HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023! HEALTH, LOVE, CREATIVITY AND CONSCIOUS DESIGN 4 A BETTER WORLD.

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LOTS OF LOVE & BEST WISHES 4 ALL!!!

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#NoMoreFear

Dheeraj Khanna is Here. No further titles are necessary. Enjoy... :-))

Dheeraj Khanna, Expert Fashion Consultant, talks about the white elephant of the fashion industry: is there a lack of diversity and inclusion among fashion designers? Dheeraj Khanna has been the head designer for Vince Camuto Men's, the head designer of Original Penguin Tailored, and the senior designer for Perry Ellis.

The fashion industry has long been an inherently exclusive industry that presents barriers to entry that deter social and geographical mobility. The late Virgil Abloh, head of menswear at Louis Vuitton, Olivier Rousteing, the Balmain designer, and Rhuigi Villasenor at Switzerland’s Bally are some of the notable few who highlighted how few artistic voices there are in fashion from minority backgrounds. The fashion industry made all the right diversity noises in the wake of the BLM protests in 2020, but it shouldn’t stop there. With fashion companies facing pressure from consumers, particularly younger ones, on diversity and sustainability, how and when will the face of fashion change? 

Dheeraj Khanna, current brand management consultant for Robert Barakett, is one of the many designers that are fashion-forward but is kept behind closed doors. Mr. Khanna acknowledges all the changes made in recent years to the fashion industry;  however, he believes that there still needs to be major reforms on the back end of the fashion world, and a voice that speaks up for the face of change.

A Real Designer comes around here in our little real-Design-corner to highlight some essentials when it comes to the industry and beyond, the vast fashion landscape of now, answering 5 questions and explaining things the right and un-common way. We are delighted and eager to show off that exceptional voice in those lines bellow.

All4design-design4all: Supply chain crisis, human rights and employee rights, environmental footprint: is it too late to reverse fashion policies in order to reform fashion as a truly sustainable industry?

Dheeraj Khanna: It is never too late to reverse course and head towards a more sustainable path in fashion. Currently fashion is one of the largest contributors to CO2 emissions but that can be changed through reexamining the practices at large in manufacturing and expectations of buyers and consumers. A lot of this is already happening at every level. Major brands such as Nike, Adidas, and H&M, amongst many others have set strict targets to have closed loop manufacturing within this decade. Textile mills and garment manufacturers now routinely provide standardized certifications to ensure responsible manufacturing across all steps of the supply chain. Consumers are now more and more scrutinizing all their purchase decisions and looking to purchase from companies that align with their mindset on climate change. 

I think Gen-Z is leading the charge on the consumer front in becoming more conscious about their consumption. A lot more can be done but this is an entire paradigm change that is moving at macro societal level and even at the best of times it’s a slow process. 

A4D-D4A: Is fashion education providing a solid foundation for designers nowadays in terms of technical skills (pattern cutting, textile engineering, sewing techniques) but also a familiarisation with the essential digital tools much needed for building a brand (coding, digital marketing, programming for intelligent multiverse commercial platforms and NFTs)?

D.K.: Well, it’s been a while since I have been out of school but fashion school can only go so far. If one takes the proper courses then yes, they will gain the technical knowledge but I personally don’t know of anyone in the apparel industry and I supposed that’s true of many other industries as well, where college experience directly lead to immediate understanding and mastery of their first job. You learn as you go. Fashion design and apparel manufacturing is such a dynamic process and in a sense you never really leave a school. You’re always learning because there’s always new techniques, or processes or software, or materials being introduced to let you expand your creativity further. 

Coding, digital marketing, programming for multiverse and NFTs are still largely outside the purview of fashion design. Lot more companies are embracing these new platforms through collaborations with artists or companies that already exist within this space. They can be a fantastic venue for brand awareness or connecting with consumers.

A4D-D4A: As a fashion designer you are a citizen of the world but also a person with a very strong cultural heritage behind you, when it comes to garment aesthetics. Which are your references when you create a collection?

D.K.: As someone who has spent his career working for other companies or brand my own preference and my own heritage never really played a factor in my career. When you’re helping someone else achieve their vision it’s always about understanding their heritage and their sensibilities to best align with their vision for their brand. When you’re working under larger fashion houses then there are strict brand guidelines to follow. 

