I find myself uniquely inspired by revitalized or consciously commercialized artisan skills from the past. Perhaps it comes from my own frustrations at the lack of authentic souvenirs I find when traveling – or perhaps I have an over-romanticized idea of the loving and creative output by those who produce products in ways traditional to them.
The fast fashion industry has come close to eradicating artisan products altogether. Offering unsafe working conditions and slave wages to create meaningless clothing as quickly as possible without consideration for the planet or its inhabitants. For point of comparison, in factories for H&M, Topshop, Zara, Forever 21 and other such gluttonous giants or profit over people morality, production time is reduced to less than 5-15 minutes per garment, during a 12-hour work day, with no breaks, under stressful and unsafe conditions. A situation in which output very much dictates ones already lower than a living wage.
Brands like Tamay & Me, Ten Thousand Villages, Victoria Road NYC, Matter Prints, The Summer House, Artisan & Fox, and OFKT are some of many ethical fashion brands committed to social and environmental sustainability. They are working to provide artisans with meaningful income through their crafts, taking skilled workers out of the fast fashion factories and offering them a sustainable income which utilizes and values their crafts and traditions. Creating one-of-a-kind, timeless and elegant pieces of art made to last which can be passed down through the generations. Investing in you, the planet and your fellow human with hopeful and productive intention.
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