Fashion Revolution Week is all about awareness. The #whomademyclothes campaign runs from April 23-29 each year, falling on the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory collapse which killed 1138 people in 2013. During Fashion Revolution Week, brands and producers are encouraged to demonstrate transparency in their supply chain, and it’s something we’re more than happy to do at The Fashion Advocate.
The information surrounding ethics can be overwhelming and convoluted, which is why we’ve created The Fashion Advocate Transparency Guide – a series of simple posts to unpack the supply chains of the Australian designers and labels in The Fashion Advocate community. Over Fashion Revolution Week, we'll be sharing the stories behind each one of our labels, and answering questions about manufacturing and ethics, to drive change and push for improvement in the fashion industry.
As a community, we take responsibility for the impact that our industry has on people and the planet. Lauren Trickey is at the forefront of this revolution, and as the Founder of Lauren and Angie, she’s passionate about ethics.
After finishing her degree in Fashion Design in 2013, Lauren launched her label to fight the fast fashion craze. She wanted to create something different that she could feel good about wearing while embracing sustainability. Working from her home-studio in Geelong, Lauren now handmakes her collections in small runs, cutting, sewing and finishing, spending hours on each special piece.
Fashion Revolution Week is all about transparency. Who makes your range?
I make all Lauren + Angie pieces in my home studio in small runs. There’s no factories and no mass production, just simple clothing made with love.
Why are ethics important to you as a designer?
No one should be exploited for anything, especially clothing. I want to know that the people making my clothes (or anything I buy) have enjoyed making them and that they have been paid fairly, just like I would expect those things myself. Without ethics - without that thought process - society would become lost in consumerism, and we would lose the craftsmanship that adds value to things we love.
Fashion has the power to drive global change. How are you changing the world for the better?
I promote slow fashion through the garments I create, and I hope Lauren and Angie encourages people to cherish fashion and appreciate handmade items again. I encourage people to support ethical handmade clothes and to buy things that can be worn season after season to be sustainable. It all helps to reduce the amount of waste we produce each year too.
The Fashion Advocate x