I supposed I am more influenced by my parents than my ethnicity. Especially my mother. She always instilled a deep sense of taking pride in your work and fostering an attitude of respect, especially self-respect. Growing up in USA as an immigrant with very little knowledge of the language or the culture at large, there was a sense of self preservation, from which came focus and the practice of observation. Observing people, their actions, their attitudes, their tonal shifts. I think my philosophy towards designs stems from having to always be on a look out and see things other may have missed. 

When creating a collection there’s always an internal discussion of how much of my own influence can I include into an existing aesthetic. If the brand I am working with or consulting on is already aligned with my own personal tastes than I ask myself how can timeless staples such a t-shirt be done differently. How to make something feel familiar yet new. All of these internal dialogues and constant questioning probably stems me having to constantly observe my surroundings as a child. Growing up in NYC I didn’t speak much English so I always had to deeply observe the people around me to make sure I wasn’t offending anyone or to look out for dangerous situations. I think that translates to constantly looking at things and asking myself “hmm…what’s the vibe here and what direction do I want this to go?”. 

A4D-D4A: Is there anything you currently use or sth you experienced as a user/ customer such as: a tool, a game, an app, a piece of furniture or even a space that impressed you quite a bit recently?

D.K.: I am going to cheat a bit and say, as a “space”, Lucerne, Switzerland is phenomenal. I recently had the pleasure of visiting for the first time and just from an initial observer’s point of view – It’s absolutely incredible how Lucerne and the surrounding villages nearby have built a modern functioning city ALONG with nature instead of paving our natural flora and fauna to put up concrete parking lots. It’s a modern, vibrant that seamlessly blends into its geographical surroundings and does so in such a beautiful way that it feels like a fantasy land. I am sure the city has its own trials and tribulations but overall it was such a magnificent location to be in. Using Europe is a bit of a copout but I can’t think of another place in recent memory that started to reshape my opinions on city planning and urban sprawl. 

A4D-D4A: Gender, colour and the Politics of Fashion: give us your own - positive, negative or other-definition of your private journey inside the fashion industry, as a human being and a civilian.

D.K.: This is a conflicting topic for me as I love this industry but very often it feels like this industry rewards those who look a certain way or act a certain way. Suffice to say I am very often the only one of my kind in most high level meetings. I have had the incredible fortune of having had great mentors, supervisors, and managers guide me and I’ve made lifelong friends but there is a quite of bit of work to be done in terms of inclusivity. Fashion brands have made great strides in welcoming inclusivity, promoting body positivity, addressing mental health, but that seems largely relegated to advertising. On the consumer front fashion brands have always been on the fore front of addressing social change and nurturing it but behind closed doors the effort is not as evident. I have been routinely looked over for promotions or sidelined for leadership positions because those in charge would rather have someone they’re more “familiar” with. I’d wager that lot of POC reading this can attest to this fact. Whether we’d like to address the inconvenient truth or not amongst ourselves but nepotism and favoritism is rampant in C-suite level positions in a lot of fashion companies. Of course the apparel business in not a singular monolith and in 2022 it’s more diverse than ever, but like it is with sustainability and global warming; as a society we can be doing so much more. 

In this regard I, again, admire Gen-Z in their radical inclusion and forthright approach towards their interpersonal relationships. Maybe it’s a bromidic to state that I look at the generations behind me for positive examples on how to move forward as none of us are without bias or flaws. When it comes to design and streamlining processes I audit my own preconceived notions often and if more boards members of large fashion companies started doing that about their own role in actual inclusivity then we can start to see some magnificent changes and view points in fashion.

The talent is out there, we just have to willing to look beyond our own sphere. 

****

We thank Dheeraj so much for his time and we invite you to discover the many facets of the current fashion universe through his eyes and maybe also contemplate on the future of garment design, a future yet untold and probably with many surprises coming up for the industry and the consumers as well.

Until the next post,

Take care and follow What's Good 4 You

A4D-D4A💙💚🙋

SALONE DEL MOBILE 2022 - 60 YEARS ANNIVERSARY EDITION. WELCOME!!!

In central image above: how Salone would be in a parallel, virtual universe? #metaverse #salonedelmobile22 #vibia #plusminus #stefandiez #salonesatellite22

The Pins.The Spinoffs. The Talks. The City. The 20 Best Products. The Full-on Digital. The Parallel Universe(s) of Design.The 60 Years Non-Stop. Join-in or stay tuned cos the 60th Edition of Salone del Mobile is about to start next week. Book your tickets or join us virtually from afar in all of our usual places and on the blog.

