, and footwear sector worldwide employ about 60 million to 75 million people, and three-quarters of them are women.

For such a female-centric industry, the fashion industry is plagued with ethical problems and doesn’t empower the majority of women who work in it. Gender-based inequality remains a problem throughout the industry, from the highest levels of management to the shop floor and the factory floor. Only 12.5% of apparel and retail companies in the Fortune 1000 are led by women. Even in the “higher end” fashion industry, the majority of fashion houses are still helmed by male designers. The lack of female executives is troubling given that women often enter the fashion industry early in their careers. 

We also often hear news of women who are marginalised or abused. The evidence of the continued marginalisation of women that occurred in the #MeToo movement in 2017 and 2018 had revealed egregious male behaviour in this world. Many female models themselves have been speaking out about abuse, body shaming, and racism. 

In the manufacturing sector, which is often located in developing nations, 80% of the world’s garment workers are women. A lot of these women garment workers are vulnerable and face a host of challenges ranging from low wages and unsafe working conditions to domestic violence. One statistics showed that around 60% of Bangladeshi garment workers have suffered from sexual harassment. An Oxfam 2019 report found that 0% of Bangladeshi garment workers and 1% of Vietnamese garment workers earned a living wage. Because they are not paid enough money to support themselves and their families, their daughters often start working at factories as young as 10 years old. 





Why Fashion Industry Needs To Empower Women More


Photo via Pexels






What Can the Fashion Industry Do to Empower Women?

The fashion industry has the capacity and the responsibility to use its influence to positively impact women. Brands can start by communicating more empowering messages to consumers through editorial content, brand messaging and even models by ensuring women are properly represented, supported, and embraced no matter the size, colour, or background. Moreover, brands must allow customers to connect their purchases with a human face and with the art and process of garment making. 

Fashion must also solve the internal problems of injustices and inequalities that remain within the industry itself. The fashion community is filled with talented and independent females but they are underrepresented in leadership positions across the sector. Gender equality and sexual respect should be greater priorities in the workplaces. 

Companies must end opportunity discrimination. Women may not always receive the same opportunities as men in equal measure. Leadership teams and the board should have gender balance, which would reduce the rink on the bottom line, ability to grow, and maintain and attract talent. A report from PWC found that among apparel companies in the Fortune 1000, female-led companies are almost twice as profitable as companies with male CEOs. In fact, when a company augments female leadership by 30%, it experiences a 15% boost in profitability, and companies with women in upper-level management have better “innovation intensity”, producing an average of 20% more patents than teams with male leaders. 

Education can be one of the best ways to empower young women. According to UNICEF, investing in girls completing the next level of education could lead to lifetime earnings of up to 68% of annual GDP. The fashion industry should seek to tackle these underlying issues limiting access to quality education. It could be done by setting up financial support through apprenticeship programmes to keep girls in school and learn skills that will be able to help themselves. 

Why The Fashion Industry Needs To Empower Women More




Things Consumers Can Do to Make a Difference

There are many things you can do to celebrate IWD. Pick up a feminist book, send a flower to women you love. But if you aim to make a difference in the fashion industry, buying something from a female-owned (and led) brand or a brand that ensures fair wages and safe working conditions in their supply chain can be a good place to start. 

We can also be part of conversations on social media. Although female empowerment and gender equality are complex, deep-rooted, societal issues will take time. But we can advance the conversations about the evolving role of women in corporate leadership, sexual harassment, and supporting vulnerable women in the supply chain. Social media allows us to communicate with brands and their actions and choices of editors, stylists, photographers, and chief executives to be held accountable.

As consumers, we are a crucial part of the fashion industry, in fact, we fuel its activities. It’s important to educate ourselves about gender inequality issues and use our money on companies that focus on female empowerment.




Our purchasing decisions impact the lives of millions of women from the manufacturer of raw material to female brand owners. Supporting females who push the industry forward by shifting your habits towards more conscious consumption can make a lot of difference, especially during these challenging times.




These women are working to create a more responsible, sustainable and diverse fashion industry. And incredible things can happen when women support each other.








How we empower women




l'amour est bleu Gründerin Thien Huynh

A company founded and run by women

 

l’amour est bleu was founded by me – Thien Huynh – over three years ago. In the meantime, we have grown into a three-person woman-power team. You can learn more about the team here.




GOTS

GOTS certified materials

 

Over 95% of our materials are GOTS certified. The Global Organic Textile Standard defines environmental requirements at a high level along the entire textile production chain, while also requiring compliance with social criteria. Learn more about our fabrics here.






l'amour est bleu Team Annika Oestreich

Local and produced by women

Our tailors are an important part of l’amour est bleu. Thanks to their skills, you can wear our garments which accompany you for many, many years. Each piece is sewn under fair working conditions in Berlin. Learn more about our production here. 




