Fairtrade Fashion Show: Who Made Your Clothes?

Last Friday in Chandler’s Ford, there was a fashion show of a difference.

The Fairtrade Fashion Show brought many residents to St. Martin in the Wood church, where we learnt about the importance of buying Fairtrade products, and had a chance to appreciate and buy a wide range of beautiful Fairtrade clothes, jewellery and accessories, toys, cards, and gifts.

Organiser Tricia Urquhart is passionate about the Fairtrade movement. Tricia has been promoting Fairtrade in Chandler’s Ford for many years. She told us how buying Fairtrade really transforms lives.

Tricia told us the Fairtrade Fashion Show coincided with Fashion Revolution Day, which challenged us to think: Who made our clothes?

Fashion Revolution Day: 24th April

On 24 April 2013, 1,133 people died in the Rana Plaza catastrophe in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A further 2500 were injured.

They were killed while working for familiar fashion brands in one of the many ‘accidents’ that plague the garment industry.

Change is important. Change is possible.

One of the highlights of the evening was the captivating catwalk by residents from around Chandler’s Ford. Sue Moll from Asvanna Fairtrade supplied all the clothes from Nomads Clothing and Braintree. You’ll find out more about Asvanna Fairtrade on this Facebook page.

The models showed us the beauty of Fairtrade clothes and accessories. Duncan McKeller superbly compered the evening event.

Here are four of the models:

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Chandler’s Ford Councillor James Foulds also did the catwalk with humour and style. I’m not surprised the precision engineer may set off the Fairtrade fashion trend in the Chandler’s Ford Parish Council.

Similarly, the Reverend Christine Whitehead, Curate of the Parish Church, showed confidence in catwalk. She has set a good example and is bringing a dash of pink and purple to the local churches.

Tricia: Inspiration from Nepal

Tricia has recently returned from Nepal as a trustee of a charity supporting children with disabilities. While she was in Kathmandu she also visited a Fairtrade project with Get Paper Industry (GPI), which supplies Traidcraft with handmade paper.

Getting to know Get Paper Industries

Get Paper Industries (GPI) is based on the outskirts of Kathmandu. It is one of Traidcraft’s longest-standing producers and supplier of handmade paper products, such as wrapping paper, cards, and felt.

It provides an incredibly important social function. GPI gives a portion of its profits to its sister company GWP which has recently funded the building of local schools, promotes better health, and campaigns against human trafficking, a major problem in Nepal with as many as an estimated 15,000 women sold and trafficked out of Nepal every year.

From Traidcraft, about GPI.

You can read about these projects on the Get Paper Industry: A Handmade Paper Product Community.

Chandler’s Ford and Eastleigh: A strong network of Fairtrade supporters

It was a lovely Fairtrade evening where local Fairtrade promoters brought high quality, unique goods to share with the community.

Heather Dibb from Velmore Church always has an eye for beautiful gifts. Gifts and jewellery that she displayed were handcrafted, ethical and thoughtful gifts from artisan groups from poor communities around the world.

Sue Hunt runs her lovely Fairtrade shop – Shop Equality – at Wells Place in Eastleigh. She had a wide range of ethically sourced, produced, and fairly traded handmade gifts, including bags, jewellery, and recycled fashion accessories.

Tricia’s Traidcraft stall was colourful and attractive: beautiful homeware, cards, toys, and handmade cards and notebooks. Some products are pocket-money gifts – even children can be encouraged to support Fairtrade, and learn about the story and the people behind the products.

It was great to see Daphne Bright, Chair of the Fairtrade in Eastleigh Borough Committee. Daphne gave me a Fairtrade teabag and she encouraged everyone to “swap your cuppa”. By just swapping normal tea that we drink to Fairtrade tea, we could directly support Fairtrade certified workers and tea plantations in poorer regions.

Christian Aid

Brian Ridsdale, one of the trustees from Christian Aid, gave a presentation about Christian Aid’s commitment in Wulbareg in Ethiopia, and how a successful Water Action project partnered with Christian Aid has brought water supplies to every village, serving 70,000 people.

The local people are empowered as they manage it themselves, women and men are employed, and girls can go to school.

The Fairtrade Fashion Show reminds us that we could all make a difference to the world we live in. We see how education and living standards of the people in underprivileged communities may flourish and we can all play a part in improving their lives. You and I could all help make the world a better place. Buying Fairtrade is just a good start.

Thank you Tricia and all the Fairtrade promoters for giving us such an inspirational and fun evening.

Credit: All images by Chandler’s Ford photographer Alan Fry, of Alan Fry Photography.

The Council has been awarded Fairtrade status for its commitment to Fairtrade principles – http://t.co/BpN8n2IKzr #Fairtrade

— Eastleigh Borough (@EastleighBC) May 22, 2015

Related posts:

• For a Fairer World: Fairtrade Fashion Show in Chandler’s Ford
• Building Strong Fairtrade Community In Chandler’s Ford
• A Fruitful Fairtrade Evening With Community Spirit
• Going Bananas Fairtrade Fashion Show: March 8
• Fairtrade In Eastleigh – Swap Your Cuppa Today!
• How Hiltingbury St. Martins Craft & Cakes Connects Community
• Welcome With A Fairtrade Message – Chandler’s Ford Today