Submitted by - DISHA KHURMA Roll no.

- 9 Group - 5 Foundation Program Batch 2011-15 Topic- ETHICAL ISSUES IN FASHION INDUSTRY

Submitted to- Mr.SRINIVAS RAO Department of fashion management NIFT, Hyderabad.

TABLE OF CONTEXT INDEX CHAPTER NO.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10.

TITLE
CHARTS ACKNOWLEDGEME NT LIST OF EXHIBITS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM DATA ANALYSIS RESULT CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY

CHARTS

GRAPH NO.

TITLE OF GRAPGH

1.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN DIFFERENT AREAS

2.

ETHICAL ANALYSIS

BIBLIOGRAPHY References :
www.idausa.org 2. www.edgeboston.com 3. www.levistrauss.com 4. www.makeyourmarkinfashion.co m 5. www.ecoganic.com 6. www.fairindigo.com
1.

LIST OF EXHIBITS

A WORKSHOP WHICH COVERS ISSUES RELATING TO FASHION INDUSTRY,IT INCLUDES ETHICAL ISSUES IN THE WIDE RANGE OF MODULES.

ECO AND ETHNICAL ISSUES

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

It is the purpose of the document to throw atleast a bit of light on the ETHICAL ISSUES OF FASHION today. The designer made and fashionable clothes that everyone want in his/her wardrobe are actually made by sacrificing a lot of things by many human beings, the main objective ofthis summary is to highlight ethical issues like to explore the nature of ethical issues in fashion purchasing. To examine the role of ethics in todays fashion marketplace To gain an insight into the ethical issues that concern ethical consumers in the context of fashion purchasing. To gain an understanding of the ways in which all of the identified issues influence ethical consumers decision making with regards to fashion purchasing. The last three decades have seen a significant growth in ethical concern among consumers, which has resulted in demand for ethical choices in marketplace (Doane

2001).Ethical consumers are characterized by their deep-seated concern for environmental,social and animal issues (Mintel,1994). Thus,in addition to being influenced by traditional choice criteria, including price and product quality,ethical consumers are also demanding that organisations adopt more moral and socially aware principles.

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS ETHICAL FASHION?

1. Defining ethical fashion For the EFF, ethical fashion represents an approach to the design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing which maximises benefits to people and communities while minimising impact on the environment. If you describe something as ethical, you mean that it is morally right or morally acceptable. Collins English Dictionary For the EFF, the meaning of ethical goes beyond doing no harm, representing an approach which strives to take an active role in poverty reduction, sustainable livelihood creation, minimising and counteracting environmental concerns. 2. Sustainability and the triple bottom line The term sustainable is used throughout this site in the context of both social and environmental issues.In 1989, the Brudtland Commission articulated what has now become a widely accepted

definition of sustainability: [to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We believe that a business or initiative is not sustainable unless the triple bottom line is integrated at the core of business practices and policy, from board level to studio, shop, or factory floor. 1. SOCIAL Increasing the capacity and wellbeing of the people and communities behind fashion. Any fashion business depends on the people behind it. In a broader context, poverty and exploitation of the human workforce behind fashion affects the stability of the industry itself. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL Minimizing the environmental impact of all business operations, throughout the supply chain. Creating and acting upon opportunities to reduce environmental issues beyond the immediate operations-

such as awareness raising, investment in and support of environmental initiatives. 3. COMMERCIAL Without a robust financial business model, none of the above can be achieved. Good intentions without an effective business structure can backfire. A sustainable approach includes quality products or services that meet market needs and demands and are fairly marketed. The work of the Ethical Fashion Forum with businesses is built on these three pillars, and especially with smaller businesses includes elements of commercial and financial business support, in collaboration with partner organizations. 3. Criteria for ethical fashion The Ethical Fashion Forum has drawn up a set of 10 criteria for ethical fashion, to inform the fashion industrys official ethical fashion awards, the RE:Fashion awards:

1. Countering fast, cheap fashion and damaging patterns of fashion consumption 2. Defending fair wages, working conditions and workers rights 3. Supporting sustainable livelihoods 4. Addressing toxic pesticide and chemical use 5. Using and / or developing ecofriendly fabrics and components 6. Minimising water use 7. Recycling and addressing energy efficiency and waste 8. Developing or promoting sustainability standards for fashion 9. Resources, training and/ or awareness raising initiatives 10. Animal rights 4. EFF Ethical Policy Framework The EFF has developed an ethical policy framework tool in consultation with leading ethical sourcing and certification bodies, including the Ethical Trading Initiative, Made By, The International Fair

Trade Association, the Fairtrade Foundation, the Responsible Purchasing Initiative and others. This allows the EFF to work systematically with fashion business members towards improved sustainability practices, as well as facilitating the transparent communication of these through a vetted ethical policy document. 5. Other relevant organizations and initiatives A range of other organizations are working in the arena of ethical fashion. The EFF seeks to collaborate with these organizations as much as possible in order to reduce duplication and maximize impact. An understanding of the work of these organisations assists an understanding of the arena of ethical fashion. See several organisations listed below.

