In 2019, 53.4 percent of French consumers deemed a fashion item sustainable only if it had been made by a company committed to respecting the health and safety of its workers. In 2013, the Rana Plaza, a building containing clothing factories of worldwide fashion retailers such a Primark, collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The incident caused the death of over 1,100 people. This catastrophe led to a global wake-up call regarding the labor conditions of garment workers, especially in the fast fashion industry.
Fashion companies and social sustainability
Pushed by international reactions, fashion companies have been taking steps to improve their social sustainability. In 2013, a legally binding agreement, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, was signed by global brands, local trade unions and NGOs in order to build a safer and healthier Bangladeshi garment industry.
In order to improve consumer perceptions, many fashion companies have been introducing measures to improve the sustainability of their supply chain. Even luxury companies such as Chanel are implementing these kinds of policies and conduct regular audits among their suppliers.
A long way to go to meet consumer’s expectations
In order to comply with consumer’s expectations regarding labor conditions, the fashion industry still has a long way to go. Many brands still manufacture their products in countries where wages are very low compared to Western standards. Besides, in 2020, the scandal around the detention of Uyghurs in China and alleged work in garment factories reopened debates around forced work.
By whom should a fashion item be made in order to be sustainable?*
Characteristic
Share of respondents
By a company that is committed to respecting the health and safety of its workers
53.4%
By a company that does not use child labor
50.1%
By workers who earn a high enough salary to live on
31.8%
By a company that does not practice forced labor
27.4%
By a company that applies the law on minimum wage
23.4%
By a company that does not practice any form of discrimination
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Institut Français de la Mode, & Première Vision. (September 27, 2019). By whom should a fashion item be made in order to be sustainable?* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148645/clothing-manufacturers-social-criteria-sustainability-according-to-consumers-france/
Institut Français de la Mode, und Première Vision. "By whom should a fashion item be made in order to be sustainable?*." Chart. September 27, 2019. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148645/clothing-manufacturers-social-criteria-sustainability-according-to-consumers-france/
Institut Français de la Mode, Première Vision. (2019). By whom should a fashion item be made in order to be sustainable?*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148645/clothing-manufacturers-social-criteria-sustainability-according-to-consumers-france/
Institut Français de la Mode, and Première Vision. "By Whom Should a Fashion Item Be Made in Order to Be Sustainable?*." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Sep 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148645/clothing-manufacturers-social-criteria-sustainability-according-to-consumers-france/
Institut Français de la Mode & Première Vision, By whom should a fashion item be made in order to be sustainable?* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148645/clothing-manufacturers-social-criteria-sustainability-according-to-consumers-france/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
By whom should a fashion item be made in order to be sustainable?* [Graph], Institut Français de la Mode, & Première Vision, September 27, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1148645/clothing-manufacturers-social-criteria-sustainability-according-to-consumers-france/