Fashion that empowers women

We make fashion that women feel unconditionally comfortable in. Versatility, comfortable cuts and breathable fabrics empower women to focus on the important things in life.




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The environmental impacts of online shopping

The Environmental Impacts of Online Shopping


GERMAN version

You are probably shopping more online since the pandemic. It might be easier for you to get your package delivered to your door than going to a physical shop, but between plastic packaging, carbon emissions and returns headed straight for landfill, there are hidden environmental impacts of online shopping. With millions of people turning to online shopping for everything from groceries to shoes, the pandemic has fundamentally altered the way people shop.

Digital sales increased by 71% in the second quarter of 2020 and 55% in the third. More than 65% of European and US consumers expect to decrease their overall spending on apparel but expect to spend more via online and social channels during the Covid-19 outbreak. As consumers spending more time at home, small uplifting acts of clothes shopping are helping them cling onto a sense of reality.

But what are the environmental impacts of this newfound obsession with online shopping? Could these consumption habits be problematic for the planet?




The Impact of Shipping

One part of the retail supply chain called “the last mile delivery”: the distance between a store to a customer, or in the case of online shopping, the distance between the distribution centre to the customer. The demand for “the last mile delivery, including “brick & click” (when people order online and the product is delivered from a physical retail store) and purely online retailers, is expected to grow 78% by 2030. There could be leading to 36% more delivery vehicles in 100 cities around the world, meaning more emission, pollution and congestion.

If you used to drive cars to stores before the lockdown, online shopping is more eco-friendly. The main cause of this is the emissions produced by the customer driving to the store. The energy used to power a retail store also has an impact on the sustainability of physical shopping. However, people tend to order one item at a time when shopping online, whereas they stock up on multiple items when visiting a store. The smallest carbon footprint occurs when you order directly from physical stores.





The environmental impact of online shopping


Foto: https://www.unsplash.com






Fast Delivery: Convenient but bad for the Environment

We used to be prepared to wait a few days for the products to get to us. Fast delivery tends to mean stuff gets moved in smaller quantities and vehicles shooting all over the place making single deliveries.

The express shipping options such as next day delivery has the potential of increasing carbon emissions because the air freight produces around three times more emissions than maritime or road shipping. The fast delivery in the last mile delivery is growing by 36% to 17% annually. Amazon, for example, already delivers to 72% of all customers within 24 hours.




The Harmful Impacts of Returns to the Environment

One key factor that needs to be considered is the impact of returns. According to GreenStory’s studies, only 6 – 8% of clothing items are returned when purchased from a physical store, compared to 30% of online orders. In Germany, one in three orders online is returned. A shocking 20% of these online returns end up in landfill because they are unable to be resold by the retailer.

Some people also buy things, particularly clothes, with the intention of returning much of their order, which results in more carriage and mileage.




A shocking 20% of these online returns end up in landfill because they are unable to be resold by the retailer.




The Real Dimension of Packaging

The e-commerce channels, on average, tend to produce more emissions and waste per item. Online purchases produce more packaging waste and multi-item orders often result in multiple deliveries. As digital sales are increasing, it is creating waves of packaging waste. In the US, nearly a third of solid waste comes from e-commerce packaging.

The packaging is ultimately destined for the landfill or incinerated. According to Canopy, some 3 billion trees are cut down every year to produce 241 million tons of shipping cartons, cardboard mailers, void-fill wrappers, and other paper-based packaging.

The film and wrap that goes into bubble mailers are often not accepted by recycling programs. There’s also the question of contamination. If one of these bubble mailers gets to a material recovery facility, it’s going to disrupt the automated machines and take away valuable time and money that can be focused on plastics.




What Can We Do To Reduce Environmental Impacts?

To lower CO2 emissions without affecting profit, some possible solutions are night-time deliveries to reduce traffic by 15%, or “click & collect” customers collection from the pick-up point, which allows couriers to bring a lot of stuff to one place at once. You can also consider reducing the CO2 emissions by shopping locally (products produced in your local area or companies based in your local area so that the products are not shipped to you from far away).

For the packaging waste issue, 100% recycled materials should be utilised. Recycled and post-consumer recycled materials reduce the impact on forest, and use both less water and energy to produce. Innovative materials such as bioplastic which is manufactured from agricultural residues. They take a maximum of 2 years to fully degrade, and they leave no trace in the soil once they break down.

