Fashion Revolution Week 2019

Since returning to Hanoi I have been on a voyage of self-discovery and self-mastery. Pushing myself, striving towards personal goals. A big part of this journey has been working with the Fashion Revolution Vietnam team. Our purpose is to increase people’s knowledge in a bid for us all, as consumers, to work together to make the fashion industry more sustainable and its practises more transparent.

At the end of April we held a wonderfully successful exhibition throughout Fashion Revolution week, which we hosted at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. Over the week the exhibition; the press launch; a variety of workshops held; and film screenings of ‘The True Cost’, attracted 1,770 attendees, as well as a whole host of attention generated through social media and news channels.

Here are some of my highlights from that week:

My roles on the team were treasurer and proofreader, which were very much behind-the-scenes. Due to this, and with the team members having such varied schedules, I didn’t meet anyone except Ellen (our country coordinator) until Fashion Revolution week. So, one of my main personal highlights was being able to meet everyone, to hear about what they had been doing, and about their life stories and passions. All of us having been attracted to the same cause, we found that we easily bonded and had something to discuss from the moment we met.

It was opening morning when I finally saw the exhibition. An interesting experience as the last few events I’ve been involved in (Woodford and The Green Gathering festivals) my roles were very practical. This time I’d been sitting behind a desk while the creatives did their thing. It is amazing to have hands-on involvement and to help the visual creations take place, though this experience with Fashion Revolution has helped me to realise that there are other valuable skills I can offer and sometimes the seemingly less exciting roles can be just as thrilling. The exhibition wouldn’t have been a success without each and every person who was involved and that, after all, is what matters.

It was great to walk in and see the finished results, to see the splashes of colour around the room and feel the different installations grabbing my attention. Volunteering on the first shift I was lucky to see the doors open and gauge initial reactions. After a slow start, something which also improved with a little extra signage, we soon had a steady stream of people entering. These included the British ambassador and his family! It was great to see that the work Ellen and the others involved, in advertising the event had paid off. The word had spread far and wide to many levels of society! This continued as the week went on, with the US ambassador and his wife attending our English film screening of ‘The True Cost’ on Friday evening.

For every shift I had, excitement flowed through me with every person that came through the door, even more with someone that took the time to ask more questions, or tell us how much they appreciated the exhibition, or how much they’d learnt.

Sitting there that first morning, waiting, I felt that even one person coming through the doors, looking around and passing on what they had learnt would be a great success. By the end of the week we had far surpassed that. By the end of the week, after watching ‘The True Cost’ and reading the heartfelt comments left in our visitors book, I was feeling as though I could break down at any moment!

Not only was the reaction we were receiving amazing. But, taking a moment to look on Instagram searching for #whomademyclothes, photos from around the world filled my screen. Photos of events and people, all striving for the same thing, all determined, and all showing that it is worth fighting for what you believe in. That every single one of us can make a difference. As we all make the change we want to see in the belief that we can make that change, suddenly there are hundreds, and then thousands, of us all marching for the same thing, and suddenly our voices are well and truly heard.

If you have any questions about the Fashion Revolution,and would like to get involved visit their website for more info or email vietnam@fashionrevolution.org to get involved in Vietnam.