&nbsp;
Many of you would have come across the hashtag #whomademyclothes across social media, but did you know how this movement started?&nbsp;
On 24th April 2013, a factory in Bangladesh called the Rana Plaza collapsed due to poor building conditions and took the lives of 1,138 garment workers and injured thousands more.
Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers, two UK based fashion activists decided that the fashion industry needed to wake up and fix the abhorrent social and environmental issues the industry causes, and kickstarted a global movement called <a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/">Fashion Revolution</a> which uses the hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes to raise awareness about what really goes on behind closed doors in the fashion industry.
The movement has been shared and engaged all over social media and over 100 countries.
<a href="https://www.workersrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Crackdown-on-Bangladesh.pdf">A Workers Rights Report </a>gives us grave insights into the shocking reality of garment workers who are trying to campaign against the abuse of their human rights- a picture that is filled of repression and intimidation. Desperate workers have been asking for more money since the minimum wage was raised in November 2018 to the equivalent of $22 a week, less than 45 cents an hour.&nbsp;
Consumers are no longer accepting opaque supply chains, where clothing is sourced according to the lowest cost and the fastest turnaround with no knowledge or regard as to how this is achieved. 
The central tenet of this movement is transparency between consumer and brand. This is a social media movement for companies to keep the basic premise that their workers are seen, heard, paid properly and operating in safe conditions. 
In conjunction, with ideals such as transparency, this campaign is also determined to minimise our footprint, by promoting second-hand shopping. Mills &amp; York stand wholeheartedly by this campaign. In honour of this, we thought we would take the time to celebrate local movers and shakers in the fashion industry doing good and embracing everything that this movement has to offer.&nbsp;
Outland Denim
Outland Denim makes premium denim jeans and clothes. They stand by ethical employment opportunities for women rescued from human trafficking in Cambodia. This Australian brand was founded as an avenue for the training and employment of women who have experienced sex trafficking.
Elle Evans
Founded in 2013, Elle Evans Swimwear creates beautiful, sustainable, swimwear and activewear for people who care about fashion and the future. The brand uses post-consumer waste fabrics and traces all of its supply chains.
MightyGoodBasics
Mighty Good Basics aims to provide quality, affordable, organic and fair trade underwear, for both men and women. The brand uses GOTs certified cotton and uses renewable energy throughout its supply chain.
Bon Label&nbsp;
Born from brand owner Linda Smyth&rsquo;s search for the perfect white tee, Bon Label&rsquo;s products emulate that timeless French simplicity and elegance. They make their t-shirts from 100% organic cotton to perfectly match with your favourite denim on the weekend or a classic pin skirt in the office. Bon Label uses no animal products in their manufacturing and has a strong focus on ethical labour practice, everything we like to hear.
Ultimately, the best way to help our garment workers and be ethical as possible is to buy second-hand.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
For more information, here are some useful resources:
&nbsp;
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li7"><a href="https://issuu.com/fashionrevolution/docs/fashiontransparencyindex_2021">Fashion Transparency Index</a></li>
<li class="li7"><a href="http://au/about/">Ethical Fashion Australia&nbsp;</a></li>
<li class="li7"><a href="https://www.fairtrade.net/issue/workers-rights">Fairtrade</a></li>
<li class="li7"><a href="https://global-standard.org/images/resource-library/documents/GOTS_Word_Annual_Report_2020.pdf">GOTS Annual Report 2020</a></li>
<li class="li7"><a href="https://baptistworldaid.org.au/resources/ethical-fashion-guide/">Baptist World Aid Report + Fashion Guide</a></li>
</ul>
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Who Made My Clothes