While greening efforts by online retailers are important, until we shift our attitude, the current carbon footprint and packaging waste will be hard obstacles to overcome. We, consumers, need to educate ourselves and change your expectations.

We all expect free-shipping everywhere we shop, but the cost of shipping is quite high on a societal level. Just by choosing a pick-up option and putting a little effort, you can reduce your carbon footprint drastically. You can also consider choosing retailers that are incorporating eco-friendly delivery options (such as zero-emission transportation) or sustainable packaging. Also, try not to return things as much as possible. Keep in mind, the best way to reduce environmental impacts is by only buying things that you really need.




How we reduce our impact on the environment




l'amour est bleu nachhalitge Versandverpackung

Sustainable Packaging

 

Our shipping packaging is made of 100% recycled paper and printed with eco inks. All materials can be completely recycled again.




l'amour est bleu nachhaltiger Versand

Sustainable Shipping

 

We ship climate-neutral via DHL. For multiple orders, all items are shipped in one package.






l'amour est bleu lokale Produktion

Local Production

 

We design, develop and produce all garments in Germany. This saves long transport routes and supports the local textile industry.




l'amour est bleu made to order

Made to order

 

98% of our garments are made to order. This saves natural resources and avoids overproduction. 




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Made to order

Slow Fashion made to order


Do you believe in fate? A very spiritual question to start a blog post, I know. I believe in fate because many things in my life have worked out the way I wanted them to. Many wishes did not come true as well, but in those cases I tell myself that it’s also fate!

When l’amour est bleu was still an idea in my head, I wanted to found a sustainable fashion label that sells fashion made to order. Since I have always lived by the motto “at all or not at all”, this was the most sustainable way for me to make fashion. My idea was to design collections, set up an order phase and then only order as much fabric and have garments sewn as they were ordered. But this way of making fashion was extremely revolutionary, if not utopian, for others.




Nobody will wait two weeks for fashion

Everyone advised me against “Made to order”, from friends to business consultants. “No customer will wait two weeks for fashion” or “this business model is not scalable”, were the comments. Nevertheless, I remained true to my vision, but the biggest hurdle was the fashion industry itself. It wasn’t made for this kind of supply chain. The sustainable fashion industry was then (two years ago!) much smaller than it is today and introducing a new supply chain in this industry was impossible. Well, it would have worked out with a lot of money and time, which I didn’t have either. The conventional fashion industry works like this: long lead times, high quantities, high investment, high risk. We are working on a summer collection with a lead time of one year and should decide which fabrics and styles will be combined to a collection for next year. We estimate how many pieces in which sizes will be produced and the collection is ready. Then we close our eyes and keep our fingers crossed. This system works so well that companies like H&M or Burberry burn millions of clothes every year. I spent a lot of time explaining my concept to fabric suppliers and producers and although they were in favour of the sustainable approach, they did not want to or could not realize made to order.





fashion industry




You have to pander to the powerful fashion industry  

In the end I gave up and had my first collection pre-produced conventionally – four styles with 50 pieces per style each, divided into the sizes S, M and L. The bank that financed my idea liked this method better, too. The second and third collections I realized in the same way, only with smaller quantities. The same thing happened that happened with all fashion brands: I couldn’t sell some styles. From years of experience I put the size emphasis of l’amour est bleu on the size M and had to find out that my customers mainly buy size S. Then of course there are styles that are sold more slowly than others. In the German fashion industry these are affectionately called “Penner” which means bums. That worried me a lot, because the unsold clothes were tied money, which I needed as an investment for the next collections. What should I do now? Sell the leftovers in SALE below value? Give it away to influencers? I did nothing of the kind, but kept a long breath. After all, my designs are timeless and seasonless, i.e. I didn’t have to sell the spring-summer collection in one season. So the cash register fills up more slowly, but I don’t devalue my fashion and the work behind it.




Fate led me to Made to order

Nevertheless the idea of making high investments for each collection and having too many clothes made that can’t be sold annoyed me. Last year, the means were no longer sufficient to pre-finance the next collection. When the bank refused another loan, I panicked. Was it the end now? I can’t just skip a collection, can I? And then my old vision came back into my head: Why not try out Made to order? Theoretically, I still had enough clothes to sell, but a new collection should bring a breath of fresh air. After all, what did I have to lose? In the worst case I wouldn’t have sold one piece of the Made to order collection and would have only invested the costs for the fabrics and my time. Since this idea occurred to me at very short notice, unfortunately there was no time to have the samples made by my pattern maker and factory in Jahnsdorf.





l'amour est bleu made to order




Now I walk to Karen at least once a week to pick up my finished orders…I think it couldn’t have been better. You won’t believe it but it gets even better: The Made to order collection is currently the most successful collection of l’amour est bleu!




