Fashion Revolution Week is an important time for lovers of sustainable fashion. At Nuw, we have put our guide together to tell you a bit more about why this week is so important, the theme for this year and how you can take part. 

What is Fashion Revolution Week? 

Fashion Revolution week is a global event dedicated to making the fashion industry fairer and more sustainable.

It was founded following the Rana Plaza factory collapse which killed 1,138 people and injured many more on 24th April 2013. This factory produced clothing for fast fashion brands and highlighted the awful conditions that many garment workers are forced to work in. 

Fashion Revolution week is a dedicated time for the global community to come together and discuss how we can make the industry more transparent and sustainable. It's a space to think about what we can do as consumers to push this agenda and make greener choices for our wardrobes. It runs from 19th to 25th April and includes global events such as swap shops, seminars, lectures, activities and more. 

Rights, Relationships and Revolution

This year’s Fashion Revolution theme circles around the relationships between human rights and the rights of nature. The health of the planet is extremely important to all living things and as our home, we all play a role in protecting it. However, as the second most polluting industry, big fashion brands have a lot of work to do to stop human exploitation and ecosystem degradation. 

It’s time to stop taking away from nature and exploiting low paid workers, and create a world where we all prosper, where waste is minimal and nature is preserved. As consumers, we can demand this, but it’s the brands that need to adopt it. 

As soon as these realities are exposed, it's easy to see why things must change. This is why supply chain and labour transparency is so important. We can no longer continue to allow big fashion brands to profit whilst supply chain workers struggle. Nor can we continue to exploit our already dwindling natural world, polluting our rivers and seas and failing to meet global climate change targets. 

With COVID-19, we saw that the fashion industry as it is today reinforces inequality and devalues its workers, often minority groups, people of colour and women. COVID-19 has also prompted a lot of us to reassess what is meaningful in our lives. For many, that has meant investing in pre-loved items and shopping more locally and sustainably. 

This Fashion Revolution week, we can all think about our role in the fashion ecosystem and how we can affect positive change. However, we are reliant on the industry shifting its focus too in order for real change to be possible. 

Events to Attend

A key part of this year’s theme is Revolution, and a great way to participate in change is to attend some of Fashion Revolution’s events. Here is our pick of virtual events and activities you can take part in:

What: Nuw - The (Virtual) Fashion Revolution Swap Shop

When: Thursday 22nd April 6-10pm

Where: Nuw app 

In collaboration with Fashion Revolution Week, we are hosting an extra special Swap Shop on the app. This will be a great opportunity to swap your pre-loved fashion and find new-to-you unique pieces from our collective wardrobe. Also look out for special features from brands and influencers. Take a look at our Instagram for more information. Looking forward to seeing you there. 

What: Panel - Removing Fashion’s Expiry Date

When: Thursday 22nd April 7pm

Where: Nuw’s Instagram Live @wearenuw

Hosted by Ruth O’Connor, chat with Aisling (founder of Nuw), Carrie Ann Moran from Fashion Revolution Ireland and Esther Knight, founder of Fanfare, as they discuss how to make #LovedClothesLast. It’ll all be on Instagram, so don’t miss out!

What: Take Action: Email a Brand

When: 19th - 25th April 

Fashion Revolution holds brands to account, especially those that are not doing enough to break away from fast fashion practices such as poor working conditions and wages, pollution and clothing waste.

As consumers, we all have a voice that can help shape change. Often, the garment workers that fast fashion brands rely on to produce their clothing remain unheard, being unable to unionise or demand the wages they deserve. This is why we must work together as a community to demand brands are transparent about their supply chains and working practices.

You can find Fashion Revolution’s email template here. 

What: #5NuwWays

When: 19th - 25th April 

Where: Instagram and TikTok

Challenge the wearability of your clothes and get creative by choosing 1 item from your wardrobe to wear over 5 days of Fashion Revolution Week. Style your item in 5 different ways and create a TikTok or IG reel to show us your creations using the #5NuwWays. Our two favourites will win a gold token to use on the app, as well as a personal session with a stylist. 

What: FR x Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative Webinar 

When: Friday 23rd April 11am - 12.30pm

Where: fashionrevolution.org

Fashion Revolution will be hosting a number of webinars across the week and this one in particular hits upon the theme this year. Instead of focusing on big business, this talk in collaboration with the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative will concentrate on indigenous and local communities with rich textile traditions and how what we can learn from their conservation of biodiversity. 

Check out more of the Fashion Revolution Week webinars and the full schedule here.

Let us know over on Instagram what you are looking forward to this Fashion Revolution Week and don’t forget to join us for the Swap Shop on Thursday - see you there ✌️