How fashion brands sell values to cover up labor and environmental abuses

When our favorite fashion brand uses language such as “ethically sourced” and “sustainable” in their ads, we want to believe they genuinely care about their impact on people and the planet. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The Conversation reports on just how superficial these “woke” marketing tactics can be. Despite increasing awareness of the negative impacts of fast fashion on environment and communities, the cycle of overproduction and excessive consumption continues.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions

In 2018, the Spice Girls promoted the sale of t-shirts that said “#IWANNABEASPICEGIRL” to raise money for a charity organization and promote equality for women. Meanwhile, later reports revealed that seamstresses making these t-shirts were not even earning a living wage in Bangladesh.

Similarly, NFL player turned social activist, Colin Kaepernick allowed sportswear brand Nike to use his anti-racism protest images in their “Dream Crazy” campaign. However, it is well known that Nike’s supply chain is tainted with Uyghur forced labor. Though Nike denies their participation in forced labor, they have yet to offer tangible evidence. Kaepernick at least tried to distance himself from the brand later on.

Ads targeting women

In her research, Mariko Takedomi Karlsson uncovered that Swedish fashion companies disproportionately target women in ads promoting ethical or sustainable consumption. Why? Stereotypes portray women as inherently nurturing and caring, suggesting that they are likely to make sustainable choices. Campaigns targeting women are often vague and give the impression of being pro-feminist all while exploiting the idea of care.

The Conversation reports,

Making the environment a matter of individual responsibility, with a particular product as the solution, takes the prospect of political commitment out of solving systemic problems and distracts from the potential for collective action. In most cases, using what you already own is preferable to buying more stuff.

Belief in the nurturing woman is used to justify overconsumption and refashion it as sustainable and ethical. Pro-feminist and environmental advertising exploits the idea of care – whether that be caring for your clothes by washing them correctly and ensuring they last longer, or caring for the environment by donating your unwanted clothes (even if they end up in a landfill in Kenya).

Who makes the best cover-up?

Brands such as Shein go out of their way to cover up their involvement in environmental and labor abuse. Shein paid influencers to visit its factories in China and post videos raving about the working conditions there. Yet, numerous reports have linked Shein to unethical business practices, including worker exploitation and environmental harm.

At Freedom United, we’ve taken a pledge to commit ourselves to sustainable fashion.  It is crucial for all of us to use the power of our choices and voices responsibly to advocate for sustainable and ethical fashion practices. We further call on Nike and Shein to cut ties with Uyghur forced labor. Join the movement by signing the petition today.