The Ethical Trading Initiative The Fairtrade Foundation The World Fair Trade organisation The Responsible Purchasing Initiative MADE BY Labour behind the Label: Fashioning an Ethical Industry Pesticide Action Network UK Social Compliance Organisations London is such an ethical fashion centre now, with every main street store trying to be more organic and ecologically pure than the next. As evidenced by this week's series ofprogrammes on "Is Green the New Black?The ethical fahion industry is making great strides in developing public awareness of fashion that is responsibly made. A number of organisations have sprung up to provide support and networking opportunities for producers. Others want to put pressure on businesses to provide good working conditions. TheEthical Fashion Forum gives training and information to businesses and individuals interested in the social and environmental aspects of the fashion business. Labour Behind the Label is a campaign fighting for better working conditions for garment workers and encouraging consumers

to ask for clothes which are responsibly made. One of its aims is to encourage retailers to guarantee that all clothes sold in their shops are produced under fair conditions, including the right to a living wage, the right to organise, and safe and healthy working conditions. Fashioning an Ethical Industry is an educational project aimed at fashion college students and tutors. Its admirable goal is to equip students to play an active role in raising standards in the companies they will be working for. They hope to make the teaching of social responsibility issues a key part of all fashionrelated education courses. Their very accessible and interesting website provides a global overview of the garment industry, raises awareness of current practices and and explains all the hot issues. The fact is that consumers have power: the more that we demand that the clothes we buy are made under decent conditions the more likely it is that retailers will respond. The more people ask questions the more retailers will feel that they need to pay attention to the issues. For example: refuse to buy Uzbekistan cotton, pick your cotton carefully.

Ethical fashion WHAT?

Ethical fashion can be defined as the production of textile items with a conscience. With the concept of social responsibility gaining ground, corporates all over the world are recognizing the importance of environment protection and ethical business. Fashion houses are no exception. More and more fashion designers and textile producers are striving to produce goods that do not harm the environment and are cruelty-free. Ethical issues in fashion are emerging. Ethical fashion WHEN? The concept of ethical fashion is old; however, it is gaining more and more popularity in the modern times. As awareness about environment conservation, cruelty to animals and ethical issues in business is rising, fashion brands are also increasingly adopting ethical means. Customers are also becoming more and more aware of ethical fashion and the demand for ethically produced fashion products is on the rise. Ethical fashion WHY? Why should textile producers and customers adopt ethical fashion? Animal and human rights activists as well as

environment protection activists have brought up ethical issues related to the fashion industry time and time again. Some of the major ethical issues that have come up are: The production of cotton entails the use of a large amount of pesticides, which is harmful to the environment and to people. Figures indicate that nearly 2 billion USD worth of pesticides are used annually, of which pesticides worth about 819 million USD have been declared toxic as per the guidelines of the WHO. The health of the workers spraying pesticides in cotton fields and the people living around these fields are adversely affected. Pesticide poisoning can lead to symptoms such as headaches, tremors, nausea, depression, seizures, loss of consciousness, and, in some extreme cases, death. Empty pesticide containers are sometimes reused, which again leads to serious ill effects on the health of the people using such containers. The use of toxic pesticides leads to air, water and soil pollution. Apart from the pests, pesticides also cause the death of other small animals and birds consuming them inadvertently. The chemical dyes that are used in the production of garments also lead to skin problems. Problems such as eczema, rashes and skin irritation have been noted among people on account of dangerous toxins in the clothes worn by them.

Another serious ethical issue that arises in the fashion industry is the issue of cruelty to animals. The cruelty to animals behind the preparation of a fur coat has been brought to light time and again by animal rights activists. One fur coat costs the life of about 55 wild mink, 40 sables, 11 lynx, 18 red foxes, 11 silver foxes, 100 chinchillas, 30 rabbits, 9 beavers, 30 muskrats, 15 bobcats, 25 skunks, 14 otters, 125 ermines, 30 possums, 100 squirrels or 27 raccoons. The pain caused to the animals while trapping them and extracting their fur is unthinkable. Similarly, a tremendous amount of suffering is caused to animals in extracting wool and leather, which goes into the preparation of fashionable shawls and boots. Human rights activists have also pointed out the various ethical issues behind the preparation of a fashion product. Extremely low wages and long hours, unhealthy and unsafe working conditions, exhaustion, sexual harassment and mental stress are some of these issues.

CONCLUSION
In India, ethical fashion is still a rather new concept and is not as popular. It is limited to a few designers, textile producers and customers. Indian designer Anita Ahuja presented her collection Conserve at Paris in September 2007.Conserve is a collection of accessories made from natural and eco-friendly products. It includes handbags made from recycled waste plastic. The Ethical Fashion Show which held in Paris every year showcases the organic collections of designers from all over the world. In year 2007, the event is scheduled to be held during October 11th-14th. Designers from several countries such as France, Switzerland, U.K., Canada, U.S.A., India, the Netherlands, Australia, China, Senegal, Peru, Brazil, the Philippines, Chile, Columbia, Indonesia and Azerbaijan would be attending the show.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT I Disha Khurma would like to thank our faculty Mr.Srinivas rao for helping me in making this report and enhancing our knowledge in this topic.