This was clearly not a safe place to work.

I’ve been sitting on this tragic story for a while, because I haven’t been sure how to approach this on the blog. Firstly, I should express that I am disgusted about the way the garment workers are treated in countries like Bangladesh, and I’m also horrified that big companies allow this kind of thing to happen. I’ve heard that the factory owners knew the building was in poor shape, but that they knew it would be cheaper to pay off $1,200 per family of a deceased in the case of a collapse, then it would be to actually fix the building. If this is the value they place on human life, then I am ashamed to be a consumer of brands that operate like this.

Clothes from Walmart: If you know how to sew, you’ll understand that it is impossible to pay a fair wage to someone to make a skirt – and cover costs of fabric, shippping and markup, and sell for a price of $16.

There are articles circulating in the media about a new initiative that big brands are joining, which protects workers like this. Then there is also the backlash against the brands who aren’t signing this agreement. Though I do think it is incredibly important for there to be some way of monitoring the conditions of overseas garment factories, I also think an agreement will take a great deal of time to create, and I’m not surprised that companies are weary of agreeing to terms created in just a few weeks.

Over 1,000 people died in the factory collapse.

But there is a solution to this problem, action we can take right now, that will make a difference. It is simple: stop buying dirt cheap clothing. I am not suggesting we all exclusively buy luxury or local from here on (although that would be nice…), or we stop buying garments made in Bangladesh (people depend on the garment industry there to feed their families), but if we all take a stand and say “No, I don’t need a $12 pair of jeans, and yes, I can spend $30 on a t-shirt,” then we would be able to make a big difference.

Companies don’t have these practices in place because they want to exploit people, they do what they have to do to sell clothes. And if we go around demanding $4 t-shirts, then companies will find a way to provide them, at any expense.

Clothes from Joe Fresh: a $5 tank top is surely not made under fair working conditions.

I know this is easier said than done, in fact, just the other day I bought my son two t-shirts from Old Navy – and it felt wrong. I am a lot more conscious about these things now, and unlike most of us, my son actually did need some new clothes (well, new to him, and I couldn’t find the t-shirts second hand.) As for the rest of us, I am pretty sure that we could go the next five years without buying any new fashion items, and we’d still have clothes on our back. But we do still want to buy clothes and invest in fashion, right? I am suggesting we do this with a bit more thought. Buy things that aren’t dirt cheap. Buy things that will last longer. Buy smart. Buy less. Buy local. Buy items that will work well in your wardrobe and that you’ll be able to wear a lot. Not everyone has the resources to trade up, but most of us do.

I need the fashion industry – it is my job and it pays my bills, but the fashion industry doesn’t need to be about exploitation. Let’s not depend on the brands to take action on our behalf, take matters into your own hands and start buying smarter. I can guarantee you that if we demand clothing that is better made, at a higher price point, companies will provide them.

Read the 5 Reasons Why I Want to be a Minimalist.

Factory images from here and here, clothing images from Joe Fresh and Walmart.

Vs2R is a shoe label founded by Italian Vincenzo Somarrelli, who started by studying environmental engineering, before starting a career in fashion. While the shoes appear to be quite full on, there is also something quite simple about the graphic shapes on the art deco heels. I almost think the pale pink wedges below right would make gorgeous wedding shoes under a full length dress, so much more interesting than hideous white satin pumps, right?

Images from Tooklookbook.

As with most interviews, I had no idea what to expect with Roland Mouret. I went into the interview of course wanting to ask him about Victoria Beckham and how she built her entire fashion “empire” based on a copy of one of his dresses – though I also figured that would sort of be off limits. But since the interview was so fantastic, I got to bring it up. Here’s my transcript of Roland Mouret and I chatting about it-dresses, counterfeits, fashion schools and Victoria Beckham. (I also chatted with him about Norman Parkinson, his Tumblr, and the new line of handbags – read that part of the interview on Vitamin Daily.)

Roland Mouret Fall 2013

Alexandra Suhner Isenberg: I almost feel like you were the inventor of the It-dress. I hate to use that term, but I do feel like you have been one of the main designers behind the concept of the It-dress. Do you think that is still relevant?

