About

The fashion industry too often comes down to the question of profits. The societal and environmental aspect are relegated to the background. On April 24, 2013 more than 1,130 people were killed when the Rana Plaza textile factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed. A year later, to the day, the Fashion Revolution Day movement is launched by the British designer Carry Somers (Pachacuti).

The goal ? Pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy, speak with one voice against these practices of the fashion industry and mobilize people worldwide to ask the question of the origin of their clothes. By whom and how are they produced? Fashion Revolution Day proves that a change is possible. The movement celebrates those who invest in creating a more sustainable, more transparent fashion.

Thus, many events, projects & actions are set up in over 100 countries by designers, associations, companies, institutions, brands, stores and the consumers themselves. All under the same slogan: “Who Made My Clothes?”. The week of 20 to 26 of April 2020 is the main action of the movement to ask massively this question directly to textile and clothing companies. This is a call for transparency, one of the main problems in the fashion industry’s supply chain.

Want to join the movement in Belgium, take action and say with one voice “who made my clothes?

MANIFESTO
FOR A
FASHION REVOLUTION

We are Fashion Revolution. We are designers, producers, makers, workers and consumers. We are academics, writers, business leaders, brands, retailers, trade unions and policymakers. We are the industry and the public. We are world citizens. We are a movement and a community. We are you.

We love fashion. But we don’t want our clothes to exploit people or destroy our planet. We demand radical, revolutionary change.

This is our dream…

• Fashion provides dignified work, from conception to creation to catwalk. It does not enslave, endanger, exploit, overwork, harass, abuse or discriminate against anyone. Fashion liberates worker and wearer and empowers everyone to stand up for their rights.
• Fashion provides fair and equal pay. It enriches the livelihood of everyone working across the industry, from farm to shop floor. Fashion lifts people out of poverty, creates thriving societies and fulfils aspiration.
• Fashion gives people a voice, making it possible to speak up without fear, join together in unity without repression and negotiate for better conditions at work and across communities.
• Fashion respects culture and heritage. It fosters, celebrates and rewards skills and craftsmanship. It recognises creativity as its strongest asset. Fashion never appropriates without giving due credit or steals without permission. Fashion honours the artisan.
• Fashion stands for solidarity, inclusiveness and democracy, regardless of race, class, gender, age, shape or ability. It champions diversity as crucial for success.
• Fashion conserves and restores the environment. It does not deplete precious resources, degrade our soil, pollute our air and water or harm our health. Fashion protects the welfare of all living things and safeguards our diverse ecosystems.
• Fashion never unnecessarily destroys or discards but mindfully redesigns and recuperates in a circular way. Fashion is repaired, reused, recycled and upcycled. Our wardrobes and landfills do not overflow with clothes that are coveted but not cherished, bought but not kept.
• Fashion is transparent and accountable. Fashion embraces clarity and does not hide behind complexity nor rely upon trade secrets to derive value. Anyone, anywhere can find out how, where, by whom and under what conditions their clothing is made.
• Fashion measures success by more than just sales and profits. Fashion conserves and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit.
• Fashion lives to express, delight, reflect, protest, comfort, commiserate and share. Fashion never subjugates, denigrates, degrades, marginalises or compromises. Fashion celebrates life.

Sign the Manifesto

Are you also crazy about textiles?

And we are not just talking about fashion, but above all about the most unknown innovative products that the textile sector has to offer and that you come into contact with every day. Have you ever thought about why a firefighter suit is fire resistant? Or how are doctor’s coats antibacterial? But also the artificial turf where you play sports is textile and much more.

To guarantee these innovations, this quality, this design and this durability, more than 650 Belgian textile producers work there every day. Innovation in technology, raw materials, production processes and services contributes to this. This is obviously a challenge for which they need motivated workers. Would you like to contribute to the future of tomorrow?

Here on the Crazy for Textiles website, you can familiarize yourself with the sector, with the textile training courses that are offered and you can find an up-to-date database of job vacancies in the textile industry.

Dingue de Textile is an initiative of the textile industry and textile training.

Mission
Fedustria vzw is the merger federation of the former non-profit associations Febeltex and Febelhout and represents companies from the Belgian textile, wood and furniture industry.

Together, these sectors realize a turnover of 10.9 billion euros with employment of 36,000 direct jobs in about 1,700 companies in Belgium. In other words, one of the most important sectors in the Belgian industrial landscape.

Fedustria’s mission is to help companies in the textile, wood and furniture industries in their successful development by safeguarding and strengthening their competitiveness. This is done by:

• to act as a representative of these sectors,
• through an active defense of the common interests of the member companies,
• through a wide range of specialized services, by creating a common training and meeting place for members,
• and by providing accurate and prompt information.

THE FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRIAL SECTOR MEASURED BY EMPLOYMENT IN BELGIUM.

The Belgian textile machinery industry counts 30 companies, has a turnover of 1 Billion euro and a headcount of 4000. Its companies are active in machinery for indoor textiles (carpet, upholstery, velvet, table – bed linen …), garment textiles, technical textiles and textile finishing. Belgium produces the fastest air jet weaving machines in the world. The Belgian textile machinery companies pursue technological leadership strategies.