Sunday, June 26, 2016

UK's Decision to Leave The European Union Will Affect The Fashion Industry


                              

On Thursday June 23, the UK voted to leave the European Union and the decision will affect the fashion industry in a big way.  Several brands and stores in the UK existed as a result of the free trade negotiations established by the Union. Not only will British consumers be affected but international consumers as well  because the Pound has lost value cost to produce, distribute, sell and trade will increase especially in online transactions.   The UK is the second largest market in Europe for the fashion industry, behind Germany.  

The UK's membership in the European Union allowed companies in four countries England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland to enjoy advantages and facilities to sell and buy globally in more than 70 countries including the United States, China and Japan.  Within these four countries major fashion hub cities such as London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Oxford, Cambridge, Swansea produced multi trillions of dollars in business.   The British fashion industry generates about 40,000 million dollars a year in the US economy.  UK is the fifth largest consumer of Spanish fashion, behind France, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Britain imported Spanish fashion products totaling 1,246.3 million euros in 2015, that's 9.8 percent more than the previous year. Companies like Inditex and Mango currently operate over 160 stores in the UK. Brands that fall under the Inditex umbrella include Zara, Zara Home, Pull & Bear, Massimo Duitt, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterque all recognized brands in the industry.

Inforgraphic taken from Fibre2Fashion.com
                                                                                                          
Inditex is a Spanish fast-fashion giant with a market value of nearly a 104 billion dollars it's the second largest fashion company worldwide, Nike is number one. Inditex’ 2015 annual revenue was around 24 billion dollars. With stores is every major city worldwide, the company has the ability to reach lots of fans. These brands will be hit hard by the decision to leave. Designers such as  JW Anderson, Vivienne Westwood and Christopher Kane  were all for remaining in the Union in an effort to protect their brands, but now realize the impact the decision will have on their business.  In fact, the British Fashion Council submitted the names of 1,300 business leaders who signed a letter urging the British to vote in favor of the referendum.  Fast-fashion retailer Next Plc is the largest fashion company in the United Kingdom with a market value of 8.15 billion pounds.  Retail giant Marks & Spencer is number 2, the Arcadia Group parent company of Topshop is the third largest UK Fashion company and  iconic fashion brand Burberry is the UK’s 4th largest company.
  
                                                            Photo Credit: Taken from Pinterest
There is definitely uncertainty in the fashion industry as a result of Brexit.  Many of these brands enjoy global success by creating disadvantaged competitive markets making it impossible for other smaller brands to compete.  Maybe now other brands will have a fighting chance.  Could it be that the face of fast fashion as we know it is about the change as CATA predicted?  We'll be watching this one.

There are thousands of small fashion brands producing better quality garments, using safer raw materials, practicing more ethical ways of doing business, paying fair living wages, developing talent and inspiring positive change in the way we manufacture, sell, wear and discard our clothes.  When it's all said and done, "No giant is too big that it can't/won't fall someday!"

UK's Decision to Leave The European Union Will Affect The Fashion Industry


                              

On Thursday June 23, the UK voted to leave the European Union and the decision will affect the fashion industry in a big way.  Several brands and stores in the UK existed as a result of the free trade negotiations established by the Union. Not only will British consumers be affected but international consumers as well  because the Pound has lost value cost to produce, distribute, sell and trade will increase especially in online transactions.   The UK is the second largest market in Europe for the fashion industry, behind Germany.  

The UK's membership in the European Union allowed companies in four countries England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland to enjoy advantages and facilities to sell and buy globally in more than 70 countries including the United States, China and Japan.  Within these four countries major fashion hub cities such as London, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Oxford, Cambridge, Swansea produced multi trillions of dollars in business.   The British fashion industry generates about 40,000 million dollars a year in the US economy.  UK is the fifth largest consumer of Spanish fashion, behind France, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Britain imported Spanish fashion products totaling 1,246.3 million euros in 2015, that's 9.8 percent more than the previous year. Companies like Inditex and Mango currently operate over 160 stores in the UK. Brands that fall under the Inditex umbrella include Zara, Zara Home, Pull & Bear, Massimo Duitt, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterque all recognized brands in the industry.

Inforgraphic taken from Fibre2Fashion.com
                                                                                                          
Inditex is a Spanish fast-fashion giant with a market value of nearly a 104 dollars it's the second largest fashion company worldwide, Nike is number one. Inditex’ 2015 annual revenue was around 24 billion dollars. With stores is every major city worldwide, the company has the ability to reach lots of fans. These brands will be hit hard by the decision to leave. Designers such as  JW Anderson, Vivienne Westwood and Christopher Kane  were all for remaining in the Union in an effort to protect their brands, but now realize the impact the decision will have on their business.  In fact, the British Fashion Council submitted the names of 1,300 business leaders who signed a letter urging the British to vote in favor of the referendum.  Fast-fashion retailer Next Plc is the largest fashion company in the United Kingdom with a market value of 8.15 billion pounds.  Retail giant Marks & Spencer is number 2, the Arcadia Group parent company of Topshop is the third largest UK Fashion company and  iconic fashion brand Burberry is the UK’s 4th largest company.
  
