Fixing Fashion

Is global fashion a wolf in sheep's clothing?
An industry insider takes a hard look at the apparel trade.

...This book should be compulsory reading for decision makers, designers and consumers.
Paul Dewar, Member of Parliament Ottawa Centre, Foreign Affairs Critic for the NDP

Fixing Fashion outlines how exploitation has been entrenched in the apparel industry for over a century and maps opportunities for long term change, including a long list of change makers who are redefining fashion.
Kate Black, author of Magnifeco: The Head-to-Toe Guide to Non-Toxic Beauty and Ethical Fashion

THE FASHION INDUSTRY is a dominant player in the global economy, employing millions of men, women, and often children in the developing world. And yet its record is far from pretty. The collapse of Bangladesh's Rana Plaza with some 3,500 garment workers inside was a shocking example of what can go wrong when manufacturers ruthlessly cut costs while turning a blind eye to labor rights and workplace safety issues.

Written by an apparel industry insider, Fixing Fashion takes a hard look at the very real impacts of our consumer culture's addiction to cheap, disposable clothing. Ethical supply chain professional Michael Lavergne explores:

• The birth of the global apparel trade, from colonialism and slavery to today's neoliberal Free Trade agenda
• How the infamous race to the bottom has led to some of the worst social and environmental excesses in the global apparel industry
• The rise of a new breed of entrepreneurs and stakeholders driving change and transparency across international supply chains.

A compelling manifesto and a roadmap for meaningful change, Fixing Fashion challenges each of us to take full responsibility for understanding the hidden cost of our clothes.

...a compelling call to government, business and all of us towards increased transparency and greater action to ensure more just and sustainable supply chains.
Harry Kits, Senior Advisor Corporate Engagement, World Vision Canada

Michael Lavergne is an ethical supply chain professional committed to a sustainable fashion industry and the protection of labor, environmental and human rights in the developing world.