Hi! Today's seminar we was introduced to a documentary called The True Cost, directed by Andrew Morgan and produced by Michael Ross. The documentary was targeted at the environmental and social impact of Fashion.
Oh my gosh did it make me think!
I am the epitome of a selfish shopper in that whenever I purchase anything, whether it be a new pair of shoes or a slightly more expensive designer handbag, I never stop and think, "I wonder who and where this was made?" or "Do they get paid enough for the job they've done?".
Without even realising it, the price of goods just keep dropping, particularly in high street stores. Of course, this suits the majority of humans beings who have disposable income to spend - who doesn't love getting a bit of money off their purchase?
Not long ago it was Black Friday. In America where it initially came about - it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas season, acting as a holiday due to employers giving their staff a day off as part of Thanksgiving weekend. Now, us Brits have adopted this into our yearly routine but for all of the wrong reasons - with retailers using this festive weekend by cutting retail prices to 50% or more. (I love a good bargain, don't get me wrong! But I can't stand nothing more in the world than fighting other customers for clothes that we both don't need!).
The True Cost gave us a raw representation of what goes on behind the scenes, including the horrific word environments which third world staff members are forced to work in on a daily bases, as well as the excessively poor income they receive and call wages (which is as little as $10 per month!). Early 2014 it came aware that garment factories weren't paying their staff minimum wage - leaving many workers going home with only $2 for a days work.
Now more than ever, consumers are becoming much more aware of where their products are being made - hopefully this will continue for many years to come!
If you haven't seen this documentary then I highly recommend it - it is very emotional but it's definitely an eye opener for anyone who isn't aware of these conditions. If you have a Netflix account you'll be able to find it there but if not I'll post the link and a trailer video below:
Brandi Kristine
Photo Credit: Google
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