                                                            Photo Credit: Taken from Pinterest
There is definitely uncertainty in the fashion industry as a result of Brexit.  Many of these brands enjoy global success by creating disadvantaged competitive markets making it impossible for other smaller brands to compete.  Maybe now other brands will have a fighting chance.  Could it be that the face of fast fashion as we know it is about the change as CATA predicted?  We'll be watching this one.

There are thousands of small fashion brands producing better quality garments, using safer raw materials, practicing more ethical ways of doing business, paying fair living wages, developing talent and inspiring positive change in the way we manufacture, sell, wear and discard our clothes.  "No giant is too big that it 
can't/won't fall someday!"

Monday, June 20, 2016

Toxic Clothing Contributing to Health Crisis | Clothes Don't Come With Warning Labels, But It Should!

Today's fast fashion is nothing but a bucket of toxic chemicals mixed together to create fabric for cheap disposable clothes.  

One garment can contain 8,000-12,000 toxic chemicals many of which the industry has no real idea of what their impact on our health may be.  Over 1,900 of these chemicals cannot be washed out of clothes.  The one's that can be washed out go down the drain to contaminate our ecosystem, water and soil.  Somehow when we're told a chemical can be washed out of a garment in our minds it makes it okay for it to be there in the first place and washing something down the drain magically makes it go away.  We must change this mindset-the chemicals are still hurting us as we depend on our ecosystem to sustain our lives.
These chemicals have not been tested, researched or analyzed to determine how their presence in our clothing affect our health through both short term and long term exposure.  Our skin is the largest organ on our bodies, it has the ability to absorb everything and anything it comes in contact with oftentimes penetrating deep into our bloodstream to cause harm to our health.
These toxic chemicals are silent killers. Sometimes, a person will have an immediate reaction to putting on a garment such as a burning sensation, uncontrollable itching, severe skin rashes, redness, vomiting, nausea, headaches and even dizziness.  When someone experiences this type of reaction and can associate the sickness to the garment they immediately begin to understand the negative impact and health threats of the clothing.  
Oftentimes, the danger is not so in your face but it's even more dangerous than the immediate signs as the negative effects build up over time and the chemicals are bioaccumulative.  Our clothes should not contain chemicals capable of harming our health period.  Yet, the toxic chemicals used to first create fabric and later treat fabrics can be linked to many chronic illnesses and diseases, many are also known carcinogens.  The following list is a very, very short list to include: 
Several of these chemicals can cause fatigue, muscle pain and depression as well.  There's something wrong with putting on your work clothes only to find yourself tired and feeling drained before you even get to work or experiencing feelings of depression when minutes before you were happy.  
Allowing our clothes to influence our life in such a negative way simply because you bought them at a bargain price should never be the case.  If clothing manufacturers were required to label all the chemicals used to not only create the fabric but finish the garment consumers could make more informed decisions in regards to if they wanted to expose their body or their children's body to these dangerous chemicals.  
Not labeling what chemicals are in our clothes is fraud on behalf of the fashion industry.  You have the right to know what's in your clothes.

Learn more about CATA Consumers Against Toxic Apparel-our goals-our mission.  We're working to keep you informed, safe and educated about the complexity of the textile industry, the things you should know and provide the solution.  We share research, data and current developments in the fashion industry keeping you up to date on technological developments. We connect you with resources for affordable, stylish organic and natural clothing in organic cotton, hemp, linen, organic hemp, peace silk, wool, and blends.  Organic and natural fibres are not filled with the toxic chemicals synthetic and man made fibres are created and filled with.  They feel more natural on your skin and to touch.  Natural fibres offer a sense of being connected to nature as we use nature to cover our bodies.

Be  aware of:

  • Recycled plastic bottles into fashion.
  • 3D printed garments.
  • Stain repelling garments.
  • Odor absorbing garments.
  • Bio Fascination technology.
  • Sensory (garments that release fragrance) fashion.
  • NANO TECHNOLOGY  created fabric.
CATA is the co creator of the Sustainable Wellness Home Tour-Gala & Organic Festival, the textile verifier for PIV Pure Integrity Verified Seal, Jacksonville's first Sustainable Workplace Destination company obtaining 4 Leaf accreditation awarded by the Green Team Project and sister company to Silver Needle & Thread Custom Sewing Company specializing in organic and natural hand sewn apparel and design.
If you would like to know more visit this link: CATA.
Don't spend your money on clothes designed to make you sick.  You may not want to spend your dollars on quality fashion but eventually you will spend them on doctors and big pharmaceutical meds.  The choice is yours.....