Nawshin Khair has a whole lot on her plate. For those who aren’t in the know, she is the director of Bengal Art Lounge as well as Bengal Group itself. Khair is also the executive director of Ice Media Limited, the founder of Paera and the senior designer at Aranya. We had a chance to have a chat with this vibrant young lady and wanted to concentrate on her thoughts as the country coordinator for Fashion Revolution.
Aiming to ignite a consumer led revolution to radically change the way fashion is made, sourced and purchased. FR is active in more than 60 countries now and have been successful in creating an awareness amongst conscious consumers. It is very crucial that Bangladesh works towards a long term industry wide change so fashion becomes a force for good and that all businesses are conducted in a safe, healthy and fair way. In order to make a positive impact we need to bring people together for the length of the value chain, from farmers to factory workers, brands to buyers, consumers to campaigners to connect the broken links between those who produce, sell and buy clothes.
As the country coordinator for Fashion Revolution, were there any obstacles you faced with this brilliant initiative or was all the feedback positive?
Many factories and brands are wa ry of new initiatives. A few companies including RMG industry giants like BexTex, (Upcycle Project) and Desh Garments as well as social initiatives such as Living Blue and Friendship Bangladesh, have stepped forward to open up about their brand and supply chain, the steps they are taking to rectify and improve their worker and environment standards, wages and safety issues of their workers. We need more support from the different factories and more importantly brands to come forward as being the role models and teach the best practices of the industry to fashion design students. Our aim is to grow gradually and work long term. Hopefully next year we will get a better response from all stakeholders.
The EU parliament was eager to know about Fashion Revolutions activation in Bangladesh. I believe our initiative is being well received worldwide. It is very important that we keep working towards assisting in creating a healthier environment for the fashion industry.
All of us country coordinators are very passionate about sustainable growth for the fashion industry and continue to work towards raising awareness of the true cost of fashion and its impact at every stage in the process of production through to consumption and disposal. Carry Somers, founder of Fashion Revolution is an amazing visionary whose support and guidance made it possible for us to come this far.
What has been done so far when it comes to garment workers safety? What more do you think needs to be done?
After the Rana Plaza disaster there have been many initiatives to tackle the issue of worker safety. We are moving towards an exceptionally transparent system for workplace safety and have achieved many milestones in the last two years. The audit firms Accord and Alliance have been working with the factories and brands to improve the safety standards of factory workers.
However there are many factories, mainly sub factories that may not be under Accord or Alliance’s radar.
NYU’s Stern Center of Business and Human Rights is also working to map these factories. I think this is a great initiative and look forward to the developments.
BGMEA have amended labour laws; initiated relevant trainings with the help of Bangladesh Government, have compensated the victims of Rana Plaza, and rehabilitated the injured workers and their families. But what still remains a big question mark, is the commitment of the brands to provide for the Rana Plaza victims who were working hard to meet their demands. I hope the compensation is dispersed in the right manner and soon.
ILO has also initiated a plan to implement labour unions for the RMG Sector. This will no doubt put proper rights for the labourers in place, only if they are rightfully and successfully implemented apolitically.
USAID’s recent three year commitment to the Worker Empowerment Programme in Bangladesh to support labour rights, union organising, and women’s empowerment in the readymade garment sector is a positive step forward.
I believe we also need to focus on the sub factories to improve the safety standards of those factories which need more attention. The GOB also needs to monitor and make a strict compliance policy for those countries who do not necessarily have the strictest compliance issues allowing room for export orders.
After the Rana Plaza tragedy, a large number of people called for blanket boycotts. How effective would that kind of protest be?
I do not agree with the blanket boycotts for the existing brands. Fast fashion has become a part of our lives and have also allowed growth for economies such as that of Bangladesh. However there are many environment issues that need be addressed due to the impacts directly from the apparel industry. An ethical and sustainable business practice is mandatory to overcome this problem. A boycott will only add to the economic instability of the producing country. I would encourage more factories, brands, donor agencies and governments to focus on the environmental impact and really work towards combating river contamination and waste management.
Bangladesh’s RMG sector plans to convert and introduce many green factories in the near future. I think this is a positive way forward. The consumers play a big role and have a responsibility towards finding out how their clothes were made. As long as the consumers practice ethical buying, producers will continue to source ethically.