See you out there💙💚🙌

#salonedelmobile #60thanniversary #italydoesitbetter #designMegaMarathon #becauseSaloneworthsit #all4saloneandbloodymore

In Salone We Trust💋💓

A4D-D4A💨

Future Mobility 2022 – Mobility Design condensed v.22, (powered by TechUK).

In image above: ARCABOARD by Arcaspace and Scorpion 3 Hoverbike by Hoversurf. 

We are before a capital energy swap: achieving transport goals by creating opportunities, working on accessibility 4 All, transforming current regulation where needed, facilitating innovation, generating growth through clarity in the travel & transport world. A holistic approach in air, sea, rail, road is the fundamental principal in order to enable future mobility: from new aircraft design and re-inventing ship broking and chartering to hydrogen-powered trains and autonomous vehicles for private or public use (taxis etc). A revolution is about to happen for people to be able to travel under new sustainable standards in the current post-climate change ecosystem. 

Carbon should be eradicated: that is quite a mission though. Innovative key technologies, working in sync is essential apart from just changing the fuel status per example in commodity/container shipping, a big polluter difficult to transition to nuclear, battery or hydrogen. Data/AI in that case could be employed in order to better ship spotting and calculate short-distance vs long distance energy footprint before we will finally be able to talk for a “Net-Zero Ship”.  

Speaking of batteries, people do ask for (more) batteries and battery recharge stations in their local area. The need is most important than the demand itself, yet a system of navigation that actually works avoiding the oversupply danger of incompatible digital systems is a main worry either on road, sea or air. Ethical schemes must be established when it comes to social responsibility and risk mitigation, a governance of resilience to break the web of monopoly coming from specific providers, thus being another shadow in the future mobility horizon.  

Low-speed regional flights might also be a solution for low-cost, eco-friendly, low-fuel transport by air. Sustainable aviation fully relying on hydrogen is conceivable not before 30-40 years from now, nevertheless a hybrid model can be planned much earlier than that, generating a 21st century “silk road” for aviation. The specific transport sector is susceptible to surveillance for a new, more democratizing, air transport network aggregated design, about to emerge. 

With the introduction of Digital Twin software and other sensor-based intelligent systems for crisis and disaster prevention, the talk turns around connectivity infrastructure. Do we need to finance 5G/6G connectivity at all costs, do we need to improve connectivity into hard-to reach places, how about inciting operators/providers to invest in connectivity, smart apps, forecasting the delivery of services as well as unexpected situations inside the urban transport network? Community outlook and evaluation of long-term incidents on the road, or in mobility by rail, sea, air especially on a local level is the study needed before investing on systems/tools a society won’t actually use the next decades. E- scooters, e-bikes, e-taxis, e-buses: retail and commercial or public services linked through apps with passengers itineraries are as crucial as disaster warnings, initiated mainly by non-governmental investments. Private sector enlargement through those assets will consist of a new dynamic market of equitable transport systems, highly beneficial for the traditionally eco-friendly public transport means and their revenues as well.The state will continue not as a sole investor but as the primal regulator and warrant of all separate systems and businesses working smoothly, safely and holistically. 

The notion that the pandemic stopped public transport from being at the peak of the citizens’ mobility choices, remains a fallacy. Public transport continues to be the top Green Mobility Project especially in high mileage and the only one running skeptics away from private cars ownership, (when it actually works as a fully functional physical and digital service).  

Interested in future mobility? Watch out for these companies, institutions, clusters and hubs: 

Spot Ship, Waymo, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV), Cellnex UK, Spirent Communications, BAI Communications UK, Network Rail Telecom (NRT), WSP Future Mobility, Trainline, National Highways, Editorial Board for Transport + Energy, Expert Advisory Panel for the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, RoadSafe’s Traffic Technology Thinktank, Uber, TIER Mobility, techUK. 

Walk, run, swim, sail, surf, drive, ride or fly? Try to make it as Green as possible. 

All the Best 

A4D-D4A💙💚🙌 

   

SALONE DEL MOBILE 2022: ALL GATHER UP!

