A stitch in time
New Zealand Listener|April 29- May 05, 2023
Former shopaholic Amanda Butterworth now takes up arms against fast fashion, writes CAITLIN SYKES.
CAITLIN SYKES
A stitch in time

It's been a decade since the Rana Plaza building collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, taking with it 1134 lives and bringing the human cost of the fashion industry starkly to light. The building housed five garment factories that made clothes for a host of well-known international brands. More than 2500 injured people were pulled from the rubble.

The scale of the disaster served as a lightning rod for action to address unsafe conditions for garment-factory workers and wider issues around the industry's effects on people and the planet. Amanda Butterworth, a former shopaholic, is among those trying to bring about change, in her case with a needle and thread.

Auckland-based Butterworth is the New Zealand co-ordinator of Fashion Revolution, the world's biggest fashion-activist movement. It was founded after the Rana Plaza collapse by fashion designers Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers in an attempt to transform the industry and operates in part through a global network of volunteers such as Butterworth.

Fashion Revolution teams in each country have slightly different approaches, she says. In Bangladesh, the organisation works closely with unions to support the garment industry workforce. In New Zealand, which has a volunteer team of 10, changing consumer behaviour is the main focus. "We're not out there with our picket signs telling everyone they're awful. We want to showcase different ways people can be more sustainable and more mindful and how they can incorporate that into the everyday."

EMPOWER BY REPAIR

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin April 29- May 05, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin April 29- May 05, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 dak  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024