Many fast fashion brands like Primark, Benetton, G-Star and donor agencies like Danida now have established CSR projects in Bangladesh to combat social, economic and environmental degradation.
In your opinion, what is a sensible balance between economic growth and social responsibility?
Fashion Revolution believes in a fashion industry that values people, the environment, creativity and profit in equal measures. The sensible balance between economic growth and social responsibility can only be achieved if all stakeholders of the fashion industry including brands, producers, consumers, government, NGOs, agencies, media and individuals come forward to make the positive change.
Bangladesh is very resilient and have already taken many positive changes to address these issues. I believe we are on the right path to rectify and improve our standards.
Do you think the fashion industry generally gets a bad rap?
The fashion industry thrives on consumers’ disposable income. Fashion plays a big role on the consumers’ psyche and at the end we all want to feel good when we wear our clothes. Raw material sourcing becomes a challenge for the global market as cultural, economic and empowerment issues of individual countries vary. Ethical cotton and metal sourcing is a priority for many brands because of working conditions and practice of child labour.
It is important to be aware and make hard decisions in regards to sourcing. This process will actually contribute to a positive change of ethical and transparent sourcing. This will also allow countries to change their practices of using child labour to compete in the global market.
In a recent article published in The Guardian, you said that you want to concentrate on ensuring that local university students have the opportunity to land mid and top tier positions in the clothing industry that are only offered to foreigners. How can we make this change come about?
There has been a lot of focus on improvements for economic empowerment, workers’ wages, safety, rights, and environment sustainability in Bangladesh’s RMG sector. These are no doubt imperative issues which need to be addressed but I also strongly believe there is a need for systematic change in the education sector to address the above topics. The sustainability of the RMG sector of Bangladesh depends on a shift to a more responsible decision making process. To achieve that we need to prepare more Bangladeshis to combat problems and implement ethical decisions.
At the moment Bangladeshis are not applying or considered for the top and medium tier jobs in this sector. In order to make this shift, education institutes need to take advantage and focus on creating skilled bodies to join Bangladesh’s biggest export industry. Universities like BRAC, BUFT, BUET, DU, IUB and ULAb need to consider having specialised departments for this sector.
Fashion Revolution Bangladesh in collaboration with TORU, a local innovation hub, will host a seminar in June to address these issues with key stakeholders.
Let’s talk about the future. Where would you like to see the local fashion industry in the years to come?
The local fashion industry has come a long way. Even 10 years ago, joining a fashion institute was a distant dream. Now, we not only have design graduates we also have many strong local brands. These local brands are spin offs of the years of experience in the RMG sector. I believe we can launch global brands in future.
The traditional hand loom and handicraft industries, however need more focus. The neglect has resulted in near extinction of many practices. Even though Bangladesh is capable of sourcing the finest raw materials from abroad we often struggle to find good quality raw materials for the local producers. Hand spun yarn and making of Khadi and silk from our own yarn are slowly diminishing.
There are also many commendable initiatives of NGOs which are addressing economic empowerment of women through producing handmade products with local materials such as jute and other fibres.
Let’s get personal. You have three adorable children and a full schedule when it comes to your career. How do you manage to get everything done and make time for your family?
My children mean the world to me. It is very important for me to be able to be there for them both emotionally and physically. At first it was very hard to find the right balance. But with the help of my husband and our parents we could make a great support system. I also like to work on independent projects which allow me to take breaks in between. As for working in the family business I have a great support structure at work which also allows me to work from home when needed.
Nawshin's picks:
What is your ideal way to unwind after a long day?
Spending time with my children. Hearing how their day went and finally watching a movie with my husband.
What song do you have on repeat?
Coldplay’s Fix You
Who is your fashion icon?
I don’t really have a fashion icon but I am a junkie when it comes to high-end fashion and follow the trends very closely.
Describe your personal sense of style?
I fall in love with good designs when i see them! I love handbags, the ones that are crafted beautifully. I like to reinvent my style and explore many ways to wear an ensemble. That’s why I love designing as well, as it lets me make something new and unique.
Who would you invite to the dinner party of your dreams?
I always wanted to hangout with Sting. I’d rather get to know people one on one than have many people at a dinner party where I will only get to spend a few minutes with each person. I have actually had the privilege of meeting many celebrities, artists, musicians and dignitaries and shared dinners with them and enjoy the opportunity every time!
For more information about the Fashion Revolution project, log in to fashionrevolution.org.