Looking under the skirt of our fashion industry — what’s it hiding?

A year after the garment factory building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where over 1,100 people died, author Tansy E Hoskins has written an expose of the fashion industry.

GIVEN that we tend not to live in naturist colonies, it seems both grumpy and unfashionable to be annoyed with fashion. Without fashion we would be very cold and unstylish. And who doesn’t like dressing up? Who doesn’t enjoy the comfort of a favourite garment, or the pleasure of a new one?

We are tribal creatures — clothes are our second language, historically denoting status, role, and gender. It’s more than just about keeping warm. The trouble is that while clothes are soothing, gorgeous, sensual things, fashion — fabulous, eye-catching, and occasionally pure art — tends to be thin, brittle and shallow. It is the evil twin of clothing, because it celebrates so many negatives: greed, exclusion, superficiality, exploitation, hyper-consumerism presented as freedom of choice. That’s just the humans. Don’t get me started on fur.