Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the Rana Plaza Factory collapse in Dhaka Bangladesh, a building that housed 5 garment factories. The collapse killed at least 1,132 people and injured over 2,500 more.
After this horrific disaster — which was the worst but tragically, not the first or last industrial disaster to claim garment worker lives — global brands and trade unions came together to sign the Bangladesh Accord to make factories safer and protect the lives of garment workers.
But years after this disaster fell out of the headlines, what has happened since? Where has there been progress? What still need needs to change?
In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Ayesha Barenblat, CEO of the global advocacy nonprofit organization, Remake, about the Accord’s impact, and what’s next for the Accord, 10 years after the devastating Rana Plaza disaster.
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Also in this episode, we’re introducing our Green or Greenwashing segment. I mentioned this in the season preview episode, but these green or greenwashing segments are basically where my co-host Stella and I share our thoughts on if a sustainability claim in the fashion industry is green or greenwashing.
This week, Stella and I explore the decision of an online resale platform to ban fast fashion from their site. Should resale sites ban fast fashion? The conversation doesn’t end in this episode, though. We’d love to hear your thoughts over on Instagram!
Okay let’s get to this week’s conversation with Ayesha…
Listen to This Episode:
Tune in to this episode of the Conscious Style Podcast below, on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
About Ayesha Barenblat
Ayesha is a social entrepreneur with a passion for building sustainable supply chains that respect people and our planet. With over 15 years of leadership to promote social justice and sustainability within the fashion industry, she founded Remake to mobilize citizens to demand a more just, transparent, and accountable fashion industry.
She counts both Karachi and San Francisco as her homes, and she is happiest when spending time with the women who bring our fashion to life and amplifying the stories of fashion’s most essential workers.
About Remake
Remake (@remakeourworld) is a global advocacy organization fighting for fair pay & climate justice in the clothing industry. The 501(c)3 nonprofit is leading collective action to disrupt the $2.5 trillion dollar clothing industry and has built an international network of citizens, press, legislators and union leaders to connect the industry’s biggest problems with viable solutions.
Remake’s free educational resources, advocacy campaigns, and sustainable brands directory are focused on making fashion a force for good.
This Episode Was Brought To You By:
Brook There
Brook There creates organic cotton bralettes, underwear, and slip dresses ethically cut and sewn by their team in Massachusetts. Their GOTS-certified organic cotton is even milled and dyed domestically in the US too.
Brook There has a beautiful range of colorways — from ballet pink to bright orange to versatile neutrals, which are all colored using low-impact fiber reactive dyes.
Bounce Mkt
If you’re looking for a sustainable — yet affordable — option for kids clothing that doesn’t sacrifice quality or style then you’ll want to check out the kids resale store, Bounce Mkt. This online (and in-person) store is a hub for gently used children’s clothing.
As a children’s resale store, Bounce Mkt makes selling your kids’ gently used clothes and shoes and finding preloved kids items super simple.
