Ecouterre

Fashion Artifacts

7 Photos That Changed Child-Labor Laws in America Forever

by Jasmin Malik Chua , 04/09/13 filed under: Fashion Artifacts

H&M's "Conscious Talk" Highlights Fashion's Role in a Sustainable Future

by Amy DuFault , 04/08/13 filed under: Eco-Fashion News, Events

Depending on whom you ask, H&M is either the problem or the solution. The Swedish retailer isn’t just any apparel firm, after all. When it comes perpetuating our culture of “fast fashion”—low-quality, inexpensive garments, churned out at a dizzying pace—H&M, with its more than 2,800 stores in 49 markets, is second only to Zara in terms of reach. But while H&M’s global influence isn’t a matter of debate, the company’s recent campaign to reposition itself as a bulwark of sustainability is far more controversial. Equally polarizing? H&M’s new, self-appointed role as ecological thought leader, which it parlayed on Thursday into its first-ever “Conscious Talk” panel on the fashion industry’s role in creating a sustainable future.

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: 12 Things We Learned From H&M’s 2012 Sustainability Report

The Big Idea

Zara Faces Slave-Labor Allegations...Again

by Jasmin Malik Chua , 04/05/13 filed under: Eco-Fashion News, The Big Idea, Worker Rights

Zara is under investigation by Argentinian authorities over its alleged use of slave labor. The South American nation’s Government Control Agency raided a series of factories associated with the world’s No. 1 apparel retailer after La Alameda, a local workers’ rights group, tipped it off to the “degrading” sweatshop conditions faced by the mostly Bolivian workforce, which reports say included children. Besides being held under virtual lock and key, employees told officials they were forced to toil for 16 hours a day, six days per week, without breaks.

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: High-Street Retailer Zara Accused of Alleged “Slave Labor” in Brazil

Wearable Technology

"Anti-Rape" Undies Fend Off Would-Be Attackers With an Electric Shock

by Bridgette Meinhold , 04/04/13 filed under: Eco-Friendly Underwear, Wearable Technology

Photo by Shutterstock

In the wake of the horrific gang rape in Delhi last December, Indian women are taking to the streets in protest and even creating products to help prevent rape. Three engineering students have come up with anti-rape lingerie that will literally shock an assailant with electricity if they attack someone who is wearing it. The underthings, named SHE (Society Harnessing Equipment) are also equipped with GPS and the ability to text emergency services and the girl’s parents to alert them of her location and situation. The trio created the electro-shock underwear because they felt helpless that the government wasn’t doing enough to protect women.

Watch H&M's "Conscious Talk" Panel Live From Vogue's HQ in NYC!

by Jasmin Malik Chua , 04/04/13 filed under: Events

Join Honest By founder Bruno Pieters, Loomstate designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn, the magnificent Julie Gilhart, Parsons School of Fashion’s Simon Collins, H&M head of sustainability Helena Helmersson, H&M trend coordinator Catarina Midby, and yours truly at a panel about how the industry can work together to give fashion a sustainable future. Follow the discussion live from Vogue’s headquarters in NYC at 10 a.m. ET. on the webstream.

+ H&M Conscious Talk

Angelina Jolie's Jewelry Line Will Fund Girls' Schools in Afghanistan

by Lori Zimmer , 04/03/13 filed under: Eco-Celebrities, Eco-Fashion News, Eco-Friendly Jewelry

Photo by cinemafestival/Shutterstock

Uber-activist Angelina Jolie plans to open another girls school in Afghanistan, funded by a new jewelry line that will be available this week. Called “Style of Jolie,” Angelina herself had a hand in designing the wares, along with jewelry designer Robert Procop. Sales from the anticipated line will help educate the 200-300 Afghani girls that are enrolled in the school that opened last November, with plans to open more schools in the near future.

PREVIOUSLY ON ECOUTERRE: Angelina Jolie’s Conflict-Free Diamond Ring Not So Conflict-Free After All?

You Can't Buy a Greenpeace T-shirt Right Now (Here's Why)

by Jasmin Malik Chua , 04/03/13 filed under: Toxic Pollution

Photo by Shutterstock

If you’re planning on buying—and wearing—a Greenpeace T-shirt as a sign of solidarity with Ma Earth, you’re out of luck. The environmental nonprofit says it’s suspending sales of all textile products until brands and suppliers are able to produce clothing without propagating hazardous chemicals throughout their supply chains. “As an organization we want to supply our supporters with T-shirts that change the world,” Greenpeace says in a statement. “But we will only be able to sell textiles again when the industry can produce toxic-free fashion.”