The fashion system - a system of exploitation

Abstract The aim of this thesis is to analyse the exploitation caused by the fashion industry and its unbearable consequences on workers and the environment. The point of the thesis is not only to analyse the fashion industry as a faulty industry because of its characteristics, as sweatshops, greenhouse gas related pollution, water consumption and many others, but rather to analyse it as an industry following the rules of our economic system, the capitalist system, and its intrinsic exploitative nature towards people and the environment. The legislation on the specific human rights violations caused by the fashion industry is considered, in particular the international, regional and national instruments that aim at protecting the environment and the rights of the workers. The analysis of the legislation shows how these instruments are ineffective at tackling these violations because of them not being legally binding. Moreover, some examples of the people exploitation caused by the fashion industry are introduced, focusing on the most common victims of this system: women, migrants and children, as well as the victims of human trafficking and modern slavery. The issue of the environmental destruction is also tackled, together with the climate crisis, to which the fashion industry hugely contributes. Examples of the devastation and exploitation of animals and nature are provided. The phenomenon of greenwashing is also presented as an attempt of the fashion industry to sell itself as “green” without tackling the overproduction and overconsumption, the true causes of the climate crisis. As a conclusion, a solution to prevent the irreversibility of the climate crisis is proposed: the Green Theory of Labour, which explores the idea of switching to labour-intensive production processes or increased wages for workers, which may cut the volume of production, increase the quality of the products and also their prices, thus decreasing the level of garments’ consumption. In order to tackle the climate crisis and to avoid the extinction of the human species and of every other species on earth, it is fundamental to treat it through responses proportionate to the threat we face, leaving no path untaken, including questioning the capitalist system as the reason behind people and environmental exploitation.