|
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is leading an international campaign to clean up cotton production, supported by designers Luella Bartley, Christian Lacroix, Betty Jackson and Katharine Hamnett, who have designed exclusive prints for a collection of T-shirts produced on organic and fairly traded cotton.
Now over 20 supermodels, including Irina Lazareanu, Coco Rocha, Catherine McNeil, Caroline Trentini, Siri Tollerød and Behati Prinsloo, have supported EJF's ‘Pick Your Cotton Carefully' campaign by being photographed in the exclusive T-shirts - with most taking part in a week long photo shoot in New York organised by fashion photographer Eric Guillemain.
The photos are available to see in Estethica, the ethical fashion zone at London Fashion Week or on EJF's website www.ejfoundation.org. Existing supporters include Lily Cole, Erin O'Connor, KT Tunstall and Peaches Geldof, who have all been seen in the eco-chic t-shirts.
The T-shirts are designed around the theme of "childhood, lost innocence and hope" to represent more than a million children around the world forced to labour in cotton production. All proceeds from their sale go to support EJF's valuable work. T-shirts are available to buy for £30 from www.ejfoundation.org/shop
According to EJF, six of the world's top seven cotton producers have been reported to use child labour in their cotton fields. In India, several hundred thousand children - mostly girls - sacrifice their education and health to produce hybrid cottonseed for a thriving industry.
Juliette Williams, EJF programme director said: "Global cotton production is worth in the region of US$40 billion annually, but it is effectively subsidised by children earning at most $2 a day, if anything at all, for their backbreaking contribution. Worse, in the world's third largest cotton exporter, Uzbekistan, child labour is state-sponsored."
Designer Luella Bartley added: "Cotton is something that we all take for granted, something that we all probably wear every day without knowing the environmental damage and impact on poverty it has. I feel that we should all make an effort to be more conscious of where our cotton comes from."
EJF's latest investigative report, The Children Behind Our Cotton, is available to download for free from www.ejfoundation.org/reports.
- Introducing the Sublideck 3D Sublimation System
- Gildan secures deal to buy Anvil Holdings
- MHM Direct now a UK dealer for Brother Digital...
- New OKI 920WT white toner printer now available...
- Resolute DTG launches 45 second production curi...
- Prestigious business award for Regatta
- FDM….launch of a new brand by Fundamental Appar...
- Printwear & Promotion Live 2012
- Inspiration and innovation from Ralawise
- Garment Decoration Award winners announced at P...