We are excited to be supporting Second Hand September, <a href="https://www.oxfam.org.uk/get-involved/second-hand-september/">Oxfam UK's</a> global initiative launched in 2019 which aims to disrupt and change consumer shopping behaviour.&nbsp;
Traditionally September has always been a peak fashion month! Depending on which hemisphere you call home, it&rsquo;s when the new Summer and Winter collections land in stores, and bumper magazine issues brimming with alluring advertising campaigns for luxury brands hit the stands.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s no wonder the planet is drowning in textile waste. Did you know that Australia is the <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste/product-stewardship/textile-waste-roundtable">second highest consumer of textiles </a>per person in the world, after the United States of America? Each Australian consumes an average of 27 kilograms of new clothing per year and disposes an average 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year, or 93 per cent of the textile waste we generate.
&nbsp;Mills &amp; York are working towards a new paradigm, rather than focusing on new or trend driven fashion, our ethos is centred on circularity and #SecondHandSeptember is a potent way for us to encourage our members and new customers to participate and pledge to shop more sustainably by only buying second hand for 30 days, joining thousands of people across the globe.&nbsp;
To share the #SecondHandSeptember mantra, we are hosting an accessories Pop Up on Friday 3 of September which will showcase luxury second hand items on sale from our top members including, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Marni to name a few.&nbsp;
Currently the format is by appointment and these are available from 10am-3pm. Members are invited to DM <a href="https://www.instagram.com/millsandyork/">@millsandyork</a> for bookings and the location details will be provided. We are keen to host more in person events and will be announcing future Pop Up dates in Melbourne and possibly Sydney.
For people based interstate or internationally we are offering complementary Mills &amp; York &lsquo;Pre-loved Fashion Consults&rsquo; via Zoom with Sophie or Annabel. These will be one on one and can be customised based on individual needs and preferences. For all booking and enquiries please email: <a href="mailto:contact@millsandyork.com">contact@millsandyork.com</a>
#SecondHandSeptember is a platform for us to instill an appreciation for what already exists in peoples&rsquo; wardrobes, while elevating preloved fashion at large. It&rsquo;s an opportunity for us to have more personal relationships with our members, building a community who overall start making better and more sustainable fashion choices! For the month of September we will be donating 5% of Mills &amp; York profits to <a href="https://www.oxfam.org.au/donate/">Oxfam AU</a>

Second Hand September

The Women Behind Mills &amp; York&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Mills &amp; York is the brainchild of two extremely driven and fashionable Melbourne based women: Sophie Gunnersen and Annabel Lott.&nbsp;The pair bonded over their love of fashion and how they could make a difference in the ever-changing fashion landscape.&nbsp;
Through a combined vision to see beautiful pieces shared sustainably whilst also helping others understand their fashion footprint - Mills &amp; York was born.&nbsp;
The name stems from the very streets Sophie and Annabel live on, as they recognised their clothes began to travel back and forth between them. What started as two friends sharing a wardrobe, incidentally, became the foundation of their business. To the pair, sustainability means making better choices. It&rsquo;s about doing the right thing in terms of prioritising the environment, making use of what you already own and asking the right questions to uphold what it truly means to be sustainable.&nbsp;
Mills &amp; York speaks to those who want to make a change in how they consume fashion but aren&rsquo;t sure where to start. By creating a platform whereby one can learn how to increase the use of clothing and monetise what they already own, Sophie and Annabel believe that change can happen in the wardrobe of anyone, right now.&nbsp;
The duo has designed Mills &amp; York to include a community where their fashion citizens can not only be educated about what it means to be sustainable in 2020, but also make friends whilst passing on the stories that come and go in every wardrobe. Mills &amp; York is more than a place to sell or rent your clothes, it&rsquo;s a hub where we can bond over the love for a shared designer or swap best environmental tips.&nbsp;
Sophie and Annabel realise that clothes won&rsquo;t change the world, but those who buy them, wear them, mend them, rent them and resell them will. Their message isn&rsquo;t to &lsquo;never buy again&rsquo;, it&rsquo;s about being fashion smart - whether that&rsquo;s buying vintage or monetising your wardrobe - so a little bit of everyone&rsquo;s street can comes to yours, too.&nbsp;

The Women Behind Mills & York

These Are The Websites That Should Be On Your Ethical Fashion Radar
Wanting to be more informed on ethical fashion and where to shop, but don&rsquo;t know where to look? We&rsquo;ve got you covered to assist you on your journey to be an ethical, knowledgeable consumer.&nbsp;
<ol class="ol1">
<li class="li3">Ethical Clothing Australia</li>
</ol>
<a href="https://ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/">Ethical Clothing Australia</a> is a not-for-profit organisation and an accredited body that works together with the local textile, clothing and footwear businesses that manufacture in Australia. Their overall goal is to work towards a more transparent industry where involved businesses ensure their supply chains are fully transparent and legally compliant. The ECA accreditation and labelling system provides consumers with a way to recognise and support ethically made clothes in Australia.&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 2. Well Made Clothes
<a href="https://wellmadeclothes.com.au/">Well Made Clothes</a> is a marketplace where the world&rsquo;s best ethical fashion labels can be found. It brings consumers reassurance knowing that when they&rsquo;re buying from a selected business on Well Made Clothes, they&rsquo;re buying it directly from the label. It&rsquo;s a website that has up-to-date information about the ever-evolving fashion industry and the labels they sell. The short of it, they sell clothing that looks good and is good. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;3. Fashion Revolution
<a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/">Fashion Revolution</a> was born in reaction to the Rana Plaza industrial disaster. Human rights and the climate crisis are at the core of this movement to alert consumers of the realities that are ongoing in the industry. Despite awareness growing, a large majority remain in the dark about the true cost and conditions of production. Fashion Revolution believes that no one should die for fashion and is why it exists, to prioritise people over growth. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;4. Thread Harvest
<a href="https://threadharvest.com.au/">Thread Harvest</a> was born from the understanding that the fashion industry is ever complex and feeling powerless is common when confronted with the facts. A carefully curated system has been developed to assist shoppers in the artful curation of their wardrobe, while also explaining what ethical fashion really is. Thread Harvest is a marketplace that seeks to educate the consumer to use their powers for good.
We at M&amp;Y support them all ! 
Keep up the wonderful work.&nbsp;
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Websites That Should Be on Your Ethical Fashion Radar