Roland Mouret: I think that fashion is a reflection of society, of social politics. I remember when Anna Wintour told me “you reinvented the dress” and it is really important. I wake up in the morning, I turn on the TV, and anywhere in the world I see an anchorwoman wearing one of my dresses or a copy of one of my dresses. It is not just a dress, I created my own technique. You have to fit a dress, and the folding, there are the details that make a dress more than just a feminine product. I think I started to make the dress like a pair of jeans and I think it was why it became the It-dress ten years ago and I think it is still relevant. The dress makes the curves, it creates everything a woman wants around her body, but it is not something she is passive with.

ASI: You talk about seeing an anchor woman wearing one of your dresses, or a copy of one of your dresses, and I feel like like a lot of your dresses have been widely copied (Mouret laughs.) Do you see that in a positive or a negative way?

RM: There are days I think it is positive and days I think it is negative. To be honest, it is what our time is. It is the concept of communication, social media, everything is so rapid, so of course my clothes can be straight away ripped off at different price points. But I believe that the customer has a right to make a designer and that is why I try to deliver. People take more than what you want them to take from you. A fashion show is to give information, but you know straight away after that someone is copying the clothes.

Roland Mouret Fall 2013

ASI: I lecture in fashion and one of the columns on my blog is an advice column where people can write to me and ask me how to break into the industry. You don’t have a formal ediucation. Do you think that it is harder and harder now, based on what you see, to do what you are doing without a formal education these days?

RM: Oh no, I don’t think education is necessary to become a fashion designer. I think legacy is important, you have to learn what you are part of and experience it. You need to have drive and the ambition to succeed. If you go to St. Martins now, it is such a machine of producing students. The only thing they manage to produce is people who go straight to work on the high street, to understand the product of designer and to reinterpret it for the high street. Schools produce more of that attitude rather than people who come out and explode as designers. You still need years of learning experience to start your own business.

ASI: So basically you think you need those years of learning and experience, but it doesn’t have to be in a school.

RM: No, it doesn’t. I don’t think school allows you to have that kind of bubble for three years where whatever you do, you are safe.

ASI: I feel like St. Martins, when I on the MA there ten years ago, did have that bubble. Maybe it has changed.

RM: I think it is still the same, when you see the show, it is a Louise Wilson (Course Director of the MA in Fashion Design) production. Take every student one by one, and ask them to work properly, and they are not ready. But I didn’t go to school, and they say I am the student she never had. I think everybody has their own path, mine was not to go to school, mine was to go clubbing.

That was another thing, I didn’t have enough money to go to school, I had to go clubbing. I chose to go to clubs in Paris. Every night. For ten years.

Roland Mouret Fall 2013

ASI: When you relaunched, you did the selling online of your collection immediately after the show, on Net-A-Porter. They have done that with a few brands, Halston and McQueen. Sometimes I feel like fashion becomes irrelevant because we get excited about something on the catwalk, but by the time it is in stores, we are bored of it. There is a lot of talk of changing the traditional fashion model, where do you see things headed?

RM: I think the beauty of time is the reinterpretation of what exists in the past. There are so many people that are at the level of thinking, because I can buy a collection, I can design a collection. I am really close to an amount of them, famous people, who think this. Everything is a reflection. I still sometimes design something, and I think is so relevant in the moment, and six months later, if I was a woman, I would think I would never buy that design, it is not right in my wardrobe. But for me, it was right six months ago, to express it on the catwalk, the volume and texture was my vision of society. After that, the clothes that you really want to own are part of your life and they are going to live with you.

I live in then countryside and I work in London. As a man, I love to have a piece of clothing that will start on the red carpet and that will end up on the back of the door of the shed. The same thing for my old cashmere sweaters, they end up in the cottage, for my friends visiting, they can wear them. Clothing must have that life.

Left, Victoria Beckham wearing a Roland Mouret dress, and right, a dress from her “icons” range – which is basically a pathetic imitation of Mouret’s work.

ASI: I just want to say, I wasn’t going to bring this up but I feel like you have been hinting at it, that one of my pet peeves is celebrity fashion. I just want to say that one of the things that makes me really upset about fashion is how Victoria Beckham has taken so many of your ideas. I just want to say that I…hate that.