The press presentation conference for the 60th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano (in central image above), opened to the entire design community last week. Chaired by Luca Dondoni and opened by the Mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala, was the harbinger of many new things, discussed by Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano and the protagonists of the Salone, scheduled for this June 2022, from the 7th to the 12th of that month. 

Open, humanitarian, more aware than ever of the issues and the challenges of the Here & Now, inclusive of the whole Design industry  and eventually concluding to Society apart from just being THE major trade fair of the sector, Salone came a long way, since last year and every other year after its inauguration 60 years ago. Last year was already the beginning of many great things with the introduction of Supersalone and the launch of the digital fair, next to the physical exhibition we are all familiar with. A huge success of unprecedented caliber, Supersalone alone generated about 5 billion euro, with an overall turnover for the whole furnishing and lighting sector macrosystem of 26 billion euro in 2021-(which puts Italy in the 1st place of EU exports again)- proving once more that the end of important fairs is far from happening any time soon, nevertheless their success depends on the multiple ways used to re-invent those fairs and adjust them to the needs of every era.  

“Politics have to take a step back, exhibitions similar to the Salone are more important than limited and stale political rivalries. In Italy and more specifically in Milan we acknowledged the need to continue working with the same insatiable desire for creation, the same work ethics and live for this incredible Momentum”. 

Stefano Bolognini, Councilor for Social Policies, Municipality of Milan, Lombardy, IT

From the confirmation of a live event, packed with brands giving free rein to their creative powers of expression, to the “wow” worlds, the theatre, the stands, both simple and complex, but all equally brilliant, and the biennials - EuroCucina with FTK – Technology for the Future and the International Bathroom Exhibition - which accompany the annual events: the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition, Workplace3.0, S.Project and SaloneSatellite. 

From two great installations – one in the city and the other at the fairgrounds – dedicated respectively to celebrating the key values of the Salone and the issue of sustainability, ecological transition and the future of living with respect for the planet, which will be unveiled by  Davide Rampello and by Mario Cucinella, to the creative partnership with Emiliano Ponzi, the world-famous illustrator and creator of six illustrations (2 shortcuts of the Ponzi universe 4 Salone just bellow), forming the captivating communication campaign for this edition of the Salone.   

“Sustainability, reducing the environmental footprint, use appropriated materials (mango cellulose, fishtail-based-fibre) among others, introduce accessibility for instance  to visitors with visual impairment such as Braille in every public inscription or signage of goods inside the exhibition area, are only a few things we are working on in order to align Salone with services provision for all visitors, exhibitors, operators, traders, press officers.” 

Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano 

In pictures bellow: Architect Mario Cucinella explains his visions of planetary transition and the future interconnection of City and Housing through the installation project Design with Nature. A shortcut of the inductive visual narrative demonstrating 11 Values of the Salone-11 Films made especially for the Salone 60th Edition by its artistic director Davide Rampello and 10 other prominent film-makers/artists. 

On the topic of Salone Satellite, an invaluable springboard, discussed by renown designers and old participants of the Satellite, Cristina Celestino (in picture bellow) and Sebastian Herkner. As an institution Salone Satellite continues to promote the work of young designers under 30 years old, as much as the collective production of design schools and universities worldwide, through the spectrum of Sustainability=Respect 2 Our Future Selves. 

Designing sustainability, celebrating beauty, declaring Opportunities and not Opportunism, triggering the Diplomacy of (creative) People all around the world, Salone is waiting for YOU out there, your physical or digital presence, contributing with the best of your abilities: your inner vision for Peace and ethical, quality business and commerce.  

A last Salone quote back in 2016, our 2nd year there, directly from those endless Marathon-like fairgrounds at the Fiera Milano- Rho premises (NOT for the fainthearted):  

“People ask us (the Italians), how did we do it, how did we make it back then? The launch of a design week and a furniture fair 60 years ago is not the point. The Point is: keep going, keep walking and try to offer the Very Best you Can Produce & Create, year after year, against all odds.” 

Salone will be waiting for you on these screens OR in Milan OR at both sites. 

Stay tuned! #insalonewetrust  #gatherings  #Issalonestrongerthanus 

A4D-D4A 💙💚🙌

CAN WE, SHALL WE, WANT WE>>BUY MORE & HOW? DESIGN THE FUTURE OF SALES, (powered by Globant + Tech UK).

In photo above: Delivery drone by Roland Berger. 

