Events

26 October, 2011

Meet the face behind the garment

The faces behind the production of Australian fashion will be revealed to savvy shoppers with Ethical Clothing Australia launching its first consumer awareness campaign this morning.

The new campaign, entitled "Meet Your Maker‟, will aim to educate consumers about the importance of ethical manufacturing in the garment industry and assist them to make an informed choice for shopping ethically.

Contrary to common opinion, "Australian-made‟ does not always mean ethically made. There are some 50,000 workers in the textile, clothing and footwear industry, many who work from home and are vulnerable to exploitation. The Ethical Clothing Australia program ensures that these workers receive fair pay and conditions.

A new website - www.meetyourmaker.org.au – will connect consumers with the makers behind the garments they purchase. In profiling these makers, the campaign will highlight the Australian brands leading the new wave of ethical fashion, ensuring all the workers involved in the manufacturing and production of their garments are paid fairly and treated properly.

Meet Your Maker aims to draw recognition to the Ethical Clothing Australia swing tag or label (the trademark stitched "e‟), which indicates that a garment was made in Australia and everyone involved in its production received, as a minimum, the legal rates of pay and fair working conditions.

Simon McRae, National Manager for Ethical Clothing Australia, officially launched the campaign alongside Senator the Hon Christopher Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Work Place Relations, at the Ginger & Smart boutique in Paddington this morning.

“We now have nearly 60 Australian businesses already accredited and applications for accreditation doubled last year,” Mr. McRae said. “This shows there is a strong demand from both industry and consumers for ethically Australian made clothing and footwear. We hope that the "Meet Your Maker campaign‟ will help to build on this growing momentum.

John Condilis, managing director of Nobody Jeans, agrees that being Ethical Clothing Australia accredited is in alignment with his brands direction: “Being an Australian made brand is fundamental to what our business is all about. So the "Meet your maker‟ campaign is the perfect opportunity to not only show our customers that our products are produced with the highest standards, but also developed by local friendly faces,” he said.

Labels that are Ethical Clothing Australia accredited and involved with the Meet your Maker campaign include Ginger & Smart, Gideon Shoes, Nobody Jeans, Cue, Lydra, Otto & Spike, The Social Studio, Silver Fleece and New Model Beauty Queen.

To meet the makers, visit www.meetyourmaker.org.au. For a full list of Ethical Clothing Australia accredited brands and manufacturers, visit www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au.

ENDS

For further information or interviews please contact Stellar* Concepts:

Ashley Gatte - 02 9151 5907 ashley@stellar.net.au / Phoebe Jackson - 02 9151 5909 phoebe@stellar.net.au

Notes to Editors:

Ethical Clothing Australia is a federal government funded initiative that assists the local textile clothing and footwear (TCF) industry to ensure Australian workers receive fair wages and decent conditions. The organisation‟s accreditation system is the Australian fashion industry‟s own way to emphasize its ethical credentials, and helps accredited brands access a growing market for ethical and sustainable products.