Even the highest hurdle can be overcome

The sample collection was the simpler challenge in the implementation of Made to order. The much bigger challenge was to find tailors who sew the orders for me. The U&N studio was not able to do this project because the factory was not made for such flexible orders. In the end it was my friend Jovan from j.jackman who gave me a hand. She read about my Made to order project on Instagram and suggested I try it with her dressmaker. j.jackman offers modern business fashion, which is also made to order in Berlin. Thanks to Jovan my orders are sewn by Karen now. She is a freelance tailor and has her own studio, which is a ten minutes walk away from me. Now I walk to Karen at least once a week to pick up my finished orders…I think it couldn’t have been better. You won’t believe it but it gets even better: The Made to order collection is currently the most successful collection of l’amour est bleu! That makes me so incredibly proud that my vision has come true. It makes me all the more proud that there are so many women who are willing to wait two to three weeks for a garment. This gives me hope that all my efforts to make the fashion world more sustainable are not in vain. To return to my introductory question. Yes, I believe in fate and that your dreams can come true. And if one or the other dream doesn’t come true, something much better is waiting for you.



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l'amour est bleu Made in Germany

Where is your dress from?


“Where are you from?” A question I have been asked countless times in my life. If your origin is so obvious that people ask you about it, then at some point you will learn to deal with it. The funny thing is that I was born in Germany or more precisely in Hamburg. But nobody is satisfied with this answer. What seems to interest us so much in people, does not interest us in clothing. The origin of a garment is just as diverse as that of a human being.




Your heritage is a part of you

My parents were born in Vietnam, got to know each other in Germany and gave birth to me in the beautiful city of Hamburg. Since my childhood my origin has been a central theme in my life. From my difficult name to my appearance, the people around me had enough clues to keep asking me about my origins. In my youth, the society was not as tolerant of foreign cultures as it is today. The prejudices and insults against my appearance and my culture led to the fact that I began to reject my origin. Sometimes I just wanted to be like everyone around me and not be different. The older I got, the more I realized that my origins were an integral part of me that I could not deny. I started to convince myself that it is something special to be different from most of the people around me. I kept doing that until I finally realized that it was true.





l'amour est bleu Sweater




Where did your clothes come from?

As obvious as my origin is, so unseen is the origin of a garment. I would like people to show the same interest for the origin of their clothing as they do for the people around them. But people tend not to want to deal with the uncomfortable reality. The origin of a garment is at least as diverse as that of a human being. In the case of organic cotton, the material is grown in India, Turkey or America. There the material is harvested and processed into cotton yarn. The fabric is sometimes produced in the same country, but mostly in another country. There the yarn is dyed and processed into the fabric of the garment that you will later hold in your hands. Until then, the garment is not yet born, because it is usually made in another country. There, the fabric is cut and processed by seamstresses to the garment that you buy. But here, too, there are differences.




Thanks to this rumour, however, some people are sceptical when they see that the organic cotton from the Parisienne comes from India, the fabric was woven in Portugal and the dress was sewn in Germany. The reader of gossip news will immediately think: “What are you trying to tell me, your dress was sewn in India!”




In Germany, you do not have to specify the country of origin for a product. What is regulated by law, however, is the definition of the country of origin. The country in which the essential part of a product was manufactured corresponds to the country of origin. It should be clear to everyone which parts of a garment are essential. Nevertheless, it does not prevent fashion brands from producing the majority of a T-shirt somewhere in Asia and having the label sewn on in Germany in order to label it with “Made in Germany”. Those rumors exist and whether these incidents actually happened, I could not investigate in a hurry, because the Internet mainly tells me that VW has damaged the good reputation of “Made in Germany” with the emissions scandal. Thanks to this rumour, however, some people are sceptical when they see that the organic cotton from the Parisienne comes from India, the fabric was woven in Portugal and the dress was sewn in Germany. The reader of gossip news will immediately think: “What are you trying to tell me, your dress was sewn in India!”





Your story makes you special




I know the origin of my fashion

There might be fashion brands that work this way. But I don’t do that. I know the origin of every garment in my collection, from the material to the place of manufacture. I know that all the work is done under environmentally friendly and fair conditions. I am proud to say that the fashion of l’amour est bleu is entirely made  in Germany. I know the people in Jahnsdorf who sew my collections (not every single one, but some) and I know the seamstresses who sew my made-to-order collections in Berlin. I share this information openly with you, because I want to create awareness in our society for the origin of our clothing. It is my wish that we not only ask ourselves where the person next to us comes from, but also where the dress in my hand comes from and under which conditions it was made.



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