How can we program and design sales in the digital ecosystem of the future? In the currently saturated West-meets-East commercial environment online/offline and a War of the Worlds when it comes to market control, the future of sales needs to be readdressed and  re-mapped under new standards. Digital reality bites, with the consumer hammered by lack of personalization and fragmentation of services leading to irrelevant product proposals and a repetitive approach in marketing far from precision techniques liaising client per product. Smart tech intergration and adopting digital reinvention as a model is imperative for sales survival. 

Operations, governance, resources, training, consolidation of a seamless customer omnichannel experience: should or can companies invest? Hyper-personalization and GDPR: are they walking hand in hand? Can customer satisfaction improve retention through the use of NFTs/Metaverse as well? 

“The important thing is not Technology in a standalone way: the choice of implemented tools is the point, prioritizing a direct, custom-made experience with the consumer”… 

Pablo Monge, Global Head of Digital Sales at Globant. 

Simplifying this highly complex ecosystem can unlock the potential of a blended online and offline experience in different industries like energy, telecoms, travel & hospitality plus financial services, among others: connecting data in a transformative way, maximizing their value with an extra effort  to better  communicate the end product to the receiver/customer is one of the essential challenges to face, especially in sectors like the automobile industry, ravaged by recession complications and an old-school sales approach.  

“Really Know-Your-Customer through integrated technology: For instance book a TestDrive using Data-Enabled Services before buying a new vehicle, adopted to your own needs and preferences.  Technology is the Enabler of hyper-personalized experiences through a unified 360 data model.” 

Dean Parker, Design Strategist at Clobant. 

The sales force suite can make use of data from Sales, Customer Services, Marketing and Business functions including Social Media platforms. If you need to organize your next electric car purchase in accordance with Colour & Trim from the print archive of your favourite modernist designer, a Holter monitor app for your suffering grandmother and a mini Metaverse studio with protected gaming-language learning Bank for your offspring, that should n’t be a problem anymore, (provided that along with purchase you also join a reward NFTs scheme: a Test-Drive simulator app for your 16yr old daughter if you live in the U.S, including a map of Recharge stations around your locality or county). 

Compliance with current GDPR regulations across countries is fundamental though. Consent management layers in exchange of every bit of data provided by the customer, is only a basic prerequisite for the whole experience to become sustainable. Even in major physical, global events like a football tournament, their augmented reality interpretation and transformation in multiplex digital environments like the Metaverse, demands an alignment of several technologies for ticketing, copyright protection and content distribution.  

Areas like energy, tourism and finance have been severely wounded by the post-pandemic crisis and the general transformation of the multi-leveled western markets structure to an homogenous sphere of activity, as it was originally introduced by FinTech startups and Crypto. Next step: buy what you need, when you need it, if you need it and make it uniquely specific to your profile only. The era of mass production comes almost to an end. 

Follow TechUK actions and events here. 

All the Best + Bloody More 

A4D-D4A💙💚🙌  

BACK TO NETWORK SLICING: A GAME CHANGER (5G GUARANTEED). Powered by OMDIA & Cienna.

Network slicing design is back in A4D-D4A, with recent and more explicit info about the technology and how this can confederate an investment of high importance in 5G and beyond. All the information bellow can be revised and found in OMDIA social media and resources. 

The ways you can exploit the technology into your business model in the future is a key element for this short memorandum, aiming at the explicative yet simple report of the specific architecture, a crucial point from now on and until 2030 for smart cities, public transport, smart agriculture, haptic (tactile) internet, smart logistics, intelligent health systems and diagnostics, industrial robotics, shipping systems and cranes.  

A network slicing consists of a logical network that provides specific network capabilities and network characteristics to serve a defined business purpose of a customer. It also allows multiple virtual networks to be created on top of a common shared physical infrastructure and it extends across multiple domains, including: 1. RAN (Radio Access Network) 2.Transport 3.Core infrastructures. Thus said, you can expect a complete set of transformative improvements at business in areas such as latency, security, reliability, quicker customizations (a tailored, consumer related system exceptionally useful in sectors like gaming and games design) and easy adjustments when it comes to external tools and alignments with other IT implementations. The ability of the technology to include scalable business models in its portfolio enterprisingly, makes it an economic venture that creates high potential at wholesales ever so remarkably.  

