When fashion becomes a question of ethics

says Constance Harris. The issue of ethically and environmentally produced fashion is a similar one to that of the Victorians' feelings regarding children being sent up chimneys to clean them.

People knew in their hearts that it was wrong -- but at the same time, they needed their chimneys cleaned and they didn't particularly bother challenging the practice (in which, often, orphaned children were used and abused, burnt and died as a result of the work).

We want our clothes. But are we willing to make the small effort to ensure they are "clean" of human, as well as environmental, suffering?

Children are born deformed as a result of pesticides and chemicals used in crop and manufacturing processes, and the careless pollution of their land and water, either directly or indirectly poisoning them. Adults die young from hazardous working conditions. Seas and rivers are drained for cotton production, causing irrecoverable natural and social disaster. Torture and abuse are widespread. If you want to see pictorial evidence of what I am talking about go to www.ejfoundation.org.

We want clothes. Ideally, we don't want anyone to suffer in producing them. But what can we do to change the circumstances of their production?

I believe we need to change our sense of entitlement around our fashion fix and put a bit of effort into asking -- is the label we are purchasing "good" or "bad".

The students of Sallynoggin Senior College's Fashion Industry Practice course wanted to produce a high-fashion show to exhibit the skills they had learnt and they wanted to do it using ethical fashion.

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