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Why editing your wardrobe and reselling could be a smart money move?
How often have you stood in your closet or dresser knee-high drowned in a heap of clothes, and said, &ldquo;I have nothing to wear&rdquo;? All too often we find ourselves shuffling through a sea of clothes that you&rsquo;ve only worn a handful of times with no intention to wear it again, and soon enough we find ourselves overcome with guilt and confusion. Sound familiar?&nbsp;
The good news is, there&rsquo;s a growing global marketplace that we&rsquo;ve coined the &lsquo;wardrobe economy&rsquo; that will save you space in your wardrobe, help the planet and make you money.&nbsp;
Fast fashion produces 10% of the world&rsquo;s carbon emissions (more than international flights and maritime shipping combined), is the second-largest consumer of the world&rsquo;s water supply and is a key player in the pollution of the ocean.
Annual wardrobe edits are a handy way to organise and declutter your wardrobe. Having a well-organised wardrobe can make a *huge* difference when it comes to what you actually wear and will help you focus on new ways to wear your existing pieces and identify essential items to invest in to pull it all together. And while there is no magic formula to help you go about editing your wardrobe, here are some tips:
&nbsp;
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Purge your wardrobe</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
Remove everything from your wardrobe, put to one side anything that is the wrong size, worn out, broken, ill-fitting, or uncomfortable, and items that haven&rsquo;t been worn in 6-12 months.&nbsp;
To know if you are really going to wear them again, try them on again.
As Marie Kondo would suggest, be honest with yourself when purging your wardrobe, will you wear it again?&nbsp;
Consider your clothes as though they were new items that you were going to buy (and spend a lot of money on).&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Consider the following questions:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Does this suit me? Compliment my shape? Fit?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Does it work with my current lifestyle?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Is it in good condition? A colour that suits me? Comfortable?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Am I happy wearing this?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Have I worn it in the last 12 months?</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ol start="2">
<li> Mindful Shopping</li>
</ol>
This may seem cliche, but trust us it works.&nbsp;
Sometimes we can get overly excited when we see those BIG % off sales. It&rsquo;s easy to impulse buy because we think we&rsquo;re going to be getting a bargain. Often though, we end up with an item of clothing that doesn&rsquo;t quite work, leaving us with too many items in our wardrobe that go unworn. All because we were craving that dopamine hit!
&nbsp;
Before hitting the &lsquo;buy now&rsquo; button, ask yourself:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Do I really need this piece of clothing?&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Will I wear it regularly?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Would it buy it if it was full price?&nbsp;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Can I purchase something similar second-hand elsewhere?&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
By focusing on mindful shopping, you will likely make much better decisions, buy only what you will actually wear, save money and help the planet. Win win!&nbsp;&nbsp;
<ol start="3">
<li> Re-Sell</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
Now, this is where it gets fun, especially for your wallet. Reselling and repurposing your clothes can make you some *HUGE* bank and wearing &lsquo;second-hand&rsquo; has now become cool.
In fact, the secondhand market <a href="https://www.thredup.com/resale">is expected to double in the next 5 years, reaching $77B&nbsp; </a>according to ThredUP.&nbsp;
Selling your clothes can offset those hefty prices you paid for your garments. Some luxury and vintage items gain value over time and are often seen as tradable assets with a high resale value.
Here at Mills &amp; York, we have your back.&nbsp; We can schedule a wardrobe consultation with you, to help ascertain what pieces you&rsquo;d like to edit. Through our platform you can then lend or resell your items, or rent and buy.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s super simple. For more information jump on our FAQ&rsquo;s <a href="https://millsandyork.com/FAQ">here</a>.
After all, you don&rsquo;t want to miss your chance to make a buck or the bragging rights you are granted as a conscious consumer.
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DIARY

Who Made My Clothes

Second Hand September

The Women Behind Mills & York

My wardrobe is all Yours.