In a recent Vogue Business article, titled “The Indian artisans behind Paris Couture. Recognition at last?”, the author gave a shoutout to the needle arts workers in India. For its Spring/Summer 2022 show, Dior commissioned a huge 3,600-square-foot backdrop that took over 200,000 hours and 320 artisans to create. Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s artistic director, was quoted in the article, stating, “In the Eurocentric tradition, we have talked about the excellence of countries like France and Italy … [and,] in order to do so, we have overlooked or underplayed other stories that are fundamental in understanding the richness that defines contemporaneity globally.”
This got me thinking …
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is the gatekeeper for the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, a partnership of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the Fashion Impact Fund. On its online platform is this statement: “Considering the fashion and lifestyle sector’s significant impact on societies and the environment, the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network fosters transparent, inclusive, and transformative engagement of global stakeholders …”
Transparent, inclusive and transformative. Big ideals, but what does this statement mean?
Of the 17 goals set forth by the UN, four of them apply directly to the workforce. Goals one through four deal with no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being and quality education. It’s a shame that these basic human rights need to be spelled out as goals — and that the attainment goal is more than seven years away. These are people. They deserve recognition. They have an identity.
More recently, New York initiated the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act, which called for corporate accountability and environmental justice. The provisions of the law pertain to the environment, labor and business. While there is mention of how garment workers have been exploited in the past, the focus of this legislation is mostly on worker and facility safety.
I got to thinking some more. In these current times where traceability is a large part of being sustainably responsible, wouldn’t it be reasonable to give credit to those who contributed to the creation of the fashion as well as to the designer?
Look at the credits at the end of a movie. Listed are all those who assisted in the creation of the film, from directors and costume designers to gaffers and caterers — and some jobs we’ve never heard of. At the end of the film, the list of credits can roll as long as five to 10 minutes listing as many as 2,000 names.
If fashion designers were held to the same standard, they might need to do the same. For example, each design house would reveal the fabric designer. Or, if the art came from a totally different source — such as an African or Native American artist — then that person would be recognized. In years past, designers have been criticized for cultural appropriation. In the bigger picture, when a textile artist isn’t identified, that is appropriation of a different kind.
Shouldn’t a textile artist be acknowledged and/ or paid for the use of their art? Most times, they are not. It is a common practice and a form of plagiarism. According to the 2022 Oxford Dictionary, plagiarism is “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.” Although not illegal, plagiarism is considered a violation of honor.
Now I realize that this might be a radical idea, but aren’t we attempting to be more transparent? Isn’t documenting the origin of fibers and fabrics an effort to be more accountable and honest? Why doesn’t this apply to the unseen workers who make the designers’ ideas a reality?
If we’re going to care about the global environment and its people, shouldn’t we recognize those people? While these garment workers usually don’t seek to be famous, they carry with them a sense of pride in helping to create such works of art as an evening gown or a swimsuit. How much more pride and loyalty could be gained by recognizing their identity?
It may not be reasonable to include on a hangtag all the names of those who worked on a garment, but perhaps they could be included in the “About Us” section of the company website or in a list published annually in a trade paper that says, “Thank you for contributing to our success.”
What’s happened to our humanity? We shouldn’t need legislation or government intervention to recognize people that help in the creation of the clothes we wear.
Isn’t it time to give credit where credit is due?
Linda Tucker is a seasoned fashion professional with demonstrated experience in fashion design, retailing, wholesale apparel selling, sales force management and business consulting. She has a strong background in teaching at both the college and university level, has obtained an EdD degree in organizational leadership from University of La Verne and has written a book entitled “Apparel Wholesale Selling: From Manufacturer to Retailer.”