RM: Because you love fashion. But at the the end, we all have our time. We all go through our time where we are young a famous and people want us, and then we age and we become institutions, and one day we have to learn that someday someone will come to take your place. I have seen it with other designers. from the eighties, so many designers, they were the heads of their time, and now they aren’t. Victoria is just Victoria. one day it will happen to her, like all of us.

ASI: I count the days…

RM: You are a true fashion person. She is a reflection of society, you have to look at her like that.

ASI: That is what scares me.

RM: She represents the market.

ASI: I know. That makes me sad.

RM: We created that market in the eighties, the market of popular culture able to enter high end design. We accept that soap opera and reality TV could wear designer clothes.

ASI: You are right that just because you can buy a collection doesn’t mean you can make a collection.

RM: But at the end, we accept Diane von Furstenberg, and Diane was a socialite, she was never a designer. And Diane has a good company, she understands fashion.

ASI: That is a very good point.

RM: Tom Ford never designed, he was a creative director. Victoria is a friend, I know the reality of Victoria, it will happen to her, what happens to everybody. One day someone else will come along.

Thanks to The Room, Nicholas Mellamphy, and The Hudson’s Bay Company for inviting Roland to Vancouver and letting me interview him.

Catwalk images from Style.com, Victoria Beckham dress, and Victoria Beckham image source.

It’s projects like this that remind me that brands like Louis Vuitton are going to be ruling the world for a long time. They have so much money, and are able so many awesome, cool, interesting things, like this fun “Art of Packing” series, which continues to keep a lot of us interested. It features four pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage, a bunch of their clothes and accessories, and instructions on how you’d pack the pieces into a suitcase. Not only are the graphics and little films quite cute, but they also feature really handy tips on folding garments and instructions on how to best pack a suitcase. I used to be an expert at this, back in the days when I used to go on mini holidays every four weeks – but ever since I’ve been tied down with kids, I’ve lost the art of packing. Maybe they can do a series where they pack up two adults and two children under the age of two, for a two month holiday – which I will be doing in June? That will require 15 pieces of luggage and about a million onesies…

They show you how to fold things, and include helpful tips and tricks.

And then they show you how best to pack everything into a case.

Click here to see the whole series.

Ask Alexandra is my advice column. Have a question you want to ask me? Fill out the form here.

Hermès’ Jypsière bag costs $7,500 and is made in France.

Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for the wonderful article in dissecting the luxury brands. I have a question that relates to the article as well. Does “Made in China” influences the value of fashion brands? There are some name brands out there with their goods manufactured in other countries other than US or Europe, does the value of their goods deteriorate because of that? Michael Kors’ bags are manufactured in China, but it does not seem to effect brand popularity, is it because of their marketing campaign? Do independent designer’s brands that are manufactured in Asia or South America seem more inferior? Thank you in advance for answering my question!

Gucci bags are supposedly made in Italy, but I’ve been told they are mostly made in China, with the last few stitches being applied in Italy, which allows them to use that label.

Hi Vivien,

“Made in China” has a very different significance today than it did ten years ago, as manufacturing there has improved a great deal, and it is much easier to get high quality products from that end of the world. On that note, there is also a big movement towards locally made products, for example, American-made fashion, and if those brands are targeting the type of consumer who wants “American-made,” then that will be a major benefit.

Tory Burch’s shoes are made in China, which means she is making quite a big margin on these, which sell for $250.

There are a few factors affecting the impact of the “Made in” label. Here they are:

1. The brand. Consumers have different expectations from different brands. If you go into Walmart to buy a t-shirt, you expect it to be made in Asia, as that’s the only way for them to make t-shirts for $5. If you go into Gucci and buy a $1500 handbag, you expect it to be made in Italy. (Incidentally, brands like Gucci do get their bags partially made in China, but the final stitches are put on in Italy, which means they can put the “Made in Italy” label on them. That’s a bit deceiving, but, I digress…)

When luxury brands make things in China, it usually means that they know their customer is more interested in buying the brand and unconcerned about where it is made, so the country of origin doesn’t matter.

Lululemon’s groove pants are made in Taiwan or Vietnam.

