April in Fashion, Condensed.
10 years since Rana Plaza, ThredUp's fashion footprint calculator, plus a conversation with author and journalist Lucianne Tonti about her book, Sundressed.
Hello there,
Let’s talk about the monarchy, shall we? Currently, in the UK, you can’t turn a corner without seeing King Charles’ face. Union flags are everywhere, from Oxford Street to your local Tesco. As the city prepares for the £100 million taxpayer-funded coronation of a man whose fortune was recently estimated at £1.8 billion, I have been thinking about the common threads between fashion and the monarchy.
I recently visited the Crown to Couture exhibition at Kensington Palace, which compared royal court fashion to red carpet glamour. What this exhibition didn’t highlight were the other parallels, like the deeply rooted colonialism that lined and continues to fill the pockets of royals and fashion CEOs alike. Or the direct links to the slave trade and the systemic extraction of wealth and resources from the poorest nations in the world to fund the richest.
If you can’t already tell, I think the monarchy is an outdated institution, but I can’t deny that Charles’ environmental advocacy has shown the monarchy’s potential and capacity to drive positive change. Already, the impending coronation has been a catalyst for more critical conversations about the legacy, failings and purpose of the royals in 2023 and beyond.
Fashion is in a similar state of self-reflection. Last month, I saw a groundswell of discussion about fashion’s impact as Fashion Revolution Week, Earth Month and the anniversary of the Rana Plaza factory disaster coincided. For my Harper’s Bazaar story below, Shruti Singh, country head of Fashion Revolution India told me: “There are a lot of commitments, but we have to move past them to radical action.”
Indeed, we should continue to discuss and challenge fashion’s systemic issues, but we can’t stop there. The conversation has to be followed by systemic change, otherwise, what is the point? As for the royals, I hope that the increased scrutiny of their wealth, influence and relevance will lead to a more contemporary firm that acknowledges and makes reparations for its impact.
As ever, I love to hear from you. Hit reply at the end of the email to get in touch.
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Until next month,
Meg X
Things I Did Write
A Decade on from Rana Plaza, How Much has Improved for Garment Workers? for Harper’s Bazaar
I spoke to Ruth Ogier from poverty charity War On Want, campaigner Mayisha Begum from Oh So Ethical and Shruti Singh from Fashion Revolution India for this piece that delves into what has changed in the decade since the Rana Plaza factory collapse.
Things I Didn’t Write
A Decade Since Rana Plaza: Has Anything Changed? by Sophie Benson for Atmos
“I Don’t Want To Waste Any More Time”: 6 Female Eco-Pioneers Shaking Up The Fashion Industry From Within by Emily Chan for British Vogue
How Shoppers Got Tricked By Vegan Leather by Amanda Mull for the Atlantic
‘I Have An Invisible Disability Myself’: Edward Enninful And Sinéad Burke On Their Fashion Revolution by Zoe Williams for the Guardian
Why Does Fast Fashion Fall Apart So Quickly? by Isabel Slone for Harper’s Bazaar
Are Companies Greenwashing Us Into Buying Toxic Products? by Lauren Bates for Remake
Can Regenerative Wool Make Fashion More Sustainable? by Parisa Hashempour for the BBC
The To-Do List
Sundressed: Natural Fibres and the Future of Fashion by Lucianne Tonti
In April I had the pleasure of meeting Lucianne Tonti, an Aussie sustainable fashion consultant, editor and the author of Sundressed. Tonti’s exploration of the fashion industry’s reliance on synthetic materials, the benefits of natural fibres, and conventional vs regenerative farming practices is fascinating and really easy to read. I jumped on the phone with Lucianne to discuss the book — paid subscribers can listen to our conversation below!
ThredUp’s Fashion Footprint Calculator
How sustainable are your wardrobe and shopping habits? Take ThredUp’s short quiz to calculate your fashion footprint and discover the small changes that might reduce your environmental impact.
Consciousness Beyond the Product Podcast: Vegan Fashion (47 minutes)
Check out this episode from the Consciousness Beyond the Product podcast all about vegan fashion. I was interviewed by Sabinna alongside designer Lora Gene and Ann Cathrin Schönrock from Chiengora about the rise of vegan fashion (we look at leather, silk, wool and more) as well as the issues with labelling fashion products “vegan.” Such an interesting conversation to be part of!
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This month, paid subscribers can listen to my conversation with Lucianne Tonti about her book, Sundressed. The lovely team at sustainable activewear brand Gngrbees have also shared an exclusive (Ooooo!) discount code for Titian Thread’s paid subscribers. I’ve also thrown in 3 pieces from responsible brands that are in my shopping basket at the moment.