The “culture of layers” the one we were used to the previous decades, changes to a whole different model where it allows E2E (Exchange 2 Exchange) interactions such as monitoring IoT devices or making Metaverse a more enjoyable and realistic experience through haptic internet: a common practice and not just an idea for the near future. Open, modular automation helps operators accelerate and simplify every stage of their 5G journey (federation for complete network and service inventory across multiple domains, E2E orchestration of dynamic services across RAN, transport & core, analytics-driven assurance to monitor services in real-time, automation of each slice lifecycle in order to cope with new digital services and monetize with customers, internal and multilevel service-level agreements).  

Synchronization is quintessential though as it is mentioned in one of our previous posts regarding Network slicing and 5G integration and implementation.   

 “Most mobile and wholesale network operators are taking a phased approach to their 5G network and services rollout, and with good reason. Besides having to evaluate the different business strategies and revenue-generating opportunities, 5G also involves numerous new technologies and standards that continue to mature. This can lead to significant operational complexity, not only to deliver the required coverage and performance, but to optimize the coexistence with 4G (and previous wireless generations), which will be required for many years to come.”….”In such an intricate scenario of many moving parts, mobile network infrastructure must also continuously evolve to support new features, standards, architectures, and end-user services. Having worked with many of the world’s largest Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in their 4G to 5G journey and supporting backhaul to over 75 percent of all towers in the U.S., it is evident that for mobile and wholesale network operators to be successful, their 5G network architectures must be based on the Adaptive Network™ approach and embrace the key tenets of being open, scalable, and automated….” 

An extract from: White paper, 5G Success Using the Adaptive Network Approach, delivered by Cienna.  

Today, end-users want to order services on demand using self-service capabilities, and they expect flawless performance. As a result, Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are under tremendous pressure to develop and deliver services much more quickly, with exceptional quality and at the lowest possible cost. Meeting these requirements is no small feat, especially when customers often ascribe more value to cloud applications, mobile devices, and media-rich content than they do to connectivity. The challenges to face though continue to occupy the tech world as shortlisted concerns to tackle quickly and efficiently as one company or public domain possible can: the ability to orchestrate service/slices across an admin system that actually works, updating and modernizing Operational Systems, adoptively visualizing services like network slices in realtime are some of the few to come.  In the meantime 5G and 6G are the only networks to guarantee infrastructures of inclusion for population majority, including seniors, low incomes and limited mobility groups, therefore their immense importance for each village, city, territory and the continent as a whole.   

NEXT ON A4D-D4A: More on the Future of Sales (retail and NFTs included😉).  

All the Very Best & More 

A4D-D4A💙💚🙌

ALL 4 CHANGE: Can A shift in Fashion still be Possible? (powered by "The Impact of Covid-19 on Women Workers in the Bangladesh Garment Industry‟ research report by the University of Aberdeen, Traidcraft Exchange UK, & Modern Slavery and Human Rights PEC).

Fashion is changing, along with many other things in design. Believe it or not, it does. The state of the fashion industry globally, is starting not only to imply the need for modifications of all kinds but to introduce the necessary tools (some of theme already there for more than a decade), to make fashion a (more) sustainable place, a fairer business for the humans and the planet. The rhythm might be still slow but steady and decisive towards that direction, the procedure can be proved a conflicting one, even painful but absolutely inevitable in order to progress inside the industry, macro-economically and ethically. Bangladesh is one of the epicenters of the global ready-made garment (RMG) industry: being  the mainstay of the Bangladesh economy, the sector accounts for 85% of export earnings, about 20% of GDP, and directly employs about four million workers with more than 12 million workers dependent on the sector.  

The impact of Covid-19 and the cancellations of orders by retailers, many of which are based in the UK or have operations in the UK market, have led to factory closures and job losses, leaving around 2.8 million workers facing poverty and hunger. More recent reports show that Covid-19 is having an ongoing impact on the industry and, more specifically, on the factory workers. Beyond the disruption caused by buyers cancelling orders and not paying for orders in process, the industry was disrupted by a lockdown, the costs of Covid-19 mitigation measures in the factories, and buyers demanding discounts when they started to place new orders. 

The disruptions from Covid-19 exacerbated interrelated vulnerabilities in economic security, job security, food security, housing security and health and wellbeing, resulting in women workers struggling to support themselves and their families. These serious disruptions and devastating impacts on workers were exacerbated and, in some cases, directly caused by retailers and brands selling into the UK and other markets in the Global North.  