2. The consumer: Some consumers care about where their products are made, others don’t. As I mentioned above, there has been a movement towards buying local, and there is a new(ish) consumer who is very keen on buying products that are made locally. For my company, The Sleep Shirt, one of our biggest selling points is that it is made in Canada. On the other hand, some consumers want to buy products that are made in what I’ll call “prestige apparel manufacturing countries” like France and Italy. Those kind of consumers want a product made in one of thee countries because they think it will be better quality (and usually, it is.)

The last type of consumer is the one that doesn’t care. And to be honest, I think that is most of us, most of the time, at least for part of the clothing we buy. When I am shopping, I will certainly be drawn to products that are made locally, but for things some things (like t-shirts and socks) I rarely look at the label. On the other hand, I feel like the factory in Bangladesh certainly drew attention to the plight of the garment workers in Asis, but its effect on our cheap clothing shopping habits is yet to be seen

3. The product: The last issue is the product. Certain countries specialize in certain types of manufacturing, for example, China and Brazil make a lot of footwear and India does a lot of beading. If you want to get shoes made in Canada, you are out of luck, we simply don’t have many good factories who can make this product, because of the specialized skill and machines involved in making footwear. So companies like Lululemon can get away with making a great deal of their product in Asia, and still consider themselves a “premium” brand, because there are a lot of big and high quality activewear manufacturers in that part of the world.

Seraphine’s slim fit maternity skinny jeans (left) and breastfeeding sweater (right.) I can’t believe I am actually getting excited about maternity wear, but this stuff is that good.

Since everyone I know right now seems to be pregnant or having babies, I’d thought I touch on maternity wear today. I was recently revisiting my blog post on buying maternity/post partum clothing, and if I have any readers out there that are pregnant, I suggest reading it as the advice is quite good (if I may say so myself…) I didn’t really name any specific maternity wear brands, so I thought Seraphine deserved a post of its own.

They contacted my and their press angle was all about the celebrities that wear their clothing, which was immediately a major turn off for me (as it always is.) But then I tried their product and I was hooked. Their maternity jeans are the BEST EVER. In addition, I have one of their breastfeeding sweaters, which is also great. This is a rare type of maternity clothing that you don’t actually want to set on fire after you’re done having babies. They have a huge range of essentials, including nursing tops and maternity tights, as well as fashionable items for formal events and the office. As I explained in my original blog post, I don’t recommend spending too much on pieces that you are only going to wear once or twice, but their jeans are VERY worth it. I wore mine at least four times a week during pregnancy.

Seraphine ships worldwide.

Two weeks ago I went to NAFFEM, a large fur tradeshow in Montreal. I was invited as a blogger, to check out the beautiful pieces and choose some of my favourites items for sale at the show. I am a huge supporter of the Canadian fur industry (read about my reasons here) but I’ve been less vocal about the seal hunt, primarily because I didn’t have enough information to make an informed opinion about it. Well, now I do, and I would like to share it with you because I think it is important.

Seal skin dyes really well, I love this pink pelt.

1. Seals are a sustainable resource and are in abundance. We live in a world where resources have become an issue, and many of us are choosing to consume products that come from renewable resources. Seal is a great example of this – there are tons of them in Canada and they are not at all at threat of becoming endangered. Speaking of sustainability, seals are part of the reason why fish stocks are very low (although overfishing is also a big issue) and the seal hunt not only provides jobs and resources for the hunters, but also allows the fish populations to regenerate (a bit.) All major conservation groups will agree that a responsible use of resources (like hunting seals for food and clothing) is a good thing, and is often the central principle of modern conservation.

2. Seals are local. The green topic is a big one right now, and part of the green movement focuses on buying local. Canada has a lot of great resources, but when it comes to fashion, few are 100% Canadian. Nearly all of our fashion products are in some way sourced from overseas (where it be raw materials or construction) but seal skin and wild fur are 100% free range, local products.

The seal skin mittens I bought for my son.

3. The seal hunt supports Canadian communities. There are two major seal hunts in Canada, one in the Arctic sea (seals hunted by Inuit people) and one on the East Coast (a commercial seal hunt.) Both provide jobs and resources for those people. The meat is eaten, the fat is used for a variety of products, and the skin is sold so that these people can support themselves. Food, as you may know, is extremely expensive in the Arctic, and there are limited jobs in that area, or in the Maritimes. The seal hunt is a very important Canadian industry for the people who depend on it.

