A new concept, store is set to open its doors today on the popular
shopping street de Kalverstraat, in Amsterdam known as the Mad
Rush. A cute window display featuring cacti alongside of trendy and
fashionable items from high street retailers underneath a discount sign
ensures that the Mad Rush is certainly appealing to consumers. However,
what sets this fashion concept store apart from the rest is what is waiting
for consumers behind the erected walls: a sweatshop. But then again, the
Mad Rush is hardly your average concept store.
By bringing a sweatshop to the high street and placing consumers face to
face with the reality of their fashion purchases, the Clean Clothing
Campaign (Schone Kleren Campagne) and international women’s fund Mama Cash
aim to raise awareness for the plight of the . Although conditions
in some regions of the world are improving, the fact remains that millions
of garment workers – who are – are forced to work long
hours in unsafe conditions, with little to no regard for their health and
low-wages in order to produce mass-market fashion items for the high
streets. The Clean Clothing Campaign and Mama Rush seek to change this with
the help of unsuspecting shoppers who visit the concept store.
Once consumers have selected an item they wish to try on (pieces which can
be found in adjacent stores) an attendee escorts them through to
the fitting room. However, behind the door lies a sweatshop, filled with
‘workers’ working behind sewing machines in a overheated and overcrowded
room with no windows. The claustrophobic room offers consumers a small
taste of what an actual sweatshop thousands of miles away in Bangladesh or
India feels like and is guaranteed to leave shoppers feeling very
unsettled. “Fashion is moving at an increasingly faster pace, which is
leading to increasing production rates. We wanted to confront Dutch
consumers with the consequences of this,” explained Tara Scally, campaign
coordinator at the Clean Clothes Campaign to FashionUnited.
After consumers walk through the sweatshop, which is filled with the
rattling of sewing machines, they step into an open space dedicated to
sharing knowledge on what they can do to make . For this campaign Mama Cash and
the Clean Clothing Campaign have joined forces and created the slogan
‘WomenPowerFashion’ to generate attention for the worldwide plight of
garment workers. In order to give the campaign a human face, three garment
workers have been selected by the NGOs to share their stories of how they
fought to obtain the rights they deserve within the industry’s supply
chain. Each women represents themselves, a trade union they founded and
their demands for a safer workplace and their stories are shared in the
exhibition space behind the sweatshop through images and film. “We wanted
people to learn more about the ‘WomenPowerFashion’ and what they can do to
make a difference,” said Barbara Lotti, programme officer at Mama Cash. “We
want to show that people can bring on change and make a change.”
The organisations have ensured that together with the volunteers working in
the sweatshop, a representative from Mama Cash and the Clean Clothing
Campaign will be on hand to guide shoppers through the experience. “We have
a wall of tips featuring what consumers can do to make a difference,”
continued Scally. “One of the most important things they can do is ask
fashion retailers questions about how their clothing was made and show that
working conditions are important to them.” In addition to questioning the
origins of their clothing, shoppers are also encouraged to think about how
they treat their clothing and shown how they can use it in a more
sustainable way. Starter packages to initiate home clothing swapping
parties are present for example, as well as tips as to what to do with
unwanted clothing.
In order to raise even more awareness a team from Vigics is also on hand
filming behind the scenes reactions to the sweatshop for a documentary
named Naald en Daad highlighting the struggles of shopping
ethically and sustainably. “The team from Vigics contacted the management
of the store space looking to rent it out for a similar concept,” explained
Ester Serrano, Communications Professional freelance, who thought up the
concept together with her colleague Susanne Kuiper, the Clean Clothing
Campaign and Mama Cash. “So when they found out what we were planning on
doing, they asked to join in and film shoppers reactions to the sweatshop
and then question them afterwards on their thoughts on fast fashion.”
Shoppers who visit the store/sweatshop do not have to fear leaving
emptied-handed, for next to tips and guidance on how to support the
campaign to make a real difference, the volunteers in the sweatshop will be
busy making canvas bags for sale. “The bags will be made over the week
while the store is open and then shoppers can decide for themselves how
much they want to pay for them,” said Scally. “All proceeds from the bag
sales will go to WomenPowerFashion campaign,” added Lotti. A small sign in
the back of the store indicates that the materials to make the bag cost
2,50 euros, whilst normal labour wages for garment workers making the bag
is 0.20 cents per hour – another shocking reminder of why eye opening
concepts like the Mad Rush are needed.
The Mad Rush is located at Kalverstraat 101, Amsterdam and will be open
from May 11 to 15, 2016.
Images: Schone Kleren Campagne and FashionUnited