This spring, we are proud to support Katherine Hamnett’s Living Wage Initiative, as it highlights a prominent issue in today’s fashion industry. Around the world millions of people, mainly women, work supplying clothes to major fashion brands for wages well below the cost of living.
In commemoration of this sad reality, Hamnett has created a special T-shirt with the logo: “No More Fashion Victims. Pay Living Wage Now”, to mark the one year anniversary on April 24th of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, in which over 1,100 Bangladeshi workers lost their lives.
The concept of a living wage represents a significant development over the minimum wage, in that it is calculated according to the needs of the worker and their family, not according to labour market rates. By ensuring that all workers can earn enough to support their families and to invest in the future of their children, a decent wage offers people the chance to work their way out of poverty and build towards a better future.
To see more of Katherine Hamnett’s inspirational work check out her website here.
And next time you go shopping think before you spend. Over 100 brands have signed up to the legally binding Bangladesh Safety Accord, such as Arcadia, Bonmarche, Debenhams, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Matalan, Mothercare, New Look, Next, Primark, River Island, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. But two of the world’s major brands, Gap and Asda, have failed to sign up.
