For as long as I can remember I have always been found rummaging through vintage stores searching for that one off magical piece to add to my collection, it is the thrill of the chase, like finding a diamond in the rough..I am and always will be a lover of vintage.
As time goes on, fashion tends to look to the past, meaning old styles and vintage pieces can fit easily into a modern wardrobe. 
 At Mills and York we always get asked, how do you define vintage?
First used in the early fifteenth century, the origin of vintage traces back to the French word &lsquo;Vendange&rsquo;, meaning wine harvest, and denotes the vintage date given to every bottle to showcase its value. Since then vintage has been given a whole host of different connotations making it difficult to understand just exactly what a vintage piece of clothing means today.&nbsp; The general rule is that for an item to be labelled with the term it must date back to a different era. The further back you go the more vintage it becomes. For better quality, invest in pre-1970s as this was before the grand arrival of polyester and when quality took priority of quantity!&nbsp;
It has never been easier to look more up to date wearing a dress that was made 60 years ago! Investment pieces, one off designs, luxury labels from past decades there is plenty to discover in the world of vintage. Fashion has shifted. Aside from an increased awareness of sustainability, vintage fashion fits neatly into the wider mood of the Instagram age, where authenticity and originality &ndash; not being seen in the same outfit as anyone else &ndash; are highly prized. 
What better way to stand out than to wear clothes few others are likely to own?
&nbsp;
Co-Founder&nbsp; M&amp;Y Sophie Gunnersen

The thrill of the chase

&nbsp;You asked and we have listened!&nbsp;
We have been popping up here and there with our pop up stores, our first in August in Albert Park , Melbourne and currently we are located at 565 Chapel Street South Yarra .&nbsp;
Our pop ups have&nbsp; been so&nbsp; well recieved we anticipate to keep rolling them out quaterly .&nbsp;
Make sure to follow us and let us know where you would like us to be next , we are loving the discussion and enjoy the feedback .&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

We are popping up here and there

&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>
&nbsp;

Who Made My Clothes

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;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

DIARY

The thrill of the chase

My wardrobe is all Yours.