4. The seal hunt is not inhumane. The animal rights activists will have you believe that the seal hunt is inhumane, but this is not the case. First of all, most seals are killed with rifles (not clubbed to death.) Secondly, there have been numerous studies done on the seal hunt, and biologists and veterinarians have all agreed that the seal hunt is no less humane than any other hunt.

Seal skin slippers for babies and toddlers.

5. The media paints an unfair picture. My question, after having learnt all the above, was why does the seal hunt have such a bad reputation? There are two answers to this. First of all, seals are cute, and people are more likely to be protective of cute animals. If we were all truly concerned about cruelty and sustainability, why aren’t we doing more to save fish? Many species of fish are far more at risk than seals, yet their not-so-cute appearance doesn’t exactly inspire people to campaign for them. (Notice how we care more that our tuna is “dolphin safe” but so much if that particular tuna is endangered.) Secondly, the seal hunt is a much more visible than other hunts, and the access to it allows for more imagery. The seal hunt happens in certain places at very specific times, and so it is very easy for activists to turn up and take photos of blood on the ice. Those same activists aren’t invited into abattoirs, and therefore we don’t have the same images in our head of cows or sheep. The fact that seals are cute, and that we have access to photos of them being killed, means the seal hunt has been very unfairly portrayed by the media and activist groups.

Many of us are so far removed from nature, farming, and hunting, and it is so easy to forget that our food comes from the land. While I will admit I don’t like seeing photos of any dead animals, I do appreciate the process and am under no illusions about the realities of eating meat and wearing animal products. For those of us who do choose to consume animals, the best we can do is consume sustainable resources that are treated humanely – and the seal hunt is just that.

Here’s a video of me at the fur trade show. Just to remind all my readers… I am totally open to comments from people who disagree with me – but please don’t be rude!

I’ve been meaning to try the MaskerAide masks for months, but unfortunately the directions are extremely complicated for someone who has a newborn, as they require that you “relax for 10-20 minutes.” That wasn’t an option until a few weeks ago when I went to Montreal for a fur trade show (more on that later this week) and spent the night in a hotel room with no toddler or newborn to worry about.

MaskerAide has a range of facial sheet masks which are easy to apply and wear, since the sheet holds everything in place and you aren’t dripping product all over the place. Using a clear based serum or a cream, the masks replenish and hydrate skin and can be used in the evenings or even before makeup. Choose from formulas like Detox Diva that absorbs impurities or I Don’t Wanna Grow Up that helps combat the signs of ageing.

And of course, like most of my favourite beauty products, MaskerAide has no parabens, mineral oil, glycerins or benzophenone. $6 each at Beauty Mark.

For the past few years, I have been working as a consultant for Carizzi, a luxury swimwear brand based in London. The vision behind this brand is high end swimwear with a great fit. Sounds like a no brainer, but sadly, that is not the case. Amazing swimwear requires a well thought-through design, perfect fit, flawless pattern, and skilled construction. Carizzi has managed to achieve this all thanks to her factory in France, who also make swimwear for Hermès and Eres (pretty much the best swimwear brand in the world.)

What’s even more exciting is that her spring summer 2013 collection has a print designed by yours truly! No, I am not trying to become a print designer, but we had an idea of a bright, bold print and couldn’t find anyone to product it for us, so I had a go. The print is below, if you look closely, you can see rainbows, clouds, aces, spades, clubs, diamonds, crowns, and lightning that were inspired by some 60′s place mats I have. I’ve bought three for summer, now all I need to do is fit into them (sigh.) Shop the collection here.

Now that Mother’s Day product pitches have stopped coming into my inbox (well, a few brands pitched late this week – they must be the ones with disorganized PRs) it is time for the next big event: Father’s Day! And that’s how I came upon these offensive, revolting men’s jeans by Earnest Sewn, as they were pitched to me as a Father’s Day gift.

Not only do these jeans look unbelievably gross, but to make things worse, they are priced at $325. I don’t know how anyone could even consider spending that amount of money on a pair of pants that look like they will stain your legs with toxic rust. They are an indication of how effed up the fashion industry has become, a sad reminder that brands can charge hundreds of dollars for disgusting jeans that look like they need to be thrown in the garbage. What’s next? Trousers that have been vomited on, for $500? Depends on who vomited on them, I guess.