Ethical fashion. What does it mean? What does this look like for Samoa? Are designers getting their work out there? Are sewers and makers being paid their worth?

How can Samoa move forward in the fashion world? Would Samoa benefit from ethically made fashion? Is our niche slow fashion?

Ethical fashion, sustainable fashion and slow fashion are all buzzwords and used interchangeably. What is ethical fashion? Fashion that aims to reduce the negative impact on people, animals and the planet. Producing an item of clothing involves design labour and materials. Ethical fashion is kind to the planet and people every step of the way, from seed to garment’. (Mayhead, 2022). Ethical fashion considers the impact of using materials to make clothing. Linen, cotton, polyesters, denim, ECONYL; each fabric has a different impact on the planet and its people and choosing the material with the lesser environmental impact (organic cotton) or repurposing a material that is already in circulation (deadstock) is typical of ethical fashion companies.

Being able to trace the supply chain of this material as far back as those who harvest the crops is also considered in the ethical fashion process. Are we able to do this for any of our local fashion brands? Can we trace each material back to its Chinese, Indonesian, Bangladesh factory and also know which farm the cotton came from? Do we qualify? You can answer that yourself the next time you buy your shirt or have a dress made.

Sustainable fashion also known as eco fashion is an all inclusive term describing products, processes, activities, actors (policymakers, brands and consumers) aiming to achieve a carbon neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal welfare and ecological integrity. It’s much like saving the world. It involves a whole lot of roles and education. We can admit that fashion drives changes are clothing. We see trends come out every year whether it’s crop tops, catsuits, floor kissing sleeves or boob tubes. Fashion although innovative is ironically lacking on the sustainability side (Thomas, 2008).

Slow fashion is more diffuse and less defined concept. It is an objection to fast fashion although it is not the opposite of it. It is the valuing of local resources and distributed economies, transparent production systems with less intermediation between the producer and consumer, sustainable and sensorial products (Aako &Sivonen, 2013). I like the local part and the transparent systems as well as distributed economies. It means that all players benefit and are acknowledged in the process. Like having a story attached to your steak from the supermarket, who the farmer is, where the beef was grown and grass fed, the slaughter house it ended up in and how it was transported and packaged. Slow fashion has roots in the slow food movement.

I recently went to a Filipino sewer for a simple jacket. Simplicity is subjective in this case. A ten piece pattern with no pockets versus epaulettes, belt and thirty piece pattern. I’ve known this man for more than seven years who has worked for different locals. Quoted $350 for the ten piece pattern with no pockets which will usually take a few hours to make. I know because I’ve learnt to do this in NZ during a fashion course. I can make it myself but I just do not have the time or patience for it these days. Bargained that down to $220. This is just for the sewing, lining and materials not included. $450-650 if those are included.

Now imagine making just three to five jackets a day. That is an average of $1950 to $3250 per day or $11,700 to $19,500 per week at the highest price. Definitely not minimum wage. Mr Sewer’s biggest customers for blazers and jackets? Church ministers and MPs. I’ve only used one other Samoan sewer for blazer or jackets for less than half of the quoted price at also half the quality.

Why do we use Filipino sewers? Personally they deliver on time and quality. We need more of our own people reaping the same benefits for similar work. We need formalised training for upskilling the current workforce. We need high school and university courses offering these vocational training. We need qualified people to have the heart to teach others and being paid for it. When I pay top dollar for something custom made, I usually ask for the pattern to keep. I am willing to pay extra for that because it means, I don’t have to spend time constructing a whole new pattern when I want to make my own.

Sewing and pattern making require a lot of patience. It needs precision so the fitting is right. We can only do this by practising, training and learning. Can Samoa be part of the eco fashion conversation? Definitely! Most of our designers and printers take time to make things. They are always looking at ways to make the process better. There are so many fashion brands and demand for hand printed, elei material demand is high for both local and overseas customers. An area Samoa can excel in with the vast talent. Have an awesome week