This week’s headlines
The global business of secondhand clothes thrives in Kenya
Reuters
October 15, 2014
Keywords: Kenia, Africa, developing countries, waste, apparel market, secondhand clothes, used clothes
Shaded by ragged squares of canvas, amid choking dust and the noise of hawkers, shoppers in Nairobi’s Gikomba market can turn up Tommy Hilfiger jeans or a Burberry jacket for a fraction of the price in London’s Regent Street or New York’s Fifth Avenue.
Secondhand clothes from Europe and the United States flood Kenya and other African countries, generating jobs and providing higher quality garments to locals who otherwise would find it hard to afford brands like Ralph Lauren .
Critics say that this makes it even harder for the local economy to develop, given the large amount of cheap imports, but others say the job generation outweighs tat effect.
“It creates new livelihoods and it creates new value in a commodity, which otherwise would have been dumped,” said David Simon, a geographer at the Royal Holloway, University of London.
The trade of these clothes remains an informal activity and it’s hard to estimate its market value, but some estimate the revenue generated in this activity is $1.1 million per month.
According to this article, thrift shops keep only around a quarter of their total items and the rest is exported at up to 90 cents/kg.
FH: This article is a great example that the high fashion production problem is not black or white. Here, trading old clothes from developed countries is giving African families extra income and clothes are not just being thrown away, like they would be if there weren’t secondhand markets.
Hana Mitsui Uses Japanese Weaving to Recreate Fabric From Wast
Ecouterre
October 13, 2014
Keywords: fashion designer, upcycle, recycle, Japan
Hana Mitsui’s, from the Royal College of Art has developed a process to transform deadstock fabrics into new garments. Mitsui received the Visionary Process award at the 2014 SustainRCA Show & Awards earlier this month. Her technique is based on the art of sakiori, a type of rag-weaving popular in Edo-era Japan.
“One of the most important aspect of my theme is to recreate fabrics and to add value to the waste,” Mitsui writes on her website. “There are a huge amount of waste materials from fashion industry every season.”
Farmers lead composting revolution to heal African soils
Source: National Geographic
The Ecologist
October 14, 2014
Keywords: organic farming, organic, fertilizers, soil management, sustainability, Africa
The soils on which African farmers depend are getting poorer, depleted of nutrients and organic matter. This creates a challenge: to reverse the trend in an environmentally responsible way, while feeding a growing population. But it can be done using organic composting techniques.
Moussa Konate has a secret. His fields of sorghum, millet and cotton are verdant and productive. Some neighbours are puzzled: they find it hard to believe he does not apply mineral fertilisers and other agro-chemicals.
“We have to feed the earth, so that it gives us what we need”,says the farmer of Niamana, a village in southern Mali”.
Apparently, Moussa has been following Malian organic cotton association’s recommendations, based on periodic tasks, he’s had better results. According to Moussa:
“The cotton parcel where the quality compost was applied has much taller plants and more cotton buds when compared to the parcel where undecomposed organic waste was applied, as we used to do.”
FH: We find this news encouraging, since it proves that there are ways to produce organically in a more efficient way than prior data suggests. Organic farming is, in general, less efficient than traditional farming and efforts like this one are necessary to make sure we can increase the productivity of organic farms so that the venture can accomplish it’s true purpose.
The Secret Journey of a Fashion Piece
The Business of Fashion
October 14, 2014
Keywords: supply chain, manufacturing, garment factory, China, design, production, creativity
The Business of Fashion published a three part series on the journey of a fashion item, from design to production and all the way to logistics and supply chain management. The series is a valuable summary of the inside operations of global fashion retailers and manufacturers, giving he reader a better understanding of what goes into the making and distribution of clothes around the world. They published the third part this week and the other two are available on The business of Fashion as well.
FH: This reading is a great introduction for anyone interested in learning more about sustainable fashion and for designers that want to get into the international business of apparel retail. To understand what is wrong with the system and how to make the right changes that help reducing the environmental impact of fashion, it is imperative to understand how the “traditional” model works.
Read the series:
The Secret Journey of a Fashion Piece — Part 1: Creativity & Design
The Secret Journey of a Fashion Piece — Part 2: Manufacturing and Production
The Secret Journey of a Fashion Piece — Part 3: Logistics and Supply Chain