It’s time for fashion to come clean … and I’m not talking about laundry. The multi-billion-dollar industry has left stains on our planet that need scrubbing.
As an award-winning, ethical apparel designer, I know consumers want to know what goes into their clothing and how it impacts the world.
The fashion industry generated $300 billion globally in 2020. But the industry at large is scarcely regulated and often complicit in contributing to atrocities that harm people and our planet. Those include air and water pollution, harmful chemical/pesticide use, waste, microplastics in the ocean, human trafficking, exploitation, racism, sexism, and underrepresentation.
Polyester and other synthetic fibers (which, like plastics, are petroleum-based) are the leading contributors in the killing of aquatic life with microplastics. Cotton is one of the most pesticide-laden crops grown and many pesticides are also known carcinogens. Fabric dyeing and finishing uses toxic chemicals, known to be hazardous to humans and our environment.
Weak labor laws abroad allow for exploitative garment factories with unfair wages and unsafe conditions. Forty million people live in what amounts to modern slavery. And garments are among the top three global products most likely being produced through slavery-like practices.
All of this adds up to an enormous expense to our environment and humanity. We have all paid — and continue to pay — this price.
New York City is a global fashion capital. And today New York state is poised to become a leader in fashion sustainability and responsibility.
The proposed New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act (“the Fashion Act”), co-sponsored by State Sen. Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblywoman Anna Kelles, would require fashion retailers and manufacturers doing business in NY with $100 million in gross revenue to disclose their environmental and social due diligence policies, potential adverse environmental and social impacts, and methods for prevention and improvement.
Most importantly, this bill would require that corporations make clear strides toward their stated targets or face significant fines. Any money collected from those fines would go toward a community fund focused on promoting sustainability and good labor practices.
We all wear clothing made from finite resources. Someone somewhere created this clothing with components probably shipped across the planet.
New York has a unique legacy of environmental responsibility and prosperous markets. The New York Fashion Act could have a positive impact on the environment, humanity and the economy. It could create a virtual seismic shift in the fashion industry and align it to the aggressive climate goals of the state. I believe this bill could elevate New York, not only as the hub for fashion but a pioneer for sustainable fashion.
It’s time for the businesses profiting from resource and human loss to reflect, report and rethink. We deserve to know what we’re bankrolling with our money.
I urge you to support The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act and sign the online petition at newstandardinstitute.org/thefashionact. And please ask your senators and assembly members to support and cosponsor Senate Bill 7428/Assembly Bill 8352.
Let’s clean up the fashion industry.
Jesse Junko Beardslee (she/her) is a fashion designer and entrepreneur in the Finger Lakes who infuses style and art with purpose and identity in her fashion business Themis and Thread and at Hector Handmade Gallery and Gift Shop, where she is a co-owner.