The Covid-19 related disruption of the RMG has had a negative impact on workforce and owners, but the most negative impact has been on female workers.  Physical violence, disrespect, indifference to essential or primary human needs (i.e toilet time), penalties for those supporting demonstrators) et al. Pregnancy is reported as “punished” with dismissal and long-term contractors are threatened because of their established/locked work rights to compensation. Unions are hesitant to seriously intervene as a safety net for those in danger and fellow workers are terrorized to be fired in case of openly supporting colleagues. Lack of sleep, malnutrition, anxiety and despite the forced sanitary measures induced for protection against Covid-19 (masks, hand sanitizing etc), the overall conditions or work plus the level of the employees general well-being continue to be rather appalling. Gender discrimination, harassment and abuse are additional pivotal issues regarding the mal-exploitation of female workers especially, a double-ended blade both inside their home and also at their work environment.   

As the current condition and status of women and girls in employment in Bangladesh remains poor, Bangladesh is rated as one of the ten worst countries on the Trade Union Confederation’s Global Rights Index. Bangladesh has signed up to the international frameworks for promoting gender equality including in employment. Although the Constitution mandates gender equality, this does not apply in the private sector, and there is no law promoting gender equality or prohibiting gender discrimination in employment.   

Bangladesh does not seem to comply with international Labour laws and regulations, just yet though. Compliance auditors were least likely to say they had audited for trade union recognition; 40% did not check for this. In the interviews with representatives of trade unions, the international development agencies and international and local NGOs, concerns were frequently raised about the negative attitudes of owners to trade unions and their reluctance to let workers exercise their limited rights under the law.

Pilars 4 Change: New Framework of Regulations in the EU, UK and the West, Independent Watchdog Institutions,  proper sourcing, diplomacy, social pressure, media engagement.  

Chief investigator of this project, Muhammad  Azizul Islam, PhD, Professor in Sustainability Accounting & Transparency at the University of Aberdeen Business School, took the time to kindly answer the following questions with the opportunity of the report finally going public last week (for the full published document please click here).  

all4design-design4all: Fast fashion still continues as greenwashing does evidently, what more needs to be done in order for the specific part of the industry to be seriously regulated?  

Prof. Muhammed Azizul Islam: In our report, we have a few recommendations such as an independent fashion watchdog. Based on our findings, we can reflect on the UK Modern Slavery Act and argue that such regulation gives scope for greenwashing via voluntary disclosures. Mandatory disclosure requirements with mandatory independent audit with the penalty for human rights negligence within the supply chain, would be helpful to reduce slavery.    

A4D-D4A: Underprivileged youth and their access to the fashion industry: is it a possible career path for young people without substantial means not only in countries like Bangladesh but generally in similar countries where outsourcing in garment production is very expanded?  

Prof. M.A.Islam: Education is the most important factor for any good career path. Right now, the majority of workers in the RMG industry in Bangladesh are women who are young, poorly educated and from rural areas with few alternative employment options. One may need to realize that if someone is educated and aware of their rights as human beings, employers cannot offer them low wages (or wages lower than the minimum legal limit). Poorly educated people are the most vulnerable to exploitation in this world. In our study, we found some instances of young women employed in the factories during Covid-19, and there was a high risk of exploitation as young girls were paid a low salary (even below minimum wage). If girls were well educated, they could choose their own destiny, but most of the poorly educated girls in Bangladesh and other similar countries do not have a voice against exploitation.  

A4D-D4A: How technology (apps, platforms, digital tools) can help educate fashion workers in terms of developing their skills but also getting awareness about their rights?  

Prof. M.A.Islam: Our research did not focus on the technology aspect specifically. But my argument is technology is less likely to resolve or reduce exploitation if brands‟ own unethical behavior cannot be controlled by technology.     

A4D-D4A: Do you feel that the current curriculum in fashion institutes and universities is focusing enough on eco-conscious, ethical and sustainable fashion, in terms of courses, seminars and practices?  

Prof. M.A.Islam: This is a really good question. Coming from Business School, I would say the way CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and sustainability education are heading is not helpful in creating change. We need education that challenges the current practices, need to question taken for granted approach. Please have a look at this short article under the link (education material  for aged 14-19), in which I raise concern over business schools‟ lack of focus: Tackling modern slavery: a sustainability accounting perspective- Futurum  

A4D-D4A: Do you think that circular fashion (upcycling) in studios, haute couture and factories can possibly create a new financial ecosystem in the future for the fashion and accessories industry-at-large?  

Prof. M.A.Islam: Yes, circular fashion is important and should encourage people to use fewer clothes, reuse clothes. One must think of why we need one another—this would help our earth and climate. This is my future research agenda!  

Many thanks to Professor Muhammad Azizul Islam, PhD, for his intervention.

                              ----------------------

All citations from the report in the article are attributed to: Islam M. A., Abbott, P., Haque, S., Gooch, F. & Akhter, S. (2022),„The Impact of Covid-19 on Women Workers in the Bangladesh Garment Industry‟, Research Report, January 2022,The University of Aberdeen and the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC), UK. This is a report from the project entitled Toward the Development of Post Covid-19 Gender Policy Measures to End Modern Slavery and Exploitation in the Bangladeshi Garment Sector, the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC) research project, funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The research was carried out by Muhammed Azizul Islam, Pamela Abbott, Shamima Haque, Fiona Gooch and Salma Akhter.  

*The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Modern Slavery PEC, the Court of the University of Aberdeen, Traidcraft Exchange or the Arts and Humanities Research Council. This project was funded through the Modern Slavery PEC open call for proposals.   

The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre was created by the investment of public funding to enhance understanding of modern slavery and transform the effectiveness of law and policies designed to overcome it. With high quality research it commissions at its heart, the Centre brings together academics, policymakers, businesses, civil society, survivors and the public on a scale not seen before in the UK to collaborate on solving this global challenge. The Centre is a consortium of six academic organizations led by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law and is funded by the Art and Humanities Research Council on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).  

#All4FashionRevolution  

A4D-D4A💚💙🙌 

ENZO MARI, (1932-2021): The insatiable quest for (real) design and beyond.

Multiple categorizations in archives and files related to Enzo Mari and his works as a designer/ maker/ intellectual/ revolutionary, fail really to describe his “style” or let’s better say to place him on a specific rank in design history. His radical aspirations (inside the Nuove Tendenze movement back in 1963), his off-key start in fine arts and book binding, his beliefs in the New Age idealism of the 70’s (published in his own private manifesto, the legendary “Funzione della ricerca estetica” in 1970), his engagement to a personalized process when it comes to mass production (illustrated in his “Tecnica Povera”- inspired furniture in 1974), his warnings about over-industrialization, his disappointment about progressive political powers turned into a toxic status quo, his criticism on the 90’s design glamorama, his continuous faith to a system of values of caring/amend/curate –made him an anticonformist figure among the constellation of pioneering design superheroes in and out of Italy, his country of birth. 

A child and a teacher, a rebel and a restorer, a maker and a technocrat, a thinker and a maker, Mari’s legacy goes far beyond design and it contributes to a mindset or a system of politics of thought, which is very powerfully influential on the millennials’ readiness  for a change, especially during the pandemic era. His positioning in creative self-doubt when it comes to the evolution of his work throughout the years, from his very first design of a ingenious wooden toy of 16 animals piling up, made for Danese in 1957 to his most recent works like the citrus juicer Titanic for Alessi and his lighting designs for Artemide, Mari is the last of the great Masters of design, one that incarnates the indefinite questioning of his proper abilities, pushing the boundaries even when his at his safest in terms of acceptance and recognition. 

With a healthy distance from the over-playfulness-per se of the Memphis movement, reluctant and worried to the massive use of plastic established by the Futurists, inciting Utilitarian modernism but in limited mass production high-grade steel kitchen utensils only for them to be able to last the maximum period of time, embracing wood and its remains to up-cycle furniture parts in an advanced eco-friendly mode, understanding the need of a universal political movement, one that resists the cruel ambitions of political lobbyists, Mari resumed his incredibly good design as a entirely independent spirit, non-aligned  with any league or system, always truthful to his own, inner voice, always ahead of its era. Alberto Alessi’s quote on Mari: “I am grateful that Enzo Mari (ever) existed and continued to work fervently, non-stop, with courageous and uncompromising tenancy in a world that design is always under the threat to be dominated by pure marketing”. 

Thank you 4 All Enzo Mari. Float away into the galaxy, kept by the company of our warmest thoughts. 

A4D-D